Dazaii

What a tea. Upon opening my newly shipped bag I whiff fresh jasmine and a clear fine quality tea. I followed the instructions here on steepster where I covered most of the bottom of my pre-heated mug (had to be my clear glass one) with leaves and added close to rolling boiled filterd water. Must’ve been between 1 1/2 cups of water.
How pretty this tea is. The Chinese clearly know what they’re doing when it comes to names. I really enjoyed watching the snowflake-like petals “dance” throughout and the soft little buds open up making a lake bed.
Such as the scent is most pleasing! I can never go back to typical shelf jasmine green teas now that I know what I’m playing at here. The smell is very true and relaxing, not headache inducing that most overpowering jasmine teas give me.
The taste is sweet and gentle with floral notes. Very clean, and very fresh….I even ate one of the petals and found it added to the effect. I was worried that by leaving the leaves in my mug that it would get bitter from oversteeping like most greens I’ve delt with, but no! I expect good quality leaves allow this.
I’m only on my first steep, buuuut….I think I’ll stay up longer into the night just so I can try more infusions. I’m sure they’ll be wonderful c:

Cupcake teas…..seriously…SERIOUSLY?!!?!? 8D
Wow…I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised considering DT has little numbers such as a caramel popcorn green tea….buuuuut, I had to try at least one of them. ’Freaking love cake c;

So I settle for this one. The girl who was working that day said it was her favourite out of the cupcake teas. I didn’t want another chocolate tea since I have plenty of those that I need to drink down, and the ice cream one smelled like astronaut ice cream but also super artificial. This one just looked so cute in the tea of the month package x3
And like DT always boasts, this one really smells like birthday cake. Sugary, sweet, and I want it in my mouth…;O

I first try it iced with agave. Delicious! Kinda birthday cake like, but more a general vanilla rooibos kinda thing. I must admit, while it’s tasty it’s not that different from other vanilla rooibos teas I’ve had. Then I had it hot. Ahh, there’s that birthday cake sensation! Doesn’t even need sweetener! Good thing to boot since there’s already unneeded calories from all them sprinkles. I think it was a good choice to have the birthday cake flavour in a rooibos. Any other tea would be really weird or the tea itself would overpower.

But as I drain my mug and I think about the taste…while it’s sweet like frosting, the cakey-ness is more batter like :c Kinda gross really. It’s weird though, some days this is delish, and other days I’m all, “wtf, why did I even buy this?” I really have to be in the flirty, bubbly kinda mood to drink this one.

Then I made it into a latte. Ew. NEVER USE SOY MILK FOR THIS TEA! If I thought it was batter-like before, just ugh…this as a latte using vanilla soy milk..I had to throw my whole mug down the drain! It was the thinnest nastiest batter taste ever D: I’ll try it sometime with regular cow milk and brown sugar, but soy milk….never again. I’ll reserve that for my matcha lattes only!

TL;DR?
Iced, it’s always good, but nothing special.
Sometimes good hot if I’m in the mood, otherwise weird batter taste.
Gross with soy milk.
caio

Oh yum! It’s not to rare to see a tea paired with orange, but this is lovely c: A much deeper orange flavour, the kind that really fills your mouth. The tart hibiscus and sweet licorice is what hits the tongue first and then that deep orange taste takes over. The pu’erh gives it depth. And all those added oil extracts make this super citrusy. It all really compliments each other quite nicely. I really don’t want to add anything to this tea (no milk, sugar, agave, etc). It’s fine the way it is…which is rare for me as I always want to make everything into a latte or sugar it up.

The name couldn’t be more appropriate either. I love watching how much it bleeds through the basket in my clear glass mug c: So much colour!

There’s a lot more fruity orange going on here than DT’s chocolate orange pu’erh tea which I appreciate. I didn’t want the same tea minus an ingredient.

Really works for a second or third steeping too – super awesome thing I discovered about pu’erhs now that I’m more into them.

Overall, it’s a like! It’s hard to go wrong with a orange blend tea c:

Hands down, this is my favourite rooibos dessert tea. So so much maple. Oh gawds, could I be any more of a Canadian? I freakin love maple, and this tea just completed that. Those little maple leaf candies….that’s kinda what I’m talking about when I say DT has some gimmicky teas. Still love it. Patriotism really only works for me when it’s goofy :P Also, I never thought to add steamed milk to a rooibos, but….it really works in this one. Some brown sugar really brings out the maple too. And on days I don’t work, I add a bit of maple whiskey. Heck yes. Great stuff. I was really sad to finish my little bag, but this will be a re-stock sometime in the future for sure ;D

I needed to wind down after work today so I chose this little number. I’m glad I did because drinking this today…I discovered new flavours :D Maybe it was how I had the water today or what dry tea scooped into my teaspoon exactly, but I’m finally getting that chocolate sensation that’s described, yay!! It’s very light in the liqueur, but that’s good since there’s not actually chocolate in this blend. Verses something like Love Tea #7 where I expect it to be heavy on the chocolate since it’s actually in it. Yeah, this is a great tea if you want a real treat but don’t want one of DT’s more, er….“gimmicky” teas? Not that it’s a bad thing…but Checkmate feels more natural yet still fun c:
P.S. Upping my rating again x3

Today’s cup was a lot more smokey today and less nutty! Interesting c: Ahhh, this stuff is great…Side-note, I cannot stress enough to really only steep it for 2 minutes max and at a very low temperature. This tea isn’t hard to make, but srsly, pay attention! Or else your tea can easily be ruined D: This is one of those teas where it only shines in that one special gap where timing and temperature is accurate to the instructions. Now that I’ve given my advice I shall commence with teh sipping ^^

Sweet banana heaven!

Kay, this is now my new favourite oolong from DT. It’s just so…ugggghh, amazing. Why the “ugh”? Because I only bought 50g of this, not nearly enough for a lifetime supply, and I can’t really afford stuff I don’t need (damn my prioritizing ways!). Srsly tho guise, this stuff is really good! I agree with everyone else here in that the banana and oolong really compliment each other in the best possible way. I already like banana everything, but this tea has brought banana to me in a whole new way. I lurve it c:

So so so sweet and creamy. The liqueur is thick, just what I prefer when it comes to oolongs. I’m in buttery oolong heaven when I sip this :D I love that I can squeeze four great infusions out of this bad boy too! Ahhhh….and the scent! If you’ve ever had that wonderful Japanese dessert where it’s tempura banana with coconut ice cream…it’s just like that.

Out of the four new oolongs that DT introduced I say this is the best one.

I was really excited when I first got this tea because honey is pretty much my favourite food. So while it’s not exactly healthy to eat a jar of honey I figured this would be a great substitute. And considering the smell of sweet honey goodness along with something floral is so potent…I couldn’t say no c: Side-note, this review is extremely biased as I’m obsessed with sweet things and anything I can associate warm, lazy days with. Also, fyi, this is the tea I chose to get when I returned DT’s Toasted Walnut green tea. I have a review on that number if you’re interested.

When steeping, the aroma it gives off is the same but with more of a body. It’s so strongly sweet it fills up my suite with its smell, which is great! I like it when my place smells cute without nasty plug-in fresheners or cheap scented candles.

The colour actually looks like a nice dark amber honey. This is the tea I appreciate most when it comes to colour. Just gorgeous. As for taste….holy cow, no need to add sweetener here! While it doesn’t taste like the honey I’m used to (local naturally harvested stuff) it does have a lovely honey nectar quality to it. It’s sweet in the best ways possible – without being sickly or have the need to add unhealthy sweet stuff. I also taste floral, tangy, woodsy notes which adds to the feeling to being in a warm field with wild flowers and buzzing bees 8D As for the mate, which is suppose to be a big part of this tea….I can’t taste it. Or maybe I can but I’m just confusing it with the other flavours. I dunno, I’ve only have straight mate once so my palate isn’t that great when it comes to it. But the mate isn’t useless! This tea is my go-to tea on mornings when I have to go to work. It does a nice and gentle job of waking me up. Also it just makes me happy c: Very important to me considering I’m just the worst person ever if I have to work morning! Yep.

I must say though, this tea is so gross if it cools down too much. I think it’s the lemon myrtle (makes it taste soapy and off). If this was properly made into an iced tea it would probably be fine…I must try this sometime c:

Otherwise, great tea – I lurves it!

I decided to buy this tea because…..
1.) I need more straight teas
2.) Had it last year once when DT had their $1 straight tea promo and I remember liking it….what I liked about it, I didn’t remember. I just went on a whim c:

Dry….it has a very potent earthy nutty scent. The leaves are a dark smokey green and the shape of them is mostly curled, but at random. When steeping the aroma is warm and soothing for that of a green tea. The colour is a very pretty pale yellow-green. The taste of this tea is very sweet and nutty…also light and smooth. Maybe almost buttery? I like that it’s not very vegetal yet not too grassy like Japanese greens. It’s my first Korean green tea, and I must say I like it a lot c: I really appreciate that it can work for a second steeping too.

I’ve been drinking this tea since I was a toddler. It’s always been a staple in my cupboard and will continue to be so! And even though my taste for tea is far more refined now, I can’t get away from this one. When I drink it I think back to those cozy happy late nights from my childhood. In a sense this tea is a ultimate memory stimulant…if that makes sense.

The tea itself is actually nothing special….just exactly what you expect from a bagged camomile/spearmint/whateverelse blend. But pretty much like everyone else here, since I’ve been drinking it all my life, it’s soothing c: Even teas that are really similar and of much better quality, like DavidsTea Vata Ayurvedic (and really like that one too!), can’t fully replace this one.

I always have honey in it though, and I’m careful not to steep it too long otherwise it ends up tasting stewed. Also, this is the best tea when you’re sick. Really clears the sinuses.

I walked into DavidsTea today planning on refilling a few tins and getting a new chai since I couldn’t get the chai smell out of the tin I used to have this tea in. Well, I cried a little inside when I saw that they had a canister of this left from fall! Yays! I think this is my favourite chai right now c: I only got 50g though because Spring will soon be upon us and I doubt I’ll be craving chai flavours for a long time….not till next Fall when they’ll probably bring this one back again :P Anyways, I really like this tea best as a latte and at all times of the day. Heck, I stay up till wee morning hours anyways, regardless of my caffeine levels…..so I’m gunna make this right now. BE JEALOUS >D

So it’s the middle of winter and I get a sudden craving….odd….but I still have a little bit left in my tin, so I gave in :P
I made this into a latte and OHMYGOLLYGOODNESS! I’m upping my rating from 74. I can really taste the coconut a whole lot more when milk is added. It brings it out major time! But the raspberry is still there, yays! I made it roughly two parts tea and one part 2% milk, frothed of course, and a bit of brown sugar.
This is so good as a latte, I squeed when I realized this was one of the ones DT brought back! Guess who’s refilling their tin tomorrow >D

Edit: Also, I think I just used to suck at resteeping black teas. On my first note I was disgusted with any further steepings when it came to this tea, but now……now it can work c:

Forget adding milk.
Frothed coconut milk is the way to go ;D
Best thing ever!

This tea is actually growing on me….
I think that given there was a certain expectation I didn’t find this tea too spectacular, but now that a few mugs have been made it’s…..working for me c: I mean, still don’t get that “chocolately-ness” , but it is becoming more special with each mug I make! :D It doesn’t particularly taste like a flavoured tea since the camomile as an ingredient doesn’t seem like something to pick out, but rather a bonding agent. And the coconut just makes it toasty. I’m upping my rating from 67. It would maybe get a higher rating if the taste is what is says it’s suppose to be, but it’s not.
Not so sure I’ll re-stock this one though….while it’s not as expensive as DT’s other white teas, it’s still costly.

PS.- Works well for a second steep, but I taste the white tea more which is a lovely delight.

I really wanted to like this tea, I really did……but I just can’t D: I’ve been eyeing this one ever since DT opened up in my town, but haven’t gotten around to getting it. Well, it almost being winter, and what with the weather being especially chilly, I decided to finally give it a go!

The scent is what really gave me the push to get a 100g tin of it. Smells like…..vanilla….and sugar cookies! Pretty much what everyone else describes here c: and I heard that if you like the hearty taste of genmaicha then you’ll probably like this tea. Not to mention just paring walnuts and green tea sounds sensational

Well, steeping it seems nummy….the odor it gives off is the same as the tin, maybe more toasty. it has little oil specks, but walnuts are a fatty nut, so that’s expected.

Taste: I’M SOOOO DISAPPOINTED D8
It’s just sooooooo weak. I can’t trace any green tea in it AT ALL. So basically it tastes like sweet walnut water *bleh! If only that was more green tea in there, this tea would totally work…..it would be my new thing! But alas, I had to return in the very next day…..That’s another great thing about DT, they can do exchanges no problem – I’ll give a review on the tea I got instead soonish. I just don’t understand how there can be next to no green tea flavours in there when I can clearly see them floating in my cup! Even when I over steep it – nothing! It doesn’t seem like a hard thing to blend right, so I dunno….

Had great potential, but that just made it fall harder when it was a miss.

I agree with the others in saying that this tea is way too heavy for a spring tea…..but it’s still good! This tea really only works for me in the summer though. I just don’t enjoy it as much when I’m craving Autumn and Winter flavours. It’s a good thing I have this one in a tin so that it’ll keep fresh till next summer! (Though every now and then I pull it down to take a whiff cx )

When I have a bigger sweet tooth than normal I add a small bit of raspberry jam to my cup, it adds a nice extra boost!

Once again though, I’m disappointed in any further steepings after the first one.
I’ve noticed with several of DT’s black tea leaves seem to be of low quality and that really bothers me :c

So I bought this tea as an impulse buy. I love chocolate and I want to try more chocolate teas. This one smelt so much like chocolate (probably the coconut and almonds working together there), but had none in it. Plus the fact that it’s a white/black tea blend is pretty cool. So I’m home, I brew up a cup, annnnnnd……disappointment :c It doesn’t taste bad, no….but there is no trace of the chocolate that it claims to have. NOTHING like hot chocolate, not even close (of course I’m a hot chocolate addict, so I know my shit when it comes to it). Instead I taste a nice smooth blend. The camomile helps bring the white and black together. So for me this is a fail on what it claims to be…..but I still like it for what I taste. I did only buy a 50g pouch and I’m glad I did. It was fun to try out, but I definitely won’t get it again.

Also, it is categorized as a white tea, but the temperature it says to steep it at is that of a black tea. I feel that scorches the white tea leaves and I’m left with a nasty bitter tea. I prefer to steep it at a lower white tea suited temperature.

So far, this is my favourite seasonal tea since I first discovered DT earlier this Spring. EETS. JUST. SEW. GUD! Such a full-bodied cup of spiced pumpkiny goodness. But the spices really come out too! I have had pumpkin chais before, but this one really does top all of them. Just looking into my tin is a pleasant experience, what with the cute little candies and the intoxicating aroma! It’s like it’s my kind of autumn in a tin (a sweet autumnm sure it helps that my favourite kind of pie is pumpkin too :P
I do not like re steeping this one though….probably because the leaves are not of that great of quality and after the first steeping all the flavour is sucked out, so there is nothing left to it after that.

This was the first Oolong I ever bought. I did expect more peach, but I was a novice back then….I now have a special relationship with this tea, one that I expect to last many years. It’s expensive, but it’s one I’ll always keep stocked up.
It’s light, refreshing, and the peach, apricot, and almonds go oh so well together. The oolong itself is a buttery heaven. The smell just takes me in and doesn’t let go. Yup. I’m in love :D

Ooooo chocolate tea :O I didn’t think it could work….especially not for a green/rooibos blend….but it does and I am happy ^^ It’s just the right amount of chocolate too. I think it’s the green rooibos that actually makes it work too! Creamy, sweet, and fresh is what I’d call this one. I drink this when I have a chocolate craving yet don’t want to pig on chocolate bars! The smell of it is the same from the bag to brewing it. Chocolatey and fresh! The colour is…..foggy? I suppose that’s just the chocolate bits making it do that, but that’s fine. Also, letting it cool…it tastes better to me when I do that – but not too much, I don’t like it cold. When resteeping it I find I taste more of the green tea and rooibos which is nice c:

I got this tea as a birthday present. The smell is soooooo lovely, but the taste….I can’t say I’ll be buying it after I finish the pouch I have now. Not that it’s not good, no! Oh I love the tart and the flowery cherryness of it all….but it’s just not that special. It’s mostly disappointing that I can’t taste the white tea in it at all :‘c
All in all, it’s a cute tea that smells good and has a pretty colour.
It works for a second infusion hot.
OH! And it tastes waaaay better iced.

The first loosed leaf tea I ever bought. Recommended to me by the fact that if I like the green tea they serve as complimentary drinks at Japanese restaurants then I’ll probably like this. I do c: Sweet and nutty, I like to drink this when I’m eating something like sushi or okonomiyaki.

This was the first tea I ever purchased at DavidsTea. It was very strange to me because I had never had nuts in my tea before…..but it works c: And the smell is divine!! So yummy, it makes me hungry for baked goods. The taste – I feel is more apple like than the nuttyness that it claims to be, but that’s okay. It’s like apple crumble! Sweetener is definitely not needed here. I don’t taste the beetroot like the other reviewers do….I like it being in there for the vibrant colour. And it goes any even cuter shade when you add milk! Anyways, I really love this tarty, fruity, nutty tea :D
Fantastic hot or iced!!

So normally mint teas are just not my thing….but today I walked into my favourite DT location for my usual $1 tea-to-go and saw they had this new guy. One whiff and I was sold. The smell is very fresh and vibrant. But since I knew that the mint might turn me off I settled for the pre-packaged 35g pouch. Once at home I whipped up some okonomiyaki and steeped some of this tea.
Oolongs have always been my favourite to watch steep. The leaves do remind me of little dragons awakening! The colour; it’s gorgeous! The peppermint really makes it this fantastic yellow green. The smell of the lemongrass is divine. And now, time to taste! I haven’t had too many lemon teas or mint for that matter, so my palate is not too great….but for a person who doesn’t like mint teas, well…..this one changed me c:
It’s a lovely smooth blend of lemon and peppermint that really balance each other. But I can still taste the oolong, and it’s buttery awesome too ^^ The lemon oil is also sweet enough that you don’t need to add sweetener. I smelt the hot leaves after I poured and the fragrance gave me a calm mind. Like most oolongs it works very well for more infusions. I added some agave to my second and third steepings though.

I give this tea a thumbs up. The only thing I regret is not getting a tin instead.

PS: I think “Golden Dragon” would be way more a bad-ass name for this tea :D