TheTeaFairy

Tea no.6 of the Tealish experiment:

The name should be AMARETTO Pie…Yerk, this one is not for me… My entire fault, shouldn’t have ordered it, the description did mention Amaretto. Though it might sound contradictory, I love true almond flavor but somehow I’m not a fan of anything Amaretto. Does it make any sens?

In this tea, I think the Amaretto flavor comes from one of those small bottles of artificial almond extract you put in cake. A few drops are OK in a whole cake, but a cup of it is too much for me!

So I can’t rate it, since I usually don’t appreciate this kind of flavor. On a positive note, it has lots of coconut in it, so if you are a fan of strong Amaretto taste, I guess it mixes well with coconut and you would probably enjoy it.

I taste none of the other ingredients, the Rooibos is lost in that overpowering almond essence.

I think my next Tealish testing will be a more pleasant one for my tastes. Creamy Cranberry. Does sound yummy :)

This is a tea I always keep around.. it’s one of those that you know you will enjoy no matter what the occasion is.

I’m a big fan of flavored teas, but obviously the true essence of tea is in it’s bare leaves, so «au naturel» is something I feel I must go to from time to time. I will not pretend I am an expert at this, cause I’m not. The world of tea is so complex and fascinating, I learn something new everyday! I am slowly educating myself and trying unflavored teas more and more.

What never ceases to amaze me is to find hints and notes that are naturally there. This tea is an excellent example of that. The sweet honey is easily identifiable, hard to believe that no sugar was added. It’s malty but not too much. It’s a bit astringent, but not too much even if steeped a little too long.

For my taste, the flavors peak when it starts cooling. I like it just slightly warm, not hot. After steeping it, I wait a good 5 minutes before I drink it. I then experience it in a whole other way, with more nuances and fuller body. The sweetness arrives at the end, so it completely takes away whatever astringency or bitterness that might be there.

Definitely one of my favorite black tea!

I bought my first pouch of 25gr about 7 months ago after reading enthusiastic Steepster reviewers. I must have bought over 400gr since then…

I’m taking a little break from a very busy day, we’re having 6 friends over for supper tonight, so lots of cleaning and cooking. Thank god Mr. Right is helping a great deal, no one like him to vacuum and mop the floors!! (he knows his manhood is not at risk)

So I needed fuel to keep me going, what better option than my beloved JUJU? I’ve been on it since this morning, I think it has made an Energizer Bunny out of me! I am not a big coffee drinker, but like many people, I used to drink one in the morning cause I never found anything close enough to the wake up kick it provides. That was before I discovered precious Guayusa! I have it almost every morning and it has officially replaced my morning coffee…

But I don’t just love it for it’s energizing properties, it tastes fantastic! So «juicy fruit» tasty, tangy and super sweet at the same time, can’t say enough about it!
I easily get 3 very tasty steeps out of it, so it is money well spent.

There’s plenty of big fruit chunks in it (papaya and peach), I NEVER THROW THEM AWAY, I eat them all, such a treat once they have infused!

I’m glad I finally gave it the review I think it deserves. If you enjoy the fruity in your tea, this one will be a very nice acquisition for your cupboard!

I’m returning to this tea as I remember trying it a couple of months ago and not liking it so much… I’m glad I did, it’s way better than expected. It’s green and I think I must have overstepped the first time around cause all I could remember was it’s bitterness.

There’s a lot going on in this pouch with all these ingredients, but it all comes together, surprisingly. It’s very fruity but not in a super sweet kind of way, nice balance between sweet and citrus. The orange and cranberry definitely come through, especially on second steep. I bet it will make a very refreshing iced tea.

I’m glad I gave it a second chance, though it won’t be part of my permanent collection, it’s worth drinking the 25gr I have.

Tea no.5 of the Tealish experiment:

After this one, I will have 4 more Tealish teas to review from my collection.

I did enjoy this one, it is a decent black tea, the flavor is more nutty than spicy. As to being called “Patissery” I’m not quite sure. Maybe it has to do with my imagination. When I read a description, I know it can’t be spot on all the time, these tea companies do have to sell, and what better way to advertise than a line like this:  «Like walking to a bakery in Paris». I understand that a tea can’t really taste  «Like walking to a bakery in Paris» but if you’re gonna use a line as powerful as this one, you better have the chops to back it up!  The description does create some kind of expectation and I was expecting something Paris somewhere!

It does nothing Paris for me. I miss the buttery fresh baked cookie I was expexcting from it. DaisyChubb’s comment about her taco seasoning made me laugh and I must say It did scare me before I had my first sip. After all, how often do you have cumin and coriander in your beverage? But in all fairness, they did not spoil it, I can barely detect them. It,s not listed, but I find some cardamom notes along with the peppercorn. Mostly, I would recommend it for nutty flavored tea lovers.

Overall, not a bad tea.

My next Tealish tasting testing: Sweetie Pie (more of the same? Gee, I must have been craving sugar a lot when I placed this order!!!)

Tea no.4 of the Tealish experiment:

So this is The One: first tea from Tealish that I really enjoyed! This is an enchanting blend, delicate yet very tasty. I love the fact that the cherry is there, but none of that artificial maraschino taste you often find in cherry flavorings.

The rose is more present, but not in a soapy kind of way, although it smells so freaking good I could bathe in it!!

The green tea is of good quality, so all together a very decent tea that I will go back to, that’s for sure!

Next Tealish in line: Patisserie (I might be in for a treat!)

Tea no.3 of the Tealish experiment:

I was very hopefull with this one, the idea of the blend itself is very appealing to me: crisp and fresh taste of green tea mixed with very tasty Goji berries and pomegranate tartness, can’t be boring right? well…sorry to say, but it can!

Let’s start with the pros: the smell is incredible and the steep is beautiful to watch , the taste is refreshing.

The cons: it doesn’t taste anywhere near what it smells and it’s again very plain and forgettable.

Am I being too difficult here? Will Tealish ever wow me?

Lets pick another one, tenacious is my middle name: Sakura Cherry Rose, wish me luck!

This is tea no.2 from my Tealish experiment that started on the wrong foot with Oh La La Oolong…

This one is slightly better…maybe…I’m not even sure. The list of ingredient is somewhat overwhelming, I was expecting a very bold taste: blueberries, cherries, raspberries, oranges, blackberries, cranberries, the expression «less is more» was not applied here, that’s for sure! But surprisingly, it’s very plain, once more.

It’s black and it’s fruity. Nothing else comes to mind, it’s not bad, but it doesn’t bring my taste buds anywhere close to climax!

So far, Tealish teas fail to impress me, maybe that’s why I haven’t paid much attention to them!! I find there’s a lack in capturing the essence of the ingredients.

Nevertheless, I do have to pursue my quest… next in line: Pomegranate Goji. The name sounds yummy, maybe there’s still hope, Il’l keep you posted!

Tea no.1 of Tealish experiment:

I have decided to revisit some Tealish teas that I have purchased last spring. I will log them as I taste them. I feel they were never given a fair chance, as I am so hooked on David’s teas, I have basically neglected all «The Others». So the first bag I picked out of the hat is: Oh La La Oolong.

I’m a big fan of oolong, and though I am no expert, I can assure you the star in this tea is definitely NOT oolong. In fact, if this would have been a blind test, I would have guessed black tea for sure. I know oolong is a cross between black and green, so there must be different stages of oxidization, that might explain it. Having said that, the thing I love about oolong, is the delicateness of it and yet, so tasty at the same time. I find nothing of that here.

It tastes like a fruity black tea, nothing exceptional about it. Maybe that’s why it wasn’t even posted on Steepster, «very forgettable» as Simon Cowell would say. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s not a waste of money, there is no bad taste here, it’s just too plain and not what I expect from oolong.

So which one is next? …I’m picking again from the hat…let’s see… Queen West Blend! I hope the experiment will be more pleasant this time around, it better be cause I don’t know how long I can stay away from my David’s stash!!!!

Midnight, I can’t sleep, ( what else is new, I think I’m turning vampire style ) so I go to my drug of choice at the moment: not blood, just Swampwater. It’s Rooibos, so no worries about caffein. I’m not lowering my score, still as delish as previous. With any luck, it will help me reach reach
dreamland!

So there will never be a cup of tea done in this house without my new best friend, the Steepster!!
Where have you been, you Steepster, all my life???? This is perfection, easy, beautiful to look at, and NOT MESSY AT ALL, so easy to clean!!!
One cup after another, I go on and on, I dare you to stop me!

Swampwater has been on my «to try» list for a while. Following Uniquity’s recommendation, I finally ordered a 50gr and received it today. I must say thank you, this is such a treat!
Unlike its name, it is fresh and delightful! Sweet, fruity, and just the right amount of tart. I love the dark swampy green color, looks like a liquid formula from a chemistry lab, it’s a lot of fun!
I love how David’s teas never taste artificial, even a funky blend like this one tastes so natural! The rooibos gets a bit lost in this explosion of fruits, but it doesn’t matter, the flavors come together as a very unusual taste, in a very good way.
I find that too often, fruity teas don’t live up to expectation, but not this time! Looking at the ingredients, I thought it would taste a lot like Green & Fruity, but thankfully, it doesn’t at all.
Great new addition to the cupboard!

So the Dobe needed to go out for some fun… turned out we finaly got some snow today and my 100 pound Doberman is on a high! We just came back inside and I’m freezing!

I’m in the mood for something hot & spicy…let’s see…perfect moment to try this newbee in my collection.

I just had my first sip…it’s lovely! Of course, It is not as bold as some black chai, but to pair up with the delicate taste of Oolong, it shouldn’t be. The spices are definitely there, but not in a screaming way. I steeped in a not so hot temperature for about 4.5 min., probably below the recommended. 94 C. I’m always careful not to burn the oolong, so this temparature works best for my taste.

If you never tried chai, I’d say it’s better to start slowly, and I think this one would perfect to begin with.

I wasn’t expecting much from this tea, as I always get disappointed by banana flavored teas. I find myself searching for the banana, but it’s never really there, or the taste is weird… but this one… Holy spirit, this one is heaven!

I’ve been trying so many great teas lately form DavidsTea, what’s going on?

This one will be on top for a while, that’s for sure. As I’m writing this, I actually find it hard not to drink it right now!

Here’s why I like it so much: the banana could have overpowered the delicious oolong, but instead, it showcases it, it celebrates it! And mostly, it’s really there, true taste of banana!
It’s creamy but yet, very clean and refreshing.

Did I mention the beautiful golden liquor that these elegant unfolding leaves produce? Pure liquid gold, I’m in love!!!

I did not get the flavor I was expecting from this tea. Common, if it came back from the graveyard, shouldn’t it be exceptional? I get lots of bitterness, even after steeping at a lower temperature. I get some tropical taste, but no distinct ingredients. Where is the raspberry so well described? It doesn’t come through for me… maybe it’s just the batch I got? It’s not a «bad» tea, I will drink the bag I have, but it has no wow factor for me and it won’t make the repurchasing list…

Thanks to Eisenherz’s comment, I have tried this plain maté. I adore matés so I wonder why I never gave this one a try before… it is so tasty and clean! Sophisticated in such a nice way. The maple water does come to mind, and the natural sweetness makes me want to drink it all day long. Maybe we should keep it a secret, this way the price will remain low, 8$ for 100gr, what a bargain!!!

I want to apologize to all the people on Steepster…I’ve been a member for about 9 months now and all your comments and logs have helped me make choices on trying new teas… Unfortunately, I realize I haven’t been contributing much, it seems I never find the time to write…but this is all about to change, I’m prepared to do some serious tea logs in the next few days..(x-mas vacation!)

So I feel the urge of trying new teas…what are my options?
Mr. Right happens to work next to a David’s tea in Montreal… Coincidence? I think not, I don’t call him Mr. Right for nothing!
We live on the north shore, about 45 min drive from Mtl, so I’m no where near a David’s store. But Mr. Right drives there every day, so why not take advantage just a little?

Option 1: ordering from internet, it has it’s perks, free samples… but if I want to go on a shopping spree (wich I always end up doing with my tea shopping), I am restricted to 50gr bags and the wallet suffers way too much.

So Wednesday morning, I choose Option 2: ask Mr. Right in a desperate fashion: Honey, do you think you could drop this list at David’s on your way to work today and pick up the order before coming home??? Here’s «THE list»:

«The Steeper» Infuser (got to try it, looks like the perfect infuser!)
Santa’s Secret 100 gr (will it be enough?)
Glitter & Gold 50gr (perfect X-Mas treat!)
Fantasy Island 25gr (if it’s back from the dead, it must be really good!)
Checkmate 25gr (good enough for 25)
Green mate 25gr (I will try based on someone’s review, and it’s so cheap I can get 25, no risk)
Jungle Juju 25gr (just ran out)
Kanpe 25gr (just in case it disappears…here comes my insecurity again)

… and the 10 gr trials, the ones I will crave until he gets back home tonight:

Earl gray cream
Chicory Dickory
Green & Fruity
Midsummer night’s
Honeybush Lemon Ginger
Orange Blossom
Licorice Twist
Banana Oolong
Jade oolong Chai
Alpine Punch
Chocolate Chili Chai
Cherry Blossom
Quangzhou Milk Oolong
Mint Chocolate Rooibos
Swampwater (turns out it’s available only online )

Mr. Right’s response after a quick glance at the list: Are you mad, woman??? How many teas in this house already?

My response: Mmm…let’s see….ok…mmm…let me think…(I know damn well what the correct answer is: way too much tea in this house!! But I’m not about to let him know I KNOW that!)

My darling, you know when you tell me I should find ways to relax more cause I’m a pack-o-nerves, well this is it…this is what works for me, aren’t you happy I listen to what you tell me? (reverse psychology always comes handy, in addition, I give him my prettiest smile, raising eyebrows, blinking eyes just a little, wishing I had those eyelash extensions to make the moment even more dramatic…)
Mr Right looks at me, puzzled (this is not a rare look) gives me a goodbye kiss, and…takes the list off my hand… Sweet victory, I know Chistmas is coming early, cause tonight, I will get my stash!!!

People, this story could be yours, don’t underestimate what tea addiction is… The end (for now!)

P.S. When Mr. Right came home, I was like a child waiting at the door. He knows how childish I can be, so he played along and pretended he didn’t have time to pick up the order. I just adore him!

So here’s my review fort Santa’s secret: Yum, yum, yum. And more yum.
A friend gave me sample to try last week at work, and I knew at the first sip I was going for a 100gr with this one. It’s a perfect blend and so well balanced, I think it would please even the non-peppermint lovers. The mint is there, but the sweetness of this mix tones it down. It is similar to read my lips, but the fact that the chocolate is missing makes it more subtle. I can’t really find the cinnamon and clove, so if you’re not a spice fan, don’t let the description scare you, it’s hardly there.
I find the second steep less appealing, the mint taste is gone and you are left with a week plain black tea.
A must have, too bad it’s not permanent!

No notes yet.

Soothing lavender, sweet coconut, what is there not to like?? the mix could have been overpowering, but it’s not. It’s well balanced and you can easily steep twice. Love flavoured rooibos, it always mixes well.

Yeurk, for my taste, this one is nasty… I just tried it for the first time. I so agree with Uniquity, the smell is exactly as she described, a fishy-doggy-muddy kind of smell… the taste is is not as bad, but it’s so weird that I can’t describe it. It certainly tastes nothing like creme de menthe! It’s actually the only tea I’ve ever tasted that I really hate!!
It’s such a disappointment, I ordered it online and the kitsch idea of a «creme de menthe» tea was really appealing to me. The smell in the bag is not bad, but once you steep it, oh boy… I hate wasting, so I have yet to try it cold, maybe that ugly fragrance fades away on ice…will give update on that later :o)

No notes yet.

No notes yet.

Ok, so this is my first review on Steepster!! So happy I found this communi-Tea!

Davidstea Rhum au Beurre (the french name) is one of my favourite! Its rich taste does exactly what the name leads you to believe it will: bring comfort in your cup :o)

When you open the bag and let your nostrils take it in, the first thing that comes to mind is: will this really hold up in the taste department, or is disappointment right around the corner?

Amazingly, all the distinct flavors come through, your taste buds will clearly identify the rum and the butter, you’ll also be a able to grasp hints of coconut and vanilla here and there… Be prepared for the boldness of this luxurious black tea, stay away if your not crazy about flavoured teas cause this one hits hard!

I steep it for 5 min out of the 6 minutes max recommended and steep it again 6 min. for a second cup and still get a lot of flavor… Enjoy!