Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Oolong
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes 30 seconds, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Dark green, rolled oolong (relatively small and broken up) with small chunks of light yellow mango
Color: Light yellow (jasmine), clear
Smell: Strong, sweet mango smell with some floral notes
Recommended with/as: As is, iced
Rating: 8.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Surprisingly, this tea was much lighter than I thought it would be. The mango taste is very realistic (and very sweet), but doesn't overpower the tea at all. In fact, it balances well with the green taste of the oolong, which gives this tea its floral notes. It's smooth with little astringency, and leaves a very strong aftertaste of mango in your mouth after drinking.
It's a pleasant tea, and is surprisingly close to actual mango juice.
Other notes:
I can't really think of anything that really happened today that was interesting. I finally got around to watching Sunset Boulevard (which I thought was great), bought groceries, and then just worked on homework for the rest of the day.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Darjeeling the Second Flush
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Friday, March 6, 2015
Day 41: Hifumi
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Green (Houjicha and rice blend)
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Very broken up light brown leaves (fannings, I think) with chunks of stems and various colored (red, white, brown) toasted grains/rice
Color: A light chestnut-brown; clear
Smell: Roasted smell characteristic of houjicha, with some smokiness and vinegar-like undertones
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Since the leaves in the tea bag were so broken up, I couldn't use the gaiwan today. Instead, I just did my regular brewing technique (However, I did use the gaiwan earlier with green tea, and that didn't go as well since leaves kept getting into the fairness cup and I scalded my fingers more than once). I've been using the gaiwan as an aroma cup though, which works surprisingly well.
This tea is essentially a roasted genmaicha. The smell is distinctively houjicha, but the taste is a mix between the two. It's not as strong as the previous houjichas I've tried, which isn't bad. There's a strong nutty taste complimented by the taste of the rice, along with a somewhat rich roasted flavor. It has little to no astringency or bitterness and is actually a bit savory. Unlike the other houjichas, however, it's a bit mild; if you wanted to, you could probably brew it for longer without making it too bitter.
Overall, it's good (and made for a nice dinner tea), but it's a bit too average tasting for me to really enjoy it.
Other notes:
Well, today there was school-mandated acceptance of other cultures. It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't scheduled when it was (in history, we had half of the usual time to write an essay today which sucked), and if we weren't forced to watch terribly made videos and answer worksheets about it. There was a rally which I enjoyed, but spending an hour watching videos that pretty much just said "everyone's special, and you shouldn't make fun of them for that!" isn't the way to get the point across to high schoolers (like really? I get the importance of the whole event and everything, but trying to teach it by forcing teachers to read off of a piece of paper, do a bunch of activities that no one wants to do, and play videos showing how privileged we are isn't the way to do it).
In other news, I also get to spend this weekend editing an essay, studying, working on that writeup, and making speeches. I had to do this interview thing today too for paid taste tests, but got denied since they wanted people who buy lunch at school (which is something I can't afford). I'm not too upset about it, but hey, they said there might be more tests in the future. I also ordered a DVD copy of Ikiru from the Criterion Collection (I like having hard copies of movies/shows I enjoy, and we might actually be able to watch it in Japanese class too) and the God of Love CD by Stereo Alchemy today, which I'm pretty excited about.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Ripe Mango Oolong
Type: Green (Houjicha and rice blend)
Brew Time & Temperature: 2 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Very broken up light brown leaves (fannings, I think) with chunks of stems and various colored (red, white, brown) toasted grains/rice
Color: A light chestnut-brown; clear
Smell: Roasted smell characteristic of houjicha, with some smokiness and vinegar-like undertones
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Since the leaves in the tea bag were so broken up, I couldn't use the gaiwan today. Instead, I just did my regular brewing technique (However, I did use the gaiwan earlier with green tea, and that didn't go as well since leaves kept getting into the fairness cup and I scalded my fingers more than once). I've been using the gaiwan as an aroma cup though, which works surprisingly well.
This tea is essentially a roasted genmaicha. The smell is distinctively houjicha, but the taste is a mix between the two. It's not as strong as the previous houjichas I've tried, which isn't bad. There's a strong nutty taste complimented by the taste of the rice, along with a somewhat rich roasted flavor. It has little to no astringency or bitterness and is actually a bit savory. Unlike the other houjichas, however, it's a bit mild; if you wanted to, you could probably brew it for longer without making it too bitter.
Overall, it's good (and made for a nice dinner tea), but it's a bit too average tasting for me to really enjoy it.
Other notes:
Well, today there was school-mandated acceptance of other cultures. It wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't scheduled when it was (in history, we had half of the usual time to write an essay today which sucked), and if we weren't forced to watch terribly made videos and answer worksheets about it. There was a rally which I enjoyed, but spending an hour watching videos that pretty much just said "everyone's special, and you shouldn't make fun of them for that!" isn't the way to get the point across to high schoolers (like really? I get the importance of the whole event and everything, but trying to teach it by forcing teachers to read off of a piece of paper, do a bunch of activities that no one wants to do, and play videos showing how privileged we are isn't the way to do it).
In other news, I also get to spend this weekend editing an essay, studying, working on that writeup, and making speeches. I had to do this interview thing today too for paid taste tests, but got denied since they wanted people who buy lunch at school (which is something I can't afford). I'm not too upset about it, but hey, they said there might be more tests in the future. I also ordered a DVD copy of Ikiru from the Criterion Collection (I like having hard copies of movies/shows I enjoy, and we might actually be able to watch it in Japanese class too) and the God of Love CD by Stereo Alchemy today, which I'm pretty excited about.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Ripe Mango Oolong
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Day 40: La Vie en Rose
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Herbal (Rooibos, Rose hip, Hibiscus)
Brew Time & Temperature: 4 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Dark red/orange/yellow rooibos with bright lavender flower petals and dried rose petals
Color: Dark brown/copper; clear (light oily film on top, however)
Smell: Strong rose and rooibos smell (like medicine) with notes of honey
Recommended with/as: As is, honey
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
If you don't like the taste of roses or rooibos, you will not like this tea at all. The taste is predominantly rose (and is what it smells like), with the medicinal taste of rooibos as an undertone. Personally, though, I really like rose tea since it's one of the first teas that I drank semi-often. Overall, it's very floral and a bit tart, but not complex at all due to the super strong taste of the rose hips that overpowers almost everything else. I want to say more, but this is a pretty basic tea in terms of flavor.
It's good enough (better than plain rose hip tea or green tea with roses), but the rooibos taste kind of kills it for me. The name is very fitting, though, and La Vie en Rose is actually one of my favorite songs by Edith Piaf.
Other notes:
That math test went worse than expected- I finished it early (and I'm pretty confident about most of it), but there were just a few problems, namely inequalities, that I just think I messed up terribly. I really need to get better with those and the number line test, since I can get the answer but don't know what signs I should pick. The rest of the day went better, I guess, but that killed my mood for a while.
Also, I was actually able to get a decent sleep in for once (not in terms of length, but in feeling; waking up felt great)! For some reason though, I can't remember if things happen in dreams or in real life anymore and everything just seems hazy. It used to happen occasionally, but I feel like it's getting more common now, so I'm a little worried (I don't think its really affected anything like school yet, since it only happens with events or things that people tell me, rather than learning).
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Hifumi
Type: Flavored Herbal (Rooibos, Rose hip, Hibiscus)
Brew Time & Temperature: 4 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Dark red/orange/yellow rooibos with bright lavender flower petals and dried rose petals
Color: Dark brown/copper; clear (light oily film on top, however)
Smell: Strong rose and rooibos smell (like medicine) with notes of honey
Recommended with/as: As is, honey
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
If you don't like the taste of roses or rooibos, you will not like this tea at all. The taste is predominantly rose (and is what it smells like), with the medicinal taste of rooibos as an undertone. Personally, though, I really like rose tea since it's one of the first teas that I drank semi-often. Overall, it's very floral and a bit tart, but not complex at all due to the super strong taste of the rose hips that overpowers almost everything else. I want to say more, but this is a pretty basic tea in terms of flavor.
It's good enough (better than plain rose hip tea or green tea with roses), but the rooibos taste kind of kills it for me. The name is very fitting, though, and La Vie en Rose is actually one of my favorite songs by Edith Piaf.
Other notes:
That math test went worse than expected- I finished it early (and I'm pretty confident about most of it), but there were just a few problems, namely inequalities, that I just think I messed up terribly. I really need to get better with those and the number line test, since I can get the answer but don't know what signs I should pick. The rest of the day went better, I guess, but that killed my mood for a while.
Also, I was actually able to get a decent sleep in for once (not in terms of length, but in feeling; waking up felt great)! For some reason though, I can't remember if things happen in dreams or in real life anymore and everything just seems hazy. It used to happen occasionally, but I feel like it's getting more common now, so I'm a little worried (I don't think its really affected anything like school yet, since it only happens with events or things that people tell me, rather than learning).
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Hifumi
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Day 39: Jardin Sauvage
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Herbal (Rooibos)
Brew Time & Temperature: 4 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Very colorful; red, green, and yellow rooibos with yellow and lavender flower petals and dried fruit
Color: Golden yellow (or light orange); clear
Smell: Mix of fruits (mango being the most noticeable), but it doesn't smell super sweet, as you would expect
Recommended with/as: As is, honey, iced, sugar
Rating: 9/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
I think this is one of the best rooibos I've had so far! It has a great color and smell- it looks pleasing, and the fruit smell is very realistic. As expected of rooibos, it has little astringency or bitterness, but unlike most rooibos, it doesn't have that cough syrup or medicine taste or smell. It's mellow, and the fruit flavor adds a bit of natural sweetness to the tea. The rooibos adds a bit of complex flavor that mixes well with the tropical flavor.
Didn't add anything to the tea today, since I'm too lazy to set up usual tea set stuff (see below for why), but I think it'll be good with any sweetener, or on its own- I would probably prefer it alone, actually. Really, the only gripe I have with it is that it's a bit light. It's fine as it is, but a stronger fruit flavor wouldn't hurt. Considering that it's rooibos and has no caffeine, I wouldn't mind making this a regular night tea.
Other notes:
I am super tired today, so I'm going to keep this short. Was up until 3 AM putting together that Japanese commercial (pretty much all of my editing stuff fell apart, so I had to install new ones), and I'm probably going to have to stay up late today doing AP Bio, science fair, and English speech/essay stuff. Woooooo.
On another note, surprisingly the math test I took was super easy, and I'm really confident about the one tomorrow (if I could finish the test half asleep and check all of my answers, I should be good). So, let's see how that goes considering that I'm not going to get much studying done because of homework from other classes.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: La Vie en Rose
Type: Flavored Herbal (Rooibos)
Brew Time & Temperature: 4 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Very colorful; red, green, and yellow rooibos with yellow and lavender flower petals and dried fruit
Color: Golden yellow (or light orange); clear
Smell: Mix of fruits (mango being the most noticeable), but it doesn't smell super sweet, as you would expect
Recommended with/as: As is, honey, iced, sugar
Rating: 9/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
I think this is one of the best rooibos I've had so far! It has a great color and smell- it looks pleasing, and the fruit smell is very realistic. As expected of rooibos, it has little astringency or bitterness, but unlike most rooibos, it doesn't have that cough syrup or medicine taste or smell. It's mellow, and the fruit flavor adds a bit of natural sweetness to the tea. The rooibos adds a bit of complex flavor that mixes well with the tropical flavor.
Didn't add anything to the tea today, since I'm too lazy to set up usual tea set stuff (see below for why), but I think it'll be good with any sweetener, or on its own- I would probably prefer it alone, actually. Really, the only gripe I have with it is that it's a bit light. It's fine as it is, but a stronger fruit flavor wouldn't hurt. Considering that it's rooibos and has no caffeine, I wouldn't mind making this a regular night tea.
Other notes:
I am super tired today, so I'm going to keep this short. Was up until 3 AM putting together that Japanese commercial (pretty much all of my editing stuff fell apart, so I had to install new ones), and I'm probably going to have to stay up late today doing AP Bio, science fair, and English speech/essay stuff. Woooooo.
On another note, surprisingly the math test I took was super easy, and I'm really confident about the one tomorrow (if I could finish the test half asleep and check all of my answers, I should be good). So, let's see how that goes considering that I'm not going to get much studying done because of homework from other classes.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: La Vie en Rose
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Day 38: Taiwan Oolong-Dongding
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Oolong
Brew Time & Temperature: Tried brewing with a gaiwan today, so no exact measurements
Leaf Appearance: Large, dark green balled oolong leaves
Color: Light yellow/orange; clear
Smell: Roasted, somewhat like rice (comparable to houjicha, but less harsh), very light floral smell
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Well, today's review is mostly a way for me to practice and test out using a gaiwan. I got the travel set from Music City Tea ($22 including shipping- 2 day), and I'd say I'm pretty happy with it. It includes a gaiwan, fairness cup, 5 cups, tweezers/tongs, and 2 strainers. The only problems I have with it is that: it's a bit small (but that's expected considering the price and that it's a travel set), and the fairness cup drips a bit if you don't pour at an exact angle. It's great, otherwise!
The tea turned out to be actually pretty good, even though I'm sure I screwed up the brewing times and water temperature. It tastes and smells very similar to pan fried green tea, but is a bit sweet rather than grassy. It's light and not astringent at all (but it does have a strange mouthfeel). Overall, I think it's good, but I can't really be sure since (I think) this is my first unflavored oolong.
Other notes:
Nothing much other than we got the rest of the commercial filmed (with two days left)!!! I couldn't work on the project report though, since I have a math test tomorrow and need to get the editing/post production done. Started filming at four, finished at 6 and then started editing, and it's still going on now past 10.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Jardin Sauvage
Type: Oolong
Brew Time & Temperature: Tried brewing with a gaiwan today, so no exact measurements
Leaf Appearance: Large, dark green balled oolong leaves
Color: Light yellow/orange; clear
Smell: Roasted, somewhat like rice (comparable to houjicha, but less harsh), very light floral smell
Recommended with/as: As is
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
Well, today's review is mostly a way for me to practice and test out using a gaiwan. I got the travel set from Music City Tea ($22 including shipping- 2 day), and I'd say I'm pretty happy with it. It includes a gaiwan, fairness cup, 5 cups, tweezers/tongs, and 2 strainers. The only problems I have with it is that: it's a bit small (but that's expected considering the price and that it's a travel set), and the fairness cup drips a bit if you don't pour at an exact angle. It's great, otherwise!
The tea turned out to be actually pretty good, even though I'm sure I screwed up the brewing times and water temperature. It tastes and smells very similar to pan fried green tea, but is a bit sweet rather than grassy. It's light and not astringent at all (but it does have a strange mouthfeel). Overall, I think it's good, but I can't really be sure since (I think) this is my first unflavored oolong.
Other notes:
Nothing much other than we got the rest of the commercial filmed (with two days left)!!! I couldn't work on the project report though, since I have a math test tomorrow and need to get the editing/post production done. Started filming at four, finished at 6 and then started editing, and it's still going on now past 10.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Jardin Sauvage
Monday, March 2, 2015
Day 37: Momo
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small black leaves with pale green leaves added (peach leaves, apparently); there are also a few twigs
Color: Clear, amber
Smell: Sweet and floral, with a tiny bit of grass and fruitiness (the peach smell is very pleasing and gives the tea its sweet smell)
Recommended with/as: As is, sugar, milk, honey, iced
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
To be honest, I think this tea doesn't compare to Lupicia's other peach teas. Like their other teas, the peach is very realistic, but I think the black tea flavor overpowers it, or at the very least, weakens it. It starts off somewhat sweet with earthy and malty undertones, and finishes with a slight tanginess. There's also a bit of a floral taste that I really like (probably from the peach). However, it seems that the taste is around 60% malty black tea and 40% peach, affecting the overall taste since the tea base is just very generic.
Adding milk made it a bit worse, since it made the flavors even lighter- I could only really taste the earthiness of the black tea. If I had to compare Lupicia's peach teas to each other, I would say that their oolong is the best, followed by their green, and then the black. It's a good tea, but I didn't really like how the peach tasted with black tea (I prefer a more flavorful base for these kind of teas, or at least one that pairs well with the peach). If you prefer a milder fruit tea, I'd suggest this to you, but personally, I'd like Lupicia's peach teas to have a stronger flavor.
Other notes:
Well, I got one of my recital pieces changed from the Howl's Moving Castle theme to Schroeder's Failure. To be honest, I don't practice enough to learn all of the chords and get the muscle memory to play at the right speed. Other than that, nothing much other than a surprisingly easy math test and science fair stuff. The science fair report is due end of next week, so I gotta start working on that (and of course, my lab partners won't help with the writing). Also, I have a gaiwan set that should come in the mail tomorrow, so if I can (depends on the leaf), I'll try to use that to review greens/oolongs.
Just so I remember and have some motivation to do it, here is my plan:
This week: finish questions being addressed, list of variables, hypotheses, background research, materials lists, procedure, acknowledgments, bibliography
Next week: data analysis, conclusions, ideas for future research, abstract
Week after that: build the project board, put everything together, make a pitch, then the science fair (woo)!
I'll try to give updates on my progress for that.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Taiwan Oolong-Dongding
Type: Flavored Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Small black leaves with pale green leaves added (peach leaves, apparently); there are also a few twigs
Color: Clear, amber
Smell: Sweet and floral, with a tiny bit of grass and fruitiness (the peach smell is very pleasing and gives the tea its sweet smell)
Recommended with/as: As is, sugar, milk, honey, iced
Rating: 7.5/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
To be honest, I think this tea doesn't compare to Lupicia's other peach teas. Like their other teas, the peach is very realistic, but I think the black tea flavor overpowers it, or at the very least, weakens it. It starts off somewhat sweet with earthy and malty undertones, and finishes with a slight tanginess. There's also a bit of a floral taste that I really like (probably from the peach). However, it seems that the taste is around 60% malty black tea and 40% peach, affecting the overall taste since the tea base is just very generic.
Adding milk made it a bit worse, since it made the flavors even lighter- I could only really taste the earthiness of the black tea. If I had to compare Lupicia's peach teas to each other, I would say that their oolong is the best, followed by their green, and then the black. It's a good tea, but I didn't really like how the peach tasted with black tea (I prefer a more flavorful base for these kind of teas, or at least one that pairs well with the peach). If you prefer a milder fruit tea, I'd suggest this to you, but personally, I'd like Lupicia's peach teas to have a stronger flavor.
Other notes:
Well, I got one of my recital pieces changed from the Howl's Moving Castle theme to Schroeder's Failure. To be honest, I don't practice enough to learn all of the chords and get the muscle memory to play at the right speed. Other than that, nothing much other than a surprisingly easy math test and science fair stuff. The science fair report is due end of next week, so I gotta start working on that (and of course, my lab partners won't help with the writing). Also, I have a gaiwan set that should come in the mail tomorrow, so if I can (depends on the leaf), I'll try to use that to review greens/oolongs.
Just so I remember and have some motivation to do it, here is my plan:
This week: finish questions being addressed, list of variables, hypotheses, background research, materials lists, procedure, acknowledgments, bibliography
Next week: data analysis, conclusions, ideas for future research, abstract
Week after that: build the project board, put everything together, make a pitch, then the science fair (woo)!
I'll try to give updates on my progress for that.
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Taiwan Oolong-Dongding
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Day 36: Tea Break
Brand: Lupicia
Type: Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Curled, dark brown nilgiri tea
Color: Dark amber/copper; clear, but with an oily film on top
Smell: Earthy- similar to an assam, but less strong- and fruity
Recommended with/as: As is, sugar, milk, honey
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
I was a bit surprised at the fruitiness of this tea. It smells and tastes like grapes or raisins, and is not astringent or bitter at all. Rather, it's smooth and a bit sweet, and doesn't have the strength of other Indian teas. There are some earthy notes, but the most dominant taste is the fruit. Since it's not as strong as other teas, I'd suggest this both with and without milk or sweetener (I've tried both, and I'd say they're equally good). Personally, however, I'd prefer a more full-bodied tea over this- I like it, but I usually like my unflavored black teas strong.
Other notes:
Another morning post! This will be the last one for at least a couple days or a week, I promise.
Anyway, since I haven't explained it yet, here's my rating system:
10/10: This tea is amazing, I will never have another tea as good as this one ever again
9/10: I really like this tea- if I could, I'd drink it everyday or very often for a long time
8/10: It's decent enough, and I would drink it if someone gave it to me or if I was in the right mood
7/10: Ehh, it's OK, but there's better teas out there
6/10: Once is fine, thank you
5 and below/10: I have never had a tea as undrinkable as this
And here's how I categorize teas:
Green & black teas: This is obvious
Pu-erh and oolong: I felt like these teas are different enough from a basic green/black tea that they should have their own category (especially oolong; pu-erh is debatable)
Herbal: pretty much all tisanes, including rooibos
Blend: if it contains 2 or more of the above categories, like an herbal and green blend
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Momo
Type: Black
Brew Time & Temperature: 3 minutes, boiling
Leaf Appearance: Curled, dark brown nilgiri tea
Color: Dark amber/copper; clear, but with an oily film on top
Smell: Earthy- similar to an assam, but less strong- and fruity
Recommended with/as: As is, sugar, milk, honey
Rating: 8/10
Tasting notes and thoughts:
I was a bit surprised at the fruitiness of this tea. It smells and tastes like grapes or raisins, and is not astringent or bitter at all. Rather, it's smooth and a bit sweet, and doesn't have the strength of other Indian teas. There are some earthy notes, but the most dominant taste is the fruit. Since it's not as strong as other teas, I'd suggest this both with and without milk or sweetener (I've tried both, and I'd say they're equally good). Personally, however, I'd prefer a more full-bodied tea over this- I like it, but I usually like my unflavored black teas strong.
Other notes:
Another morning post! This will be the last one for at least a couple days or a week, I promise.
Anyway, since I haven't explained it yet, here's my rating system:
10/10: This tea is amazing, I will never have another tea as good as this one ever again
9/10: I really like this tea- if I could, I'd drink it everyday or very often for a long time
8/10: It's decent enough, and I would drink it if someone gave it to me or if I was in the right mood
7/10: Ehh, it's OK, but there's better teas out there
6/10: Once is fine, thank you
5 and below/10: I have never had a tea as undrinkable as this
And here's how I categorize teas:
Green & black teas: This is obvious
Pu-erh and oolong: I felt like these teas are different enough from a basic green/black tea that they should have their own category (especially oolong; pu-erh is debatable)
Herbal: pretty much all tisanes, including rooibos
Blend: if it contains 2 or more of the above categories, like an herbal and green blend
Next on the 100 Days of Tea: Momo
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