DecemberMint

Hello, my love! Where have you been all my life?

I’ve always been somewhat wary about chocolate teas, but this one is surprisingly delicious!
When first opening this package, I caught a definite chocolate banana smell (which is strange when there’s no banana in the tea). However, when steeped this tea transforms into a wonderful balance of fruit, and chocolate. First I tasted a smooth chocolate flavor, quickly followed by fresh raspberry, finally the two flavors intertwine at the end for a delicious finish. The almonds aren’t exactly a noticeable flavor in this tea; however they do add a nice depth that would otherwise be missing.

This light tea is still full of flavor, but it wont weigh down your taste buds like I’ve found a lot of chocolate teas tend to do.

Is it strange that I feel pretty drinking this tea?

I have never had any luck with Jasmine tea until this point. Bagged teas had an unfavorable bitterness at the end, so I took a chance and sprung for some real whole leaf tea.

The aroma of the tea makes me feel as though I am smelling the flower itself (which is particularly pleasing in the winter time)! The leaves are lovingly rolled into cute butterfly shapes that fold out while steeping, creating a wonderful show while you wait 3-4 minutes for your tea to be ready.

The actual flavor of the tea tastes like I imagined a good cup of Jasmine would be. Its floral simplicity is sweet, yet not heavy on the tongue. The green tea base complements the flowery fragrance to allow the Jasmine to really be the humble star of the show.

Like Beckara’s review, I agree this tea tastes like a lot of love and care went into it. Whenever anyone asks me what I am drinking, I simply say, “love”. :)

Hurray! My massive shipment from Davids came in today!

First cup from the batch (I realize this is a Christmas tea, but lets just pretend it’s still December). On opening the package, I initially smelled a sweet peppermint that reminded me much of candy canes, but there is an underlying rich depth to the scent as well.

I have not had much experience with Chinese Black Tea, but this tea is incredibly smooth with a prominent peppermint flavor. However, the aftertaste shifts from peppermint to a delicate sweetness I can’t seem to put my finger on (I suspect it’s the black tea base). I am curious as to what spices were used in this combination, I can’t particularly pick them out, but I suppose that would be Santa’s Secret! ;)

Overall, a very delicious tea! I’m disappointed I only bought 50g of it.

It’s a drowsy Monday afternoon, I figured I would give this tea a shot. Surprisingly, this has woken me up from my near coma state.

I have tried several lemon ginger teas and was never really fond of them, however this one was pretty drinkable!
Upon opening the package, I caught a pungent lemon scent that my friend informed me smelled like “Lemon Pinesol” (I’m not so sure about that!). When steeped, the warm, earthy, ginger flavor is boosted by a fresh lemon undertone, and finishes with a wonderful bite. It seems to me the tea features the ginger more than the lemon.

For this tea I did not add any sweeteners, and I gave it an average steep. But in the midst of trying to stay awake, I accidently steeped at a warmer temperature. It was still a pleasant experience, but I am curious how the flavors complement one another when I steep it like David’s intended :)

Mmm baked apples on a stormy day? I’m in!

The huge chunks of ingredients make this tea gorgeous to look at! And it smells just as divine.

This tea suggests using 2 tsp per cup, so I intend to try steeping it again.
The first steep of this tea, the actual color seems strangely pale. It almost seems like it should be considered a white tea instead of a green tea.
However, the flavor of the tea is bold and delicious. The spices accent the apple flavor to create an overall warmth to the tea, while the nuts add an underlying depth that complements perfectly. I’m definitely catching a fresh apple tang at the end too, which keeps this tea refreshing while keeping you toasty warm.

/sniffs tea/
Welch’s grape juice?! WHERE?!

So I figured after taking a wiff of this it would be overpowering with grape. However, perhaps I used a smidge less leaves than suggested, but I found this white tea light and refreshing. This tea’s natural sweetness with the white grape flavor and the flowery tart after-taste is really beginning to grow on me. I’m going to miss this tea once I’ve drank through the 25g sample I bought.

Wow, I love this tea. I made sure to use the 1 1/2 tsp of leaves in 5.5 ounces of water, and topped the cup with another 2 ounces of steamed milk. Soo delicious! I’ve never had rum before, but this one instantly reminds me of the rum and butter lifesavers I would get as a kid. It’s delicately sweet, and buttery smooth, with definite rum and coconut after-taste (well, as far as I can tell). I’m glad I purchased this one! It probably falls under the “dessert tea” category for me.

I admit, I purchased this tea today because of the picture of a bison on the box (I hate when I fall for marketing ploys like that!). I was curious to try this brand, so I decided to try a more basic flavor to start.
After the first sip, I immediately fell in love with this tea. It starts with a mellow black tea flavor, but soon follows with a distinct smokey flavor that lingers long after.
For a bagged tea, this one is not half bad. Prepared with milk and a pinch of sugar.
It looks like the bison pulled through for me!

Today definitely felt like winter. To counter that, I took the obvious route and visited my local David’s Tea store (Err… Not so obvious?). I picked up 50 grams of this tea to warm the cockles of my heart — and stomach?!

When you first open the package it smells almost completely of a rich, deep, chocolate.
When steeped, this tea has a semi-sweet dark chocolate flavor (it’s more bitter than “Read My Lips” — another classic chocolate tea from David’s), and a slight zing from the chilies at the end. Trying it both black, and with milk, I concluded that milk added an extra creamy hint the tea needed. I admit I was expecting a little more heat and spice from this heavier tea, but it’s not bad on those cold days when you need to wrap your hands around something warm.

[EDIT] I steeped this one for 4 minutes, rather than 6, and I enjoyed it a lot more. The chocolate wasn’t quite as predominant and heavy, which accented the spicy bite and the end much better.

There is not anything I dislike about this tea. When I received it in a sample box, I instantly went sniffing through all the leaves — this one was the most memorable. The tea itself is a peculiar combination of flowers, fruits, and nuts, I am surprised by the result. Granted, this is a white tea, so the taste is quite mild, it’s so creamy, smooth, and has a really unique nutty, toasty flavor to it. On the first sip, the first image brought to my mind was a toasted marshmallow (but not quite as sweet), but even then I wouldn’t say that flavor is accurate.
This might possibly be my new favorite comfort tea.

The first cup of the morning. I found a loose package of this tea lurking about my cupboard, so I decided to give it a try! First sipping this tea, I experienced a pleasant fruity tartness — definitely not bitter. A few moments after I was hit with this incredible sweetness at the back of my tongue, it seemed almost artificial (I suspect it’s from the licorice root powder). I really enjoy this tea with the exception of that over-powering sweetness at the end.

Even though this is a mellow tea, the simple flavors are really evident. First the black tea, followed by a sweet almond after-taste. I found, like any nut tea, I had to steep it for at least 7 minutes to really taste the almonds.
It could use a little more “oomph”, but overall it’s not bad!

This full bodied tea has definitely caught my attention! Not only are the health benefits excellent (which makes me feel great), but the earthy, spiced orange flavor is perfectly balanced with a slight bite from the ginger.
A perfect find during the fall season, and I have I strange feeling I’ll be needing a lot of this tea come Christmas time.

[EDIT] Granted, this tea is a bit more expensive than David’s usual teas (I suspect because it’s Organic), this tea can easily be steeped twice! I steep 7 minutes the first time, and 9 minutes the second — it still retains a lot of it’s flavor and depth.

I have not discovered a tea that has brought this much satisfaction in a long time. But I do have a bone to pick with it!

First, I find the title to be misleading. The tea contains subtle hints of nuts, but nothing that would deserve to be chosen as the main element. Instead, I like to think of this tea as “apple crisp meets oatmeal cookie” (and what a delightful reunion it is).

I love the color, however! I feel a bit giddy every time I see the crystal clear water change to a vibrant (almost violent?) pink.
For a mild tea, it still demands attention. Surprisingly, I cannot consider this tea as “weak” but instead as “delicate”. The initial sip is decidedly apple, with a slight spicy aftertaste on the sides of my tongue. An indescribable sweetness ties the whole thing together into a cup of absolute pleasure.

50g bag? 100g tin? 250g tin? May I just buy the huge tin off the wall?
To be consumed in a clear cup for maximum enjoyment.

[EDIT] I decided to give this tea another steep to see how it faired. Giving it 8 minutes with boiling water, the tea still retained it’s beautiful pink shade. It had a slightly less emphasis on initial apple flavor, and a larger emphasis on the spice and nuts after. I think I will resteep this one more often.

I admit, I was a little hesitant about this intially — Peppercorns? With chocolate and mint? But I am always willing to try something once!
I actually really enjoy this tea. I find chocolate teas usually fall short of expectation, but this one has a full body flavor with a sweet mint finish. The aroma of the tea leaves seem sweet, but the steeped leaves more accurately reflects the minty flavor. There does seem to be a slight film that collects on the top when the tea begins to cool, but it doesn’t affect the flavor.
Plus the minature lip candies are cute!

This tea has a really unique and pleasant flavor to it. When you first open the package you definitely pick up on the sweet raspberry and pomegranate fragrance. When you steep it, it transforms into a light refreshing green tea with a mild sweetness from the fruits, finishing with a rather agreeable tartness. I like to enjoy this tea in a smaller mug at any time of day.

I love fall and the many flavors that go with it. This pumpkin chai is no exception! Upon first opening the package, you smell the sweet, rich, depth of the caramel infused leaves and the warmth of the cloves and cardamom. As a special treat, I used steamed milk and added a small pinch of brown sugar (as the package suggests). I would describe this tea as mellow, and sweet when steeped. It’s considerably smooth on the way down, and warms the depth of my very being — Perfect on a fall day. I would not say the spices are very prominent, but they add a slight complexity to this otherwise sweet tea. Best consumed on a cold day after dinner.

I was fairly surprised by this tea. I’m not really a matcha fan, but everyone I make this for (myself included) enjoys it. The instructions inform you to steep it for 30 seconds, which surprisingly is more than enough for my taste. I usually steep for about 20 seconds (in a small cup), add a splash of milk, and a smidge of honey for a light, smooth, and flavorful tea with a very slight matcha flavor.
I was hesitant to purchase this tea because it’s sold in such a large box (100-125 separately wrapped packets? Somewhere around there), but I know I’ll end up drinking every last one.

This is my every-day tea. Deep, comforting, and reminds me of my childhood. I always think of it as an equivalent to a fuzzy blanket on cold days, but I might be slightly biased.
Handles over-steeping fairly well, but I usually steep it for about 3 minutes.
Always enjoy with a splash of milk in your favorite mug (it’s just meant to be).

This is my favorite bagged chai tea. I found most chai teas were very weak, but this one is really bursting with flavor. I love the slight bite, and the rich spiciness that’s perfect for any season. I usually enjoy it with warm milk, perfect.
When I’m feeling extraordinarily bold, I bump it up to the chai double spice. But this one is great for daily drinking purposes.

This is definitely my favorite bagged peppermint tea. This amber-colored tea is perfect for an upset stomach, and tastes sweet (but not too sweet), but still has quite a nice minty depth to it! I always like to think my breath has a minty freshness to it after. I enjoy it both hot and cold.

I had fairly decent hopes for this tea. Expecting something more along the lines of a “banana nut bread” flavor (as the title says), it seemed to turn out to be a sweet “banana tea” instead. I hardly tasted any of the nuts or dried fruits as I had hoped.
[EDIT] Rating has been bumped up. As suggested in the comments, I steeped the tea longer (7 mins at least), and found the extra time allowed the nuts and dried fruits to intermingle with the banana flavor resulting in a more enjoyable tea.

I was initially given a sample of this tea, and immediately bought it after tasting it! I hate fruit teas, but love black tea! This one has that lovely depth of black tea, the refreshing hint from the peach, and a slight zing at the end from the ginger. When I pull an all-nighter, I turn to this tea rather than anything else (soda included) to keep me up, it seems to work the best!

The flavor of this tea seems very mild. It seems to be missing that distinct “this is definitely orange pekoe” flavor and depth (particularly in the after-taste). However, I grew up drinking this tea from tea bags, so I could be wrong. But, if you’re looking for a mellow, organic version of orange pekoe, this might be for you!