Cameron B. select Send Message

349 Followers / 247 Following

Recommended

Cameron B. drank Hatsukoï by Lupicia

4313 tasting notes

Home – 8:30 PM

The Great Cupboard Excavation
Untasted teas remaining: 40

Chugga chugga choo choo…

Wow, this one smells extremely sharp in the tin. o.o

Luckily, it’s not so sharp after steeping. It is fairly strongly-flavored though, in both the base tea and the added flavors. The base tea is intensely vegetal, with strong spinach notes and an interesting piney flavor. The citrus flavor reminds me of yuzu, or perhaps a combination of lemon and lime. That could just be the pine notes pulling it in that direction, though. I do taste the lemongrass as well – it adds a nice herbal note that complements the other flavors well. There’s a slight hint of bitterness, which I always find pleasant in Japanese green teas. The combination of flavors just verges on medicinal, but thankfully it doesn’t quite go there.

This one is definitely quite different from the black tea version, which I remember being more of a sweet lemon drop sort of flavor. This is more of a zingy lemon-lime tea! I like them both, and I’m glad that they’re different. ❤

Flavors: Bitter, Citrus, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lime, Marine, Pine, Spinach, Vegetal

Preparation

175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

I Like This

10 likes

0 comments

People who liked this

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January sipdowns: 28
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 28

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing