The flavour of lychee sits right up at the top with that of yuzu and black sesame (and passionfruit, to a lesser extent now) as the kind of flavour I cannot resist. Flavour a dessert or a drink or, as we have here, a tea with these notes, and I’m all over it. This is Tetley 100% Steamed Green & A Hint of Lychee.
Steeping one tea bag in 200 mL of water at 80°C water for 80 seconds yields a cloudy pale yellow liquor that smells pleasantly of fresh and ripe lychees through every sip. The lychee also came through strongly in the head as a mellow tropical floral flavour that’s suggestive of sweetness without being actually sweet. The fresh vegetal notes of the green tea – much like most Japanese green teas, which are steamed and have a leafy flavour unlike the more earthy notes of not pan-fried Chinese green teas – emerged midway through the sip in the body and tones down the lychee notes until your palate became accustomed by the end of the sip and the lychee flavour comes back briefly, although less strongly, in the tail. This tea leaves no aftertaste.
This Tetley 100% Steamed Green & A Hint of Lychee contained 18 tea bags. It was packed in Sri Lanka and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2015.