Nashi pears are refreshingly crisp and sweet, and it featured in this Lupicia Honey & Pear Houjicha.
The tea is a looseleaf houjicha blended with marigold flowers and scented with nashi pear and honey.
Steeping 3 g of looseleaf in 200 mL water at 85°C water, the infusion was a clear reddish brown colour with an aroma with equal notes of sweet honey, fresh nashi pear, and houjicha. Served hot, gently sweet nashi pear notes came through briefly before toasty, slightly caramel-like notes of houjicha in the body develop in prominence to dark woody notes before giving way to a fragrant honey sweetness — sweet without being actually sweet — in the finish before and leaving a mellow woody flavour lingering in the aftertaste.
Overall, the fresh hint of nashi pear and the fragrant honey complement the toasty, slightly caramel-like flavour of houjicha well for a harmonious tea, while the prominent woody notes make it perfect for autumn.
This Lupicia Honey & Pear Houjicha contained 50 g. The tea was sourced from Japan, packaged in Japan, and purchased in Australia in 2014.