Melon Oolong

Lupicia, seriously; how do you even do this? Who flavours these teas? Are they wizards?

In the bag, this has that very Lupicia-esque filthy ripe-fruit oolong smell to it that I love so much in, among other teas, Ripe Mango Oolong. It’s an earthy, muddy scent with a hint of fruit rot, intermingling with a very potent cantaloupe/honeydew melon note. It’s somewhat overwhelming, but in no way artificial or overly sweet.

Steeped, it’s a perfect melon. Flavour wise, it’s a perfect melon. I don’t even know how to review this tea saying anything I haven’t already stressed so many times about how beautifully natural and lush Lupicia’s fruit flavourings are, or how excellent their tea bases is.

I’m dying to try this one cold, too.

I don’t have much experience with melon teas – to be honest, I’m not even quite sure how I feel about melon-flavoured tea as a general concept at all – and now I have three to try out, so see this as a tentative grade.

[From my Lupicia spree at Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, October 2013.]

Ah, another example of Lupicia’s delicious flavored green oolongs. This is intensely melon-y; perhaps too intense for some folks, but if you like super ripe cantaloup and green oolongs, this one is one for you. I happen to love it because it really envelops you in the melon flavor. I don’t know if I’ve ever met one of Lupicia’s flavored green oolongs that I didn’t like, and I love that they are clean fruity blends that really complement the oolong.

This also reminds me that I really need to get some Naivetea oolongs back in my cupboard because as much as I love these, Naivetea’s flavored oolongs are probably the best ever.

I’m craving fruit, but there is no fruit at home! So I broke into this melon oolong. Melons are so lackluster this time of year. Thank goodness we have tea to tide us over till summer.

This particular tea is like cantaloupe and honeydew. Smells so sweet! I definitely underleafed. Will fix for next time! The taste is very good. Melony and summery with a nice green oolong base. I still want real fruit though.

I have a feeling that this will be good cold. I’l make the second steep a cold brew. It’s time for bed anyhow.

Good night all!

I sure am drinking a lot of tea tonight. This is my second cold steep of the day and I already have another one in the fridge, plus I had matcha this afternoon. I’ve already planned out my evening tea as well, sigh. Hopefully it’s not too much caffeine—usually tea caffeine doesn’t have too much of an effect on me, but 5 cups in one day is more than my usual so we’ll just have to wait and see.

I love melon teas, and I already have two I adore (Butiki’s Cantaloupe & Cream and GMT’s Persian Melon) but they are both white teas and hey, one more can’t hurt! Actually, counting watermelon I probably have way more than 2, but for some reason I don’t count watermelon in the “melon” flavor family. Cantaloupe, honeydew, and stuff closer to that is what I think of when my brain goes to melon. I guess the flavor of watermelon is just really different? It’s also got a really different consistency.

The description doesn’t say what type of melon flavor is used. It smells somewhere between cantaloupe and honeydew, so I’d assume it’s sprite melon. When Japanese snacks are listed as melon flavored that is usually what it is. It’s also got very pale flesh, and the chunks of dried melon in here are white. So, sprite melon oolong! The smell itself is juicy, fresh and enticing but almost candy-ish in its sweetness. I find that true with a lot of Lupicia’s blends, but they rarely have that artificial, sugary-sweet aspect once brewed.

This is no exception, since the taste is pure, delicious, fresh melon! At first I thought the oolong was kind of lost, but as my tea “warmed up” (my fridge is VERY cold!) the oolong popped into the picture. Soft, floral, and very delicious. The melon compliments it perfectly, and it seriously tastes like fresh-squeezed melon juice mixed with green oolong. Perfection! Well, honestly this doesn’t beat out Cantaloupe & Cream, but in its own way it is almost as good!

I’ve been eating such insanely rich foods lately that when I think of tea, all I want is something fruity and green. I could really go for a bowl of fresh melon, but this melon oolong will have to do! The dry leaf smells incredibly juicy & sweet. I can almost taste the ripe melon!

Sipping… this tea’s flavor is much lighter than the scent would suggest. As I sip, I’m thinking, “where is all of the melon?” Just as I’m about to give up, I taste it. There it is: creamy melon juice & flowers from the oolong. To me, it’s unquestionably honeydew. It’s sweet and juicy and SO delicious. The oolong is hand in hand with the melon and contributes that green, leafy bit to round out the cup. The two together combine into that juicy melon closest to the rind — you know, the almost bitter, almost flavorless part. I love how this tea is a perfect balance of sweet honeydew melon and floral oolong.

A part of me wishes that the flavor were a bit stronger. I would love that overwhelming melon sweetness in a cup of tea, but I’m enjoying this cup so much despite the rather mild flavor. Thank you, ToiToi for letting me try this tea!

hmm, when I first reviewed this tea 8 months ago I didn’t like it as a cold brew, but today I do! What gives? I don’t know if I’m such a big fan of melon flavored things in general but today this seems very buttery/sweet, refreshing and with a cantaloupe flavor. I made this in the Lupicia handy cooler and am drinking it straight from that, also trying to wake up from a nap so I can meet my friend for dinner… anyway I am finding this very refreshing today and might make up some more to have for tomorrow :)

This is an odd one for me, because it’s really, really good… but I don’t like melons. They’re one of the few foods that I’d rather not eat, I find their sweetness to be rather cloying. However, I do occasionally enjoy the (artificially?) flavored melon candies from the local Asian supermarket, so I figured I’d give it a shot.

The dry leaves smell very melon-y, and have pretty little green sugar crystals among them. Brewed, I found that the quite green taste and scent of the oolong balanced the melon over-sweetness quite well, and I enjoyed this tea a surprising amount…

LOVE the smell of this tea. I was walking past the counter in a store in Osaka and this one caught my eye. I had to have it. The brew was decent but the flavour wasn’t as strong as I would have liked. The smell should be turned into a parfume though. Delicious! Word of caution these teas are MEGA pricey and unless you just want to drop cash for fun then I suggest you go find other teas. I am…

More detailed notes to come soon, but this tea was everything I hoped it would be (and in a gorgeous tin to boot!) This is a keeper. Taking it iced to work tomorrow, pretty excited to give it a shot.

The bag says to steep for 1-2 minutes, but I did 4 anyway – the white tea and green tea I got in the same order ALSO say 1-2, so I think Lupicia might just include the same directions on all their teas. (Party foul.) I’ll try another cup at 2 minutes soon.

-Cash

LOVED this tea. I have everyone try it. I like it a tid bit sweet, to bring out the juicyness of the melon flavor. I love oolong as well and i thought this was a great take on the usual. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED :) i love it hot or cold. Also, the flavor gets better with every cup, the second is usually the best.