Raritea

Definite sweetness on the sip. I am generally quite sensitive to hibiscus aftertaste but the hibiscus in this one seems to be blended quite nicely and only gives a tart edge that you would normally to expect to accompany strawberries. I am detecting some earthiness from the beetroot and I don’t feel that it compliments the flavour profile very well.

As the tea cools, I am noticing an unpleasant blunt edge to the tartness which carries throughout the tea taste.

As I am able to take larger sips, I am starting to feel the hibiscus creeping through the flavour a bit more. There is a dairy-type taste present as well which I am guessing is the result of the yogurt bits in the brew.

Overall, a nice blend of flavours. The tartness mixes in nicely and is in no way overwhelming the blend. It gives me a bit of a “zinger” type sensation on the back of my tongue and creeping into my throat.

The second infusion was cold-steeped overnight. The hibiscus seems more prominent giving the brew a sour-bitter taste. I’m detecting some floral-type notes as well.

I was served this as the Tea of the Day at my local David’s Tea.

The mixture of flavours reminds me of a bubble-gum taste. I think that I need to get a full cup of this one to really get a sense of if I like it or not. I was far to distracted by all the new David’s Tea teas to properly focus on the complexity of the flavour.

I tried a sample of the matcha being sold at my local Ten Ren’s Tea Time. It was served on ice.

The tea had a taste that I would describe as very fresh. It was quite sweet on the finish.

Dry leaf smells a lot like roasted seaweed.

Buttery hints on the sip. Roasted and seaweed after-taste. Very slight saltiness in the background. Hints of floral on the finish. Reminiscent of a full green tea flavour.

I am personally not a fan of teas that remind me of salt but I love the roasted seaweed flavour coming out of this one.

For the second infusion, I increased the infusion time by about 1 minute. All of the flavours from the first infusion seem more subtle with an added oolong creaminess that comes out a bit. I think that I’m getting that minty-cooling feeling in my throat as the tea cools. I didn’t find it to be very apparent in the first one (I thought that I may have feeling it only because I had read about it so much). Buttery and vegetal qualities.

This tea would not likely do well past the third infusion.

Light brothy, slightly salty taste. Definite buttery tinge as the taste blooms and fades on the sip. Typical green tea vegetal finish and after taste. For some reason the word “clarity” comes to mind when drinking this- maybe because it has a very smooth taste? I’m getting a sweetness from this as well, especially prominent as the tea cools.

Very sweet. Tastes just like pumpkin pie with a good balance of black tea taste. Sweet pumpkin and spices taste on the finish. Almost bitter after taste.

I was served this as the Tea of the Day on ice.

This tea is very sour and very bitter. I do believe that I have a strong sensitivity to the hibiscus. The overall taste was a sour, bitter fruity concoction with a stevia-like aftertaste.

Very sweet. There was a definite oolong taste present but I would have preferred that it was more pronouced. Oolong and pineapple are an interesting combination and I feel that the flavours went well together.

Rating: 77

Bland on the sip, reminiscent of metallic taste. Light roasted green taste at the end of the sip with something hinting at a floral flavour. After taste is very roasty with green tea taste.

As the tea cools, I’m getting more of a full green tea taste on the sip; very seaweed-like. Very smooth, light and delightful!

On the second infusion the flavour reminds me strongly of popcorn.

This tea does well for at least three infusions.

This tea feels like a good everyday tea for me.

This tisane has a flavour which is exactly what I would imagine an orange blossom to taste like. Light and sweet orange flavour with a hint of an artificial edge to it. The vanilla comes out and is what give it the sweetness. The rooibos flavour is present and balances out the orange flavour nicely- it is a welcoming taste in the mix, giving a slight contrast. I am not really able to taste the currants in this mix; they may be slightly present near the end of the sip.

As it cools, more of the complexity of the flavour is able to come out. The orange has a fuller taste.

Thin-tasting. Definite sweetness. Rounded, somewhat artificial flavour. Coffee taste really comes out near the end of the sip. Has a watered-down coffee taste to it. I think that I may simply just not be a fan of coffee beans in my tea- I like the bold and creamy taste of actual coffee. Feels heavy and acidic down my throat.

Tastes very medicinal and very thin close to the end of the sip. Sour and bitter after-taste. This tea tastes like it is trying to be sweet. I think that I may be sensitive to the taste of the hibiscus. I am not able to detect the taste of the white tea. The tea does have a flavour reminiscent of cherry-pomegranate. As the tea cools, I’m detecting some peppery notes in the flavour.

I was served this as the Tea of the Day at my local David’s tea.

This tea was served on ice. I was impressed at how I could really taste the oolong in this one. I definitely need to go back to get a full cup.

I was served this tea as the Tea of the Day at my local David’s Tea.

When this tisane is served on ice, I am able to better detect the different ingredients. I was especially surprised at the floral tones that I was tasting. This tisane is definitely much better served on ice than hot.

Rating: 74

Getting primarily the minty spearmint flavour. The taste of the spices trail at the end of the sip. I feel that this tisane should be less complex. I am, once again, getting confirmation that I am sensitive to the after-taste of the lemon grass. I am not detecting any floral or citrus flavours in this blend.

I was served this on ice at my local David’s Tea as the Tea of The Day.

Unique fruity flavour. I’m not sure if I’m just being biased because of the name but this tisane really does evoke images of the stereotypical jungle with lots of trees and exotic fruits.

I was served this cold as the tea of the day at my local David’s Tea.

This tea has a very prominent bitter edge. Very strong essence of lemon and lemon zest

The primary flavour in this one is that of chocolate sourced from the carob. It is sweet throughout with a light roasted flavour. The taste of the spices are not very apparent but is definitely present.

A really nice mix of flavours. I am a little bit sensitive to the taste of lemongrass and feel that it would be better if it wasn’t present in this blend. However, there are a lot of other flavours in here that I love and help me to look past the lemongrass. I can’t really detect any of the floral taste of either the roses or camomile. I really love that there is spearmint in this one!

Sweet all the way through. Prominent pineapple flavour. Flavour reminds me of bubblegum. There is nothing particularly remarkable about the taste; simple flat pineapple.

Rating: 54

Drinking this tea is just like biting into a fresh lychee. The flavour is incredibly well captured- I am very impressed. Black tea taste on the finish which is balanced with the lychee. I wouldn’t expect lychee to be the best compliment for a black tea but these tastes work well together. A bit reminiscent of lemony-taste on the start. Sweetness on the finish and after taste.

Very strong flavour. I’m detecting a flavour reminiscent of grapefruit which I have associated with Milk Oolong in the past. Strong roasted tone (bordering on bitter) and mild milky undertone. I’m also detecting some lemony-type flavour on the sip. Sweet on the finish. The after taste is sweet and has floral hints.

As the tea cools, I’m getting more of a full milk oolong-like hit with each sip. The roasted tone moves more into the background and the milkiness is allowed to come out more. Very delightful! I can detect some grassy notes as well. The finish is still very sweet with mild floral hints. After taste is mainly of roasted and floral flavour.

Second infusion- The milkiness really comes out The roasted flavour isn’t as prevalent, which is nice as it was a little strong on the first infusion. Smoother and softer version of the first infusion.

The flavour held pretty well for 3 infusions. I didn’t try past 3 though.

Edge of bitterness on the sweet taste at the finish of the sip. There is definitely apple flavour on the after-taste. I’m detecting a hint of a type of full coconut-like/caramel-like taste in this. I can’t seem to extract the flavour of the white or green tea.
As the tea cools, I’m getting some roasted tones- presumably from the green tea in the blend.

I used 1 and 1/2 scoop of dry leaf for my Aquaovo tumbler.

The main flavour that I am getting in the first sip is that of plum-apricot; very sweet and candy-like with no unpleasant sugary after-taste. The taste of the white tea is lost in the background. I was hoping for more of a coconut flavour. Hint of bitterness on the finish but not enough to make it an unpleasant experience.

As it is cools, I am getting a fuller cherry flavour which blooms into the plum-apricot taste. The white tea taste is better able to peek out near the end of the sip. There is a consistent sweetness throughout. Flavour is delicate, maybe bordering on what I would consider to be thin.

After the end of my cup I got a really amazing lingering after taste. It is definitely more cherry-like than the flavour of the actual tea with the mild tartness that I associate with cherries. I am getting way more of the white tea taste too.