It totally feels like it has been longer than a year since I last reviewed a tea, but my tealog says otherwise. Several things contributed to my absence: I took a new job that has kept me insanely busy and without much time to drink tea; I moved away from Equusfell so I lost my tea buddy; and I have settled into a certain cupboard of teas, haven’t branched into many new ones, and decided that I didn’t want to do tasting notes the same teas over and over again. I almost exclusively drink few companies these days: Dammann, MF, Fauchon, Lupicia, with my occasional unflavored by Verdant or Teavivre. Finally, I just got out of the habit, and have been spending way more time knitting than drinking tea. But I do have a handful of teas I have never reviewed, so I figured I would jump back in for a bit (short lived though it may be).
I recently restocked some Lupicia flavored oolongs for cold steeping (since I do still do a cold steep every night to drink with lunch) and I threw this one in because I love guava, and I miss Lupicia’s guava-flavored oolong (also a Hawaiian edition). It smells powerfully tropical and tasty, and I can definitely pick out guava. I think I have gotten very used to the same black tea base (Dammann/Fauchon, with some select MF thrown in), and I’m really not digging this base tea. It’s pretty bitter, and has some notes that don’t sit well with me. I think there must be some Assam (or something Indian that isn’t Ceylon) in the blend, which is not my friend. Otherwise the flavors are pretty nice: guava, some mango. I was a little worried about the papaya in the blend (because papaya tastes like feet), but it’s not really present, thankfully, or at least isn’t offensive.
Looks like I will be cold brewing this one to tame the base. These days I prefer to cold brew greens and oolongs, but black tea is ok, and I think I will enjoy this one a lot better that way.
Flavors: Guava, Mango
Good to see you back!