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Frankly speaking, am a bit disappointed with all the Lupicia special teas I have tried these days. Many of them were fruit-flavoured and tasted rather artificial. Melorina is no different and its fruit flavour is probably the most artificial of all. The melon flavour is exactly like that in candies or melon milk, a popular drink among children here in my hometown… it’s very sweet-smelling but the black tea base is quite strong, so it’s quite a mismatch. The second brew I had was better because both the melon flavour and the tea had become less strong.

A black tea flavoured with cassis, it’s ok but not very different from other cassis tea by Lupicia. Certainly not as exciting as tea description has promised!

This smells really tropical and yummy! I can clearly taste mango and papaya. But it’s unfortunate that I detect a distinctive bitter and tart taste in the tea… which I am going to attribute to hibiscus. It’s weird enough to turn a near-perfect cup into a disaster. Shame. The black tea base is a bit too strong as well, so I’d suggest a shorter brewing time (~2 minutes).

Hardly a favourite. There were various citrusy notes (orange, grapefruit…) in the tea but overall rather artificial. I didn’t even want a second brew, which was rare for Lupicia teas! :(

There are often times when I wish there’s more in a tea, but this time I wish there’s less. Jasmine tea and green tea is a wonderful combination; the floral scent of the former together with the grassiness of the latter makes me think about springtime. However, the muscat flavour added to this tea seems totally out of place and has upset the delicate balance of flavours. Sorry! The blend sounds interesting but it doesn’t work for me!

This is very much like Yamabudo, another oolong tea scented with grapes by Lupicia. The grapes used in Budou Oolong are apparently different (Pione grapes, they said), although I really can’t tell if it tastes different from other types of grapes. Anyway, people who enjoy Yamabudo will like this tea because it has all the former’s great qualities. While the grape flavour smells somewhat artificial, its taste, surprisingly enough, is subtle and natural. The bright floral fragrance of oolong tea base blends wonderfully with the grape flavour. A very gentle tea that makes a great start of the holiday :)

This is disappointing… the yogurt flavour is strangely artificial and sweet, it smells and tastes like Yakult yogurt drink or Chelsea yogurt scotch candy… not that I don’t like this flavour but it’s kinda weird when it appears in a tea. It doesn’t go along well with the black tea base, which actually is quite smooth and nice itself. Too bad.

Another tea from Kokodeshika Box Set. It’s very lemony – the lemon flavour comes from lemon oil rather than artificial flavouring – you either hate it or like it. It’s strange that I detect some sweet, peachy flavour in the tea… not sure if this is intended, but anyway it goes well with lemon, making this tea an enjoyable, fruity cup.