Glasswork was introduced to Japan via Nagasaki in 1542 by the Portuguese during the national isolation era. Vidro, originally from Portuguese, is used to mean ‘glassblowing’ in Japanese. This Lupicia Vidro celebrates this history by being one of two region limited teas for Nagasaki.

The tea is a loose leaf black tea blended with cornflowers and colourful pink and blue konpeito to give the appearance of colourful glass beads.

Infusing 3 g of loose leaf in 200 mL of water at 85°C for 3 minutes, the infusion was a transparent brown-red colour with a refreshing hint of citrus in the fruity aroma. Served hot, the same gentle citrus notes came through at the head of each sip with a mellow sweetness like pomelo and without the zestiness of bolder citruses like lemon or grapefruit and gave way to the bolder notes of black tea towards the finish. The freshness of the fruity citrus flavour was uniquely refreshing and makes it also perfect as iced tea.

This Lupicia Vidro contained 50 g. The tea was sourced from India and Vietnam, packaged in Japan, and purchased in Nagasaki, Japan in 2019.