Sakurambo

The Final Sipdown: Day 6.4

Soldiering on, I come to a tea sent by Auggy that has intrigued me ever since I got it. Catching a whiff of the leaves, this smells strongly of a combination of fruit gum, apple cider, and cherry [specifically sour cherry]. The liquid combines these same scents, and the more I think about it, the more I begin the realize the similarities between the three. I’m not sure what about it makes me think apple cider, but it does indeed remind me of sweet apple cider.

All these elements are in the taste as well, making it one of the most consistent leaf to aroma to drink teas I’ve ever tried. But the drink is far more complex.

Before I get into taste, the coloring warrants a note. It’s a deep, brown color that’s not quite coppery like most black teas are. Instead it has a red that falls somewhere between auburn and burgundy tint to it. It’s really very pretty and I find myself staring the highlights thrown into it by the light.

The black tea is there, but it’s super faint for me and comes out mainly right at the start of the sip. The astringency I get at the end, as well, is due to [I think] the black tea. What I find interesting is that it’s not difficult for me to find the black tea because the taste is so loud; it’s difficult to find because the taste has so much going on. If that makes sense.

For one, I get a cinnamon flavor that I think is part of what’s making me think of apple cider. Also, just a hint of juicy cherry more noticeable after aeration and in the finish. Juicy sweet cherry, akin to Luden’s cough drops, but also sour cherry like pie filling. I can’t taste the peppercorn that’s in it, really, though I think it might be lending itself to some of the fruity flavors in coming out of this tea. Oh wait, no. There it is when I swish it around. [At first glance, I thought those peppercorns were goji berries, but they’re not oblong enough. After scanning the logs, as the description is no help, thanks to Jillian I discovered that they are peppercorns. Funnily enough, though, I do get a hint of goji berry in the taste.] What else? Not enough for me to be able to dissect at the moment. There seriously is a lot going on.

The curious thing is that there’s not much of an aftertaste for me. Simply a whisper of sweetness that rides the breath. On occasion, I curiously [or perhaps not] get black cherry.

This is a flavor unlike any tea I’ve ever tried, and while I’m really not in love with it I could see it being something that grows on me. For the time being, however, it is unique and not crazy loud enough to be what I consider a flavored mess.

If I find myself placing a Lupicia order, I may pick up a small amount of this to play around with because it’s really making my palate feel challenged. Right now, it’s not enough to justify starting an order up on its own.

Teas Downed: 16

Hmm. Did I do something wrong? I’m not getting much flavor from this. It’s not a bad cup, just not much taste to it. I’ll have to try something else later and see if it’s an off day for me.

Second tea of the morning……

And tea #3 from my Fukubukuro bag from Lupicia. This one is in sachets in a pack of 10. Overall, I am pleased with my bag. I am not completely sure I will buy one again as I am not a huge fan of certain kinds of tea, but it has been a great introduction to Lupicia! I guess I would rather spend a little more and be sure to get things I know I will love.

Finally, a cherry flavored tea that is not reminiscent of cherry cough drops! I did have my reservations upon smelling it, but it is rather good. I will thoroughly enjoy this while I have it on hand, and it may even make it onto a shopping list. I think I need at least a few more cups of it before I can totally decide. Light cherry flavor, a decently well matched tea base. Enjoyable.

One sachet, roughly 12 oz freshly boiled water, 3minutes. Lightly sweetened.

This was so cute, I came into work and semi stressed because of hmm let’s just say incompetence of the ‘team’ hmm. But I see this envelope labeled ‘Abby’ with a postal of Lupicia Tea. Ahh the little kid in me jumped up and got excited!! Lol and I knew it was from Crystal:)

This tea was included in little tea bags! And may I say good quality tea bags. The smell is amazing, I actually love cherries. I steeped it for 3 minutes, and maybe 30 seconds…not sure. Lol but I like this tea! This is the black tea that I remember growing up. This is referring that I’ve been drinking way too much black tea from David’s and they have that distinguished black tea. Hmm I like this!! Restocking on this hopefully soon.

Ps. I’m somewhat mad at myself, Coachella tickets, and my car payment, and rent, wiped me out, and I couldn’t bring myself to buy a Lupicia Happy Bag. :( hopefully I have room in my next pay check.

I made this and I drank some and it’s a sipdown but I really can’t be fair to it because I feel so very terrible right now, physically and emotionally. I’m going to plead sick and go home from work after I wash out my pot, whether or not I can take sick time. I’ll make it up later if I can’t. I just can’t be here right now. I promised people to do QA database stuff today but I just can’t.

Loose
Appearance: large leaf black,slight curl noticeable fruit, bright cherries
Aroma when Dry: tart cherry, nutty
After water is first poured: bright, tart cherry, fruity
At end of first steep: mellowed tart cherry
Tea liquor:
At end of first steep: brownish green
Staple? possibly Seasonal
Time of day preferred: unsure, first tasting
Taste:
At first: sightly tart/tangy cherry, prominent grassy notes
As it cools? More cherry, deepening into layers, sweetening slightly, less grass
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Yes, a sourness remains

Second steep (7 min):
milder cherry, lighened grassy notes
Need to revisit chilled

I’m not a particular fan of strong, almost-chemically induced, fruit blends. But there are exceptions that are done well. I gave Lupicia’s Sakurambo a try because it’s a black tea blend versus the green tea blend I had tried in past chez Teavana (my mouth puckers just thinking of the overly sugary-sour-bitter.)

The aroma out of the box is VERY strong. Sour cherry. I thought “oh no, here we go again.” But the cherries being used aren’t the dried, sugared type, they’re an actual type of cherry bean, so there wasn’t the “marzipan” character to it. It’s very pretty in the teapot – the black tea, the green needles, and the small cherry beans (I can see this being a nice treat at the holidays).

Brewed according to directions, steeped for 2.5 minutes. The sip isn’t bad. Definite cherry. I can still taste the qualities of the black tea. Not as disappointing as it foreshadowed. There was a stronger astringency than I’m used to, about medium if I had to put it on a scale.

I’m curious to try this again blended with milk and see if my opinion changes, being a black tea it just might be the ticket!

I’m satisfied, but I’m still on the hunt for my “best” cherry tea. Something that leans more toward creamy and slightly floral or spicy, like some of the good-smelling lotions at Bath and Body works.

Definitely a notch above a green cherry blend.

(this is the bagged version)

I’m craving more Adagio sour apple, but I don’t have any at work. pouts

Lupicia doesn’t let me down though, I love their teas. This is a lightly flavored cherry black with a hint of sweetness.

Just not quite what I’m in the mood for.

Okay, I already reviewed this tea before but I have no idea how to get to the tasting note without browsing through all my logs and I am way too lazy for that, SO I have no idea what I wrote about it :P

Anyway, today I am having a Lupicia day, trying most of the teas that I got in this year’s Happy Bag, because I am planning to make a big order with them later this week… if I really like the teas that I am trying today.

Sakurambo is pretty unusual and definitely has the flavor of some sort of exotic cherry. The base is quite strong but not overpowering. I actually think it could be a tad tastier as the green version. I am still enjoying it a lot, although I am kind of tentative as to whether I would restock it.

My 6th tea from The Book of Tea, which is quite nice! I was worrying that it would turn out to be a tart cup but it didn’t. It was very fruity and tasted like real cherries (though the taste reminded me more of nectarines I must say!). It’s mostly sweet but also had a light note of sourness. Tea companies tend to throw in a lot of fruits and flowers to create fruit-flavoured black tea, often with disastrous results. I was glad that Lupicia didn’t do the same to this tea… after all there’s no need for them to do so given their wonderful range of flavourings! :P