Lychee (Lichee) Oolong

So I’m watching a Doctor Who marathon, waiting for the new series/ season to start. In the chat, oolong was suggested to be my tea to try.

This smells nice and fruity. The flavour is mild on the lychee side, but I like the oolong base. It’s a good blend of floral and fruity.

So continues the list of teas from my New Years Happy Bag that I haven’t gotten around to trying. This was a tea that I was interested in because I do enjoy Lupicia’s flavored oolongs, but then I could tell from the photo that it is actually a roasted oolong (unusually for them) and probably an Oriental Beauty base (flavor seems to confirm that). They aren’t my favorite oolongs and as a base for flavored teas they can be really boring. But! I got this in my happy bag so I got to try it anyway.

The good news is that it’s a decent tea. Lychee is definitely present, although I think I get it more immediately before the sip in the scent, and then as a lasting aftertaste. I definitely get the flavor of somewhat generic Oriental Beauty oolong in the main part of the sip; not quite roasty, but not green either, a touch minerally. I would prefer more lychee in the sip itself, although more does come out as it cools. I bet this would be good cold brewed. Wish they had put this one on a pouchong base, but then again I already have my perfect lychee oolong so I’m not too sad to not be in love with this one!

This tea came to me from a place far, far away, and from the lovely Anna. You know the one: great hair, ziplock university, secret millionaire, very dear…

The scent of the dry leaf smells kind of like the inside of your trick-or-treat bag from Halloween. Or, you know, maybe that’s the smell of lychee. I must admit that I don’t tend to gravitate towards things of the lychee persuasion, so I tried this tea a bit cautiously. And I think I either brewed it wrong or I simply don’t like lychee. I gave it a four minute steep because that’s what I’ve done with all my other oolongs and they’ve come out delectable, but somehow this had very little flavour to it. remarkably, however, I could taste lychee lingering for like an hour after I was done sipping, although the taste of lychee wasn’t in the sip itself. Isn’t that so odd? Anyway, a most unusual tea, that’s for sure. I have enough left to try it again, and I may try a shorter steep time, but perhaps it’s just that I’m not a big lychee fan.

Thanks, Anna!! I’m so glad you introduced me to lupicia, because now I feel compelled to try Lupicia everything.

Another tea from the lovely Anna and another Lupicia tea.
Anna do you read my mind ? or maybe my notes ? :D you sent me Oolongs Melon and Lychee which are 2 fruits I particularly like. Thanks so much for that.

I do prefer this delicate blend with a refined (even if quite strong) lichee to the melon one.
I get very much of the nuttiness and buttery taste of the Oolong with this one. Absolutely mellow and sweet.

A surprise from a surprise package from Anna! There is something quite special about being eager to get home to have a cup of good tea and find new teas on your mailbox (double! Teas from a swap with Courtney arrived at the same time, but those are teas I meant for breakfast, will test tomorrow). My planned cup of Thé sur le Nil will have to wait a few days.

I don´t know Lupicia very well, this is probably my second or third Lupicia tea (too tired to check for sure). I love lychee tea, and never had anything other than standard black tea with lychee. This oolong is a different take and it is lovely, the almost earthy-ness or nuttiness (nope, do not know what I am talking about, this sort of oolong-y thing, you know) and the juicy fruit on top. It´s a pretty delicate pairing and the taste is blessedly natural seeming. In all a lovely cup of tea.

(I was probably brutal at brewing this, but it did not seem to matter at all)

Had for afternoon tea with R, an unexpected surprisingly langorous event (usually he comes home late from work Wednesdays due to faculty meetings, but they were canceled today). Nice for sure, but hot on the heels of Daruma it reminds one of it while falling short in comparison (a bit less exotic fruitiness, no peppercorn savory unique refreshing element). I’d rather reorder Daruma (yum!) and just continue to get any ol’ lychee tea I can get my hands on (with preference to Butiki’s)—it’s a flavor that just works so well with tea period that no matter who does it I always end up enjoying it. I’m noticing a pattern with that, where certain flavors feel kind of can-do-no-wrong to the point even if they’re not normally the ones I’d pick first (or eat the real version of first), with tea they’re a no brainer (the opposite holds too—some flavors, no matter how delicious in real life, never seem that great to me in tea, or so hard to do with it that finding a good specimen is tricky…figs, bananas, cinnamon, strawberries—most berries really—spring to mind first).

This oolong has a slight smoky taste that serves as a backdrop for a splash of sweet, fruity flavor. The smell is all lychee, and I actually think this tea mimics that flavor pretty well, albeit in a more subdued, less-ripe form. My favorite way to drink this was cold-brewed for about 8 hours or overnight, but it’s pretty good hot, too. I think it’s fruitier if you drink it cold-brewed.

It was ok. It came out kinda weak tasting though.

Very distinct but not overpowering lychee taste. One of my favorite oolongs.