Rhubarb & Strawberry

Tea of the morning here. This is one of the more enjoyable strawberry teas I’ve tried but the rhubarb definitely gives it something of a sour note. The combination is good here.

I guess my vacation is officially over since I’m back to work today after being gone for over a week – boo hoo! I will need lots of tea to get through this day…

Very delicious AND it came in a bag, so it’s hard to complain about this. It came in the post from my aunt and uncle so that just goes to prove what wonderful people they are!

From my Lucky Bag.

This tea smells amazing. Dry or brewed, it’s a really beautiful sweet strawberry scent. I’ve never actually tried rhubarb in real life, however I think it’s that and the rose petals that give this a bit of perfume and floral edge. It’s not a creamy-style strawberry tea, but the black tea base it still quality. I drank this hot most of the time, but sticking it in the fridge was also pretty tasty.

I believe I found this on the US Lupicia website once and pounced on it, but have never seen it reappear since that time.

Like a lot of Lupicia’s fruity blacks, the base is very strong and leans on the tempermental side, where a little too much leaf or a slightly longer steep than anticipated can really bring out a metallic and bitter/tannic aftertaste. Under ideal conditions, it is still quite dark and malty, with an autumn leaf note and a bit of drying at the back of the tongue after the sip. The strawberry aroma smells lovely from the bag and the cup; it is the same sweet/candy-like strawberry flavor Lupicia uses in other teas, though the candy notes are a bit more subdued in this particular tea since it isn’t paired with a vanilla/cream flavor like many of their other strawberry teas. The most disappointing part of this tea is I bought it for the rhubarb, but I don’t taste it much at all. There is a little bit of a tart note to the cup and the strawberry isn’t as sweet, which I suppose could be the doing of the rhubarb, but it isn’t very pronounced to me… perhaps if I was drinking Lupicia’s plain Strawberry black tea side-by-side I might notice the difference more. I suppose on the plus side I won’t have to be too upset that this doesn’t seem to be a flavor they carry often, as any of Lupicia’s other strawberry teas would hit about the same for me.

Even though I’m working remotely, I get the day off due to snow today – yay! Thanks to tea-sipper for this tea! The base tea is a little metallic, but the flavors are nice! I like how strong the fruits are. I can buy that it’s strawberry and rhubarb – pretty juicy and tasty!

I adore how this tea smells – the tangy strawberry comes across beautifully with each sniff – but I’m a little ambivalent on the flavor.

The black tea base is solid and the strawberry flavors come up nicely at the end of each sip. There’s a wee bit of tart around the edges of each mouthful, but nothing overwhelming.

So I was very thrilled to try this one. Thanks SO MUCH for sending some over, Kawaii433! I love rhubarb. I’ve tried quite a few rhubarb teas and usually they’re delicious. This one might beat them ALL. This is a black tea, with strawberry bits and quite a lovely fragrance. Others have mentioned mostly strawberry, but to me, I’m getting pure tart RHUBARB with hints of strawberry sweetness in the very background. I love the balance this way. The black tea itself wouldn’t be a showstopper, but it’s the perfect carrier for this flavor to take over. The second cup probably shouldn’t have been steeped for three minutes, sometimes the flavor gets oversteeped and the black tea can take over. I learned a long time ago sometimes a flavored tea needs a short steep to let the flavors remain the focus. I’m very happy this is in my cupboard.
Steep #1 // 1 1/3 teaspoons for a full mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 8 min after boiling // 3 minute steep

Here’s another of my wacky recs: I pretty much watch zero horror movies, so I don’t know what horror fans think of this show, so maybe I’m not the person to give my opinion on this. But I thought all four seasons of Channel Zero were great. I watched each season when it was released and they are pretty solid all around and haunting even now. They are weird in their own way mini seasons/ story lines at six episodes each, which seems ideal for such weirdness. Maybe someone who actually watches horror movies can tell me this show is crap. haha.

I just received this in my first-ever Lupicia (France) order today, and I love it! I’ve only had one cup so far, so I may revise this write-up as needed, but I tasted both rhubarb and strawberry, plus some mystery flavor that I also detected in Lupicia’s black tea Sakurambo (also delicious!) … something … a bit “melon-y”? I don’t know! And Lupicia does not exactly give a lot of details about their blends. For me, though, it’s a very good balance: neither too sour, nor too supercharged strawberry, and a nice lucid, clear flavor as opposed to some of my other favorite black fruity teas which are often more “melange” style. So, nicely different!

I actually found this a very cozy comfy cup here at the butt end of January, but can also imagine it being quite refreshing in spring and summer, and probably very good iced, as well. Maybe a tea for all seasons! I tried it with a bit of raw sugar, and am curious to see what happens with a splash of milk, too. At any rate, definitely a re-order for me — assuming Lupicia’s French online site doesn’t close, like the US site. Please don’t close, Lupicia France! I only recently realized that you even existed, and now I’m seeing what some of my favorite steepsters have been raving about.

Tea Swap Sample Sipdown of the Day! (22)

So I just got an insane fantastic swap package from Kawaii433! ❤

Just in case you don’t believe me, here’s a photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/BstdvY5lbcF/

#themotherlode

It’s filled with lovely and delicious-sounding tea goodies. The only reason I even know where to begin is that I figured I’d try the three Lupicia teas she included, so that I know whether I need to order them or not. Believe it or not, there are some Lupicia teas I haven’t tried… ;)

Okay, this is straight up delicious. The strawberry here is somewhat candylike, which is something I’ve noticed in most of Lupicia’s strawberry teas (except for Tochiotome, which has a different strawberry flavoring). In fact, it reminds me of those little strawberry hard candies with the liquid center that are wrapped in a strawberry-printed cellophane. It has a nice tartness to it, and the rhubarb goes very well with it.

The strawberry is definitely the stronger of the two flavors, but I do taste the rhubarb as well. It’s a classic pairing of course, and a tasty one. The base tea doesn’t contribute much in the way of flavor aside from a slight maltiness and a hint of astringency. There is a light floral note here as well, perhaps along the lines of rose.

Yummy. I think I may need to order this one, damn it!

This is a milder fruit tea compared to Lupicia’s other fruit teas; if you’ve had Lupicia’s strawberry tea, this is similar in flavor profile with the powdered candy like flavor / aroma except a bit milder in flavor.