So French Lupicia ship all over Europe now, which makes life a little easier. But just somewhat, because they have changed all the tea names, so you have to play detective to find the right ones. Also they have this completely un-Lupicia website, all clean and proper. What they don’t have, however, is Cookie. I don’t blame …
Green Darjeeling – Kusmi Tea
Okay, so darjeeling can be black, white, oolong or green, allegedly – this is a green. I find this whole thing somewhat confusing, since darjeelings always seem to be marketed as black teas even when they’re green or oolongy (I’ve never come across a white). Let me just say how much I love this lounge for stocking …
Afternoon Tea – Lupicia
Let me state right from the start I am really not the target audience for this tea. Unflavoured blacks are the hardest ones for me to stomach overall, and even though I’m still in the process of trying to figure out which base teas I actually like (considering I only come across them in flavoured blends) I …
Shiraore Kuki Hojicha Flush – Palais des Thés
Reading PdT’s own description of this tea, it comes off as something very complex. It’s certainly very present scent wise – almost to a take-over-the-room level, but the suggested complexity is nowhere to be found. I can’t really do my usual notes-of-this, or notes-of-that, because there’s just one main note – a somewhat flat, slightly …
Thai Nguyên – Trà hoa lài (Trà Lài Thái Nguyên) – Natural Vietnam Tea (Nam Nhien Vietnam Tea)
You remember when I checked the no-teas-bought-in-January-challenge box? Right. Thing is, I did buy some teas when I was in Vietnam, but only to give away as gifts. As it turned out, I ended up with one bag too many (it sounds like I broke up with a friend, or something, but I really just …
Jasmin Chung Hao – Forgeron & Blanc
It is time for a short break from the infernal EU swap box (don’t get me wrong, the swap experience itself is beautiful, but the logistics of getting that box closed are seriously like something from Dante) to give Project Jasmine some attention. It was thanks to the first round of the box swap that …
Une autre idée? – Theodor
I wish I knew what the trick is to rooibos. What makes a good and a not-so-good flavoured rooibos so completely different? When I first had delicate, French-style rooibos I could barely believe it was the same thing as the cardboardy German stuff. Do they water the bushes with gold? Sing to them? It can’t …
Zimbabwe White Tea – Nothing But Tea
I had no idea how to brew this, so I checked Steepster for pointers and went with 3 minutes at 80 C. I barely ever read individual tasting notes right before trying a new tea, though, and I have a Steepster user’s ‘powerfully fruity’ comment with me as I sip this. Heh. Let me just …
Xin Yang Mao Jian Green Tea – Teavivre
I tried this tea partly because of Project Unflavoured Green, and partly because it’s so pretty. The leaves look like little hedgehog spines. I like hedgehogs. (A lot.) In the bag, the scent is definitely vegetal, but with a little more punch to it than the green I last tried. This seems more robust. The …
Inachevée de Constantinople – Theodor
The remainder of this sample was just enough for a pitcher of cold-steeped tea. As expected, this worked quite well chilled. It lost a surprising amount of the apple/date character of the hot tea, but it gained some floral notes, and, most surprisingly of all, a peppery aftertaste which was very nice. [Sample from Y …