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I received this tea from Alphakitty months ago, but with moving house, plus pregnancy, plus being home with a toddler means I sometimes forget things. Today, though, I’ve been nursing a cup of this all day, thanks to being able to multi-steep. However, I can’t write a long note since my 26-month-old has decided that she wants to avoid napping in favour of throwing every blanket + plush toy out of the crib, THEN testing her mattress for weaknesses via repeated jumping. This nap = not happening.

This tea = getting me through it all! PLUS, since it’s an oolong and I can steep it multiple times I get to stay hydrated as well. Win/win. I’m loving the caramel paired with creamy oolong… interesting how with each consecutive steep the caramel slowly fades until all I’m left with is the oolong. Yum, yum.

Now, to check on this manic tot of mine… uuuuuuuurgh.

My 2-year-old daughter and I entered a local Valentine’s Day contest wherein we had to collaborate with another person on a Valentine’s card + poem. I let her colour the background with crayons, while I wrote a cheesy little love poem from a seahorse and then drew the seahorse on after she’d completed her part. We managed to win the “multi-age category”, which means I now have a $50 gift card to the downtown mall burning a hole in my pocket! Now, people have suggested that since my daughter helped with the Valentine, that she should get a little of the prize too… and I agree except she doesn’t really need anymore clothes, toys, or candy and I’d go with books, but there’s no bookstore in the mall.

There is, however, a DAVIDsTEA. And since my little girl seems to appreciate a good cuppa—especially if I’ve just made a tea latte—it seems like the perfect place to blow the money where we can both get something out of it.

Thus, we ventured in on Tuesday to peruse their selection and inquire about the upcoming Spring Collection (since I figured I might as well hold out til then if a bunch of new + exciting teas are on their way). The sales associate helping me didn’t divulge much other than there will be some fruity teas and then asked if she could help me with anything for now… and I ended up coming home with four small bags of Vanilla Orchid, Citron Oolong, Ginseng Oolong, and this tea… which I am drinking right now.

In an attempt to get the best out of this tea I am attempting a hybrid gaiwan/western style brewing… AKA: leaves in DAVIDsTEA steeper, 3 second wash, then short infusions thereafter…

First steep @ 92°C for 1 min: creamy, buttery greens, with the slightest hint of lingering sweetness. After the washing stage I wasn’t sure this had even brewed since the colour is so pale, but the flavour is definitely there, like a milk oolong without the milkiness.

Second steep @ 93°C for 80 sec: Slightly stronger in flavour, with more mineral-like notes coming through. Less vegetal.

Third steep @ 95°C for 1.5 min: Basically the same as the second and just as flavourful!

Fourth steep @ 96°C for 2 min: And… still flavourful! I could probably get a couple more steeps out of the leaves, but I’m starting to feel oolong-logged… so. much. tea.

Can’t resist this combination as a latte… and neither can my 2-year-old!

FINALLY finished off the last of this… and ended up having the entire tea latte guzzled by my 2-year-old when I wasn’t looking! Looks like I have a fellow tea-lover in my midst, one that’s barely 3 feet tall. It’s a good thing we finished this tea too since I could definitely taste some staleness happening…

Drinking more of this, since it’s the only tea (besides straight rooibos) that my husband has mastered brewing. Hey, if he’s making the tea I won’t complain!

It’s been a while since I posted a proper review on here, but my excuses are valid! A new year means a new house and a new baby (in April), but due to the holidays + pregnancy, we’re still organising/unpacking/sorting through all of our stuff! Believe me, our living room looks like an episode of Hoarders and since I’m 29 weeks along and the belly is protruding more and more, I’m only allowed busy moving/sorting smaller boxes. The pace is agonising!

I need a break. I need tea. Stat.

Now, I’m no white tea aficionado, usually preferring them to be ever-so-slightly-flavoured. I love that DAVIDsTEA mentions corn silk in the flavour profile, since I never would have thought of it as a flavour note, but can actually kind of taste it here. I also get hints of moss for some reason. Hmmm, interesting. Two steeps out of the leaves, with enough dry tea leftover for another brew on another day. Not bad for a tea sample that cost me $0.50 due to the Boxing Week sale!