Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Lupicia
Tea Description:
A distinctively fresh and tropical Thai green tea blended with pieces of freeze-dried durian fruit. Tart notes of exotic fruit balance out the rich and powerfully fragrant durian. THE KING OF FRUITS definitely prevails in this one-of-a kind tea experience.
Blended with the high quality green tea served at the Royal House of Thailand
THE KING OF FRUITS has a refreshing taste when served as an iced tea. We recommend the hot brew method to extract the outstanding aroma of the durian fruit. This is where you make a strong tea by steeping the tea leaves in hot water then quickly cooling the tea down by adding ice. The hot brew method is the traditional way of making iced tea and also the quickest.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Green? Hummm I swear it looks like an oolong. Whatever I’ll take it! Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Lupicia tea? Its one of my top favorite tea brands! Brewed it is distinctly green tea in both color and flavor. Lupicia has some uniquely flavored teas and I must say this is the first durian fruit tea I have come across! Where else would a midwesterner from the USA get to try such a delight? This is my first experience with the durian fruit other than seeing the durian used as the challenge ingredient on Iron Chef once I know nothing of it!
The aroma of this tea is just mouthwatering! Its such a strong aroma that there is no way this could be anything but a pungent and flavorful brew! Yet I was surprised to find that the flavor was quite “polite” in the steeped cup! Not to say that it is light, or dull, it is nothing of the sort, it is quite present and oh so tropical flavored – it makes me think of Jimmy Buffet music and floating around in the oceans blue waters on a sail boat! But I digress, this tea is such an accomplishment for Lupicia’s blenders whoever they may be! The after taste is so lingering and I can’t wait to try this one iced! I am in-fact tempted to toss some ice in my cup right now but I will reserve myself to simply savor the cup as is and appreciate it as it deserves to be appreciated. I feel special being allowed to have this tea in my stash and it will surely be a permanent member of my cache!
The only down side is I could not find anywhere on the site to buy this tea with a tin! I love Lupicia’s hockey puck styled tins, especially when they are “collectors tins” but alas I find nothing but the bagged version in this blend. Bummer. I will have to save one of their tins from a blend I do not wish to re-order for this one – IF that ever happens as I have yet to buy a tea from Lupicia that I do not want in my perma stash!
The durian fruit is one that I find difficult to describe to those who have not had it before and I have read that durian is a love it or hate it fruit but I just can’t imagine HOW anyone could not love this! If you like tropical flavors then you should love this. Imagine if you will … a tropical punch or a tea blended to make a tea taste tropical except the durian fruit does not need accompaniment! It tastes like a delightful tropical party all on its own! It is as if someone took papaya, mango, passionfruit, pomegranate, etc and so on and mixed them into one amazing blend except this is just durian! Perhaps this is why they call it the King of Fruits!
Strawberry and Vanilla from Lupicia
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green with Matcha
Where to Buy: Lupicia
Tea Description:
Green tea with matcha is flavored with sweet fragrance of strawberry and vanilla.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When you open the bag the aroma that will strike you first is strawberry cupcakes! So amazingly yummy of an aroma to be greeted with! It makes me feel joyful and child like!
I was almost giddy the first time I sipped this tea and months later I still get that same feeling when I treat myself to this Lupicia offering!
I have several teas from Lupicia but to me they are like the champagne of teas and I only tend to bring them out when I have enough time to truly savor the cup! Then I am faced with the dilemma of which Lupicia tea to enjoy! I have yet to be let down by any flavor I have chosen when ordering from them!
Now granted I have not loved every sampler I have received in their tea magazine that comes with any order over 30.00. You will get the magazine for a year. More information on that here.
However, when I have selected my own teas based on my flavor choices I have absolutely never been let down! But I digress, back to this selection.
Strawberry and Vanilla from Lupicia is a delight! If you love strawberry tea I can not stress enough how well Lupicia has captured this flavor in all its natural glory in this and every strawberry tea they create! Add to that a lovely vanilla backdrop and the beautiful presence of roses, a perfect green tea with matcha base, and you have magic in a cup! It takes well to sweeteners although I find them unnecessary. The rose lays perfectly in a gentle unassuming manner gently scenting and flavoring the cup yet would not offend those who are not partial to floral teas. The matcha lends a gentle grassy flavor that is not overwhelming and does not come across as too vegetal. The soft buttery note of the green tea lends toward the bakery sensation this cup provides.
At Lupicia you can opt to get this tea in 50g or 100g in a tin or bagged. Prices vary depending on your choices.
The end result is – I love it – there is no other way to say it other than gentle sweet bliss. Try some. It is light, delightful, and refreshing! Also wonderful chilled!
Ripe Mango Oolong from Lupicia
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Lupicia
Tea Description:
Quality Taiwanese oolong tea scented with lusciously ripe mangos.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I really love mango, but it is a fruit that I seldom enjoy because – to be perfectly honest – I have no idea how to select a good, ripe mango in the produce section. Sounds silly, I’m sure, but it’s true. So, instead, I rely upon others for my mango intake, usually by way of tea. Hey, maybe I’m unable to spot a good piece of fruit, but, I’m pretty handy when it comes to brewing a cup of tea!
And this is an excellent mango flavored tea. The mango flavor is sweet and nectar-like, and the delicious flavor of the Oolong tea is nicely balanced with the strong fruit essence. The Oolong has a mouthfeel that is soft and thick, and the light vegetal tones of the Oolong meld beautifully with the flavor of ripe mango.
This is delicious hot or iced. I have been drinking it iced over the last two days and found it to be so thirst-quenching, and it cooled the mouth nicely after eating spicy Kung Pao Beef, too! When served hot, I find that the mango flavor is stronger than when iced, but both have a lot of fruit flavor.
If you like mango … you really MUST try this Oolong! It’s amazing!
Kotobuki from Lupicia
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Lupicia
Tea Description:
A Taiwanese Oolong tea, lightly flavoured by French Mirabelle plums and garlanded with rose, marigold, and mallow petals. Sweet and fruity taste. Kotobuki is Japanese for celebrations.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Lupicia is one of my favorite tea companies, and one of the reasons why is because every month they send out a newsletter to their customers featuring a sample of their tea of the month. Kotobuki was the tea of the month for January, and it is one that I’ve been wanting to try for some time now.
What I’m liking best about this particular blend is that while it is a flavored Oolong, the Oolong tea is the dominant flavor of the cup. It tastes sweet and creamy, with a light touch of butter and a vegetal note. It has a floral background that highlights the rose in this blend, and the natural fruit-like flavors of the Oolong accent the plum flavoring nicely.
The plum is sweet and has a juicy taste to it. Toward the tail of the sip, I notice the faintest note of tartness … much like that twang of tartness that hits the palate when just after I’ve bitten into a fresh, ripe plum. The tartness disappears almost as quickly as it appears, but, it seems to lend a sense of authentic flavor to the cup.
This one gets two thumbs up from me. I like it!
Pineapple Oolong from Lupicia
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Lupicia
Tea Description:
Taiwanese oolong tea flavored with sweet pineapples and coconuts.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Warm, sandy beach with the waves rolling in. Palm trees shading me from the sun, as I lie in a hammock, just soaking in the wonderful tropical atmosphere. Yep. This is the life!
Even though it’s cold and winter-y outside, this tea has taken me on a tropical getaway! The pineapple flavor is juicy and sweet, but with a distinct tart finish – just like I’d experience if I were eating a piece of fresh pineapple. There are hints of coconut to this too which are more like a creamy, sweet background note than a strong essence of coconut.
Together, the flavors of coconut and pineapple create a sensational flavor combination that screams: tropical paradise! So delicious!
The Oolong tea makes a delightful base for these two flavors. The Oolong has a natural creaminess to it that accentuates the creamy tones of the coconut so well, and the lush sweetness of the Oolong highlights the tangy sweet flavor of the pineapple.
This is a delicious tropical treat … almost like a smoothie in a teacup. All that’s missing is a paper umbrella … and the hammock.