This is the first apple tea I tried (that wasn’t of the super-sweetened Turkish variety) that I really enjoyed. To my nose, there is nothing artificial about the scent of the leaves – this is exactly what it smells like when you’re in your autumn kitchen, peeling harvested apples for jams and chutneys. Long, fragrant ribbons of tart apple peel spiraling to the floor. Dipping my nose into a sample of Tsugaru green, I can almost feel the stickiness on my fingertips.
I’ve said it before, but this is what Lupicia tend to do so well – steer clear of even the slightest note of artificiality.
The flavour is a perfect, mild apple. There is some tartness, but not the kind of tartness all too often found in certain berry teas – the kind that hits your tongue just before you sip the tea down, at the very moment you thought you were safe. No, this is a tonge-tip tartness, dissolving into sweet fruit. I like to let this tea cool a bit to get more flavour out of it. I have yet to try it iced.
Good re-steep.
[Purchased at Lupicia in Honolulu, December 2012.]
Boiling, 1 min 30