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Cameron B. drank Choconut Oolong by DAVIDsTEA

3986 tasting notes

Pass the Stash TTB 2.0

Hooray, another David’s tea! This sounds delicious and I have recently discovered a love for dark oolongs, so it was a no-brainer for me. Dry, it smells quite coffee-like. Definitely hazelnut coffee with some mocha in there too. I happen to like coffee, especially as a flavor, so not a problem for me! David’s seems like it’s been hit-or-miss for me so far, but I have high hopes for this one. I did 5 minutes at 200 degrees, using the whole sample, which was about 1.5 tsp.

The brewed aroma is very nutty, which is amazing! There’s definitely chocolate there too, but the nut is the main event. The taste is also centered around the hazelnut flavor. The chocolate is a lovely complement, and I also pick up on caramel and cream notes. There’s still something quite coffee-like about the whole thing, perhaps because the cocoa beans are roasted combined with the oolong base (it doesn’t specify the type of oolong here, but it’s very dark and I would assume roasted from the taste).

My only issue with this tea… LICORICE. HOW DARE THEY ADD LICORICE TO THIS! It doesn’t make any sense here and it makes the end of the sip have that weird creeping sweetness that reminds me of artificial sweeteners. I dunno, the licorice might be a deal-breaker for me… There’s just no reason for it to be here. >:(

Flavors: Caramel, Cocoa, Coffee, Cream, Licorice, Roasted Nuts

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

I Like This

10 likes

3 comments

Stephanie
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I hate licorice. And I hated this tea. High fives?

Cameron B.
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Lol, I didn’t quite hate it, but it was definitely severely damaged by the licorice. So high five anyway! :P

Stephanie
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Comments

Stephanie
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I hate licorice. And I hated this tea. High fives?

Cameron B.
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Lol, I didn’t quite hate it, but it was definitely severely damaged by the licorice. So high five anyway! :P

Stephanie
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Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing