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ashmanra’s Sipdown Challenge – “Your most unusual tea”

I went back and forth a bit on which tea to sip for this prompt. I thought about having a tea with interesting foraged ingredients in it, but I feel like the concept of “wildcrafted” tea is not that unusual nowadays, even if the ingredients can be. So then I settled on this tisane from Obubu, because roasted sakura is just not something I’ve ever seen anywhere else. I also have a roasted sakura sencha from them, but I felt the combination with wild mint leaves was a bit more unique. Amusingly enough, I saw when I went to write this note that I also chose this tisane for the “a weird tea” prompt last year… :P

This wasn’t my favorite at first, but I grew to love it as I sipped through the first package, and by the end I was happy to have a second one. The roasted sakura has such an interesting toasty-savory flavor to it that’s somehow light and cozy at the same time. I can still taste the ethereal fruity-floral notes of the sakura, but the roasting gives it more presence and body. The mint is actually quite mellow in this, a nice accompaniment to the sakura that also gives the tisane a sweet and refreshing finish.

Such a lovely one, and I guess it sort of is “wildcrafted” since both the cherry trees and mint are apparently wild. :P

Flavors: Cherry, Floral, Fruity, Herbaceous, Mint, Roasted, Sakura, Savory, Smooth, Spearmint, Sweet, Toasty, Woody

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
ashmanra 2 years ago

Nice! I still haven’t done that prompt yet myself and am having trouble deciding what qualifies! I just don’t have anything that is terribly unusual right now.

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ashmanra 2 years ago

Nice! I still haven’t done that prompt yet myself and am having trouble deciding what qualifies! I just don’t have anything that is terribly unusual right now.

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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! ~
- May sipdowns: 8
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 85

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

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/tea...

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