DAVIDsTEA

This is one of those nice fool proof teas for a cold day. I drank this when finally got home from work today and it really did the trick! Spicy, sweet, but not too sweet. A little bit of pumpkin peeking through. It really is like fall in a cup!

Woke up with a cup of this today while I continue to watch back seasons of Sons of Anarchy (such a guilty pleasure, but I love that show). I had forgotten how spicy this tea is (chai, I know, but mornings are not my best time of the day). The first few sips were spent with me reflecting on the fact that I was tasting more spice than pumpkin and was this a good thing. Apparently it was, as I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the cup. It is definitely a chai in the sense that the flavour revolves around the spice notes. But, as the temperatures are dropping, I am gravitating more and more to the spice based blends. The cloves are a nice, comforting flavour and they are offset nicely by the squash notes. And pumpkin sprinkles are always a fun touch!

Had this again for my morning tea. Once again, it was a super easy sell with me. Delightfully spicy with a hint of the sugar I added. I don’t really taste pumpkin, but I do taste all the spices that make me think of pumpkin. Given that I am actually not a huge pumpkin fan, I love that I am tasting more spice than squash. This tea is a solid winner in my book!

Dear Pumpkin Chai, I get it, you really are amazing aren’t you! Spicy, hearty, it is like drinking fall in a cup! I did not add milk, just a tiny bit of sugar and a good long steep time. The resulting tea was heavy on the cloves and cinnamon, with just enough sweet to balance out the spice. I raced through my cup and can see myself drinking this often as it gets cooler out!!

Great steep with this tonight! Sweet, but not too sweet. I definitely got a hit of butterscotch flavour, but there base tea note also shone through. I liked the balance of semi sweet, but not candy or chocolate, level of sweetness in the tea. It is a nice staple tea to have in my cupboard.

Tried this again as my to work tea today. With a proper steep and a pinch of sugar, this was amazing! I found myself trying to drink as much of my travel mug as I could before the tea cooled to the point where I was not going to enjoy it anywmore. The flavour was definitely smooth and the coconut lent the whole cup a buttery feel. I did think it needed some sugar to round out the bottom of the flavour profile, but once it had the sugar it was amazing! Really glad I gave this one a shot!

Ummm… well… So this cup was not good, but it is totally not the tea’s fault, not even a little bit! I may have gotten a bit over excited about trying all my new teas tonight and, after the success story that was Chocolate Rocket, I promptly brewed up a cup of this. Unfortunately, I got sidetracked, tried to gauge the steep time on the colour of the brew (mistake, btw), and managed to pull (and trash) the bag way too early!!!! I knew I had made a major error the minute I tasted it, but the tea had promise. I think it and I are going to get along famously, once I let go of my excitement and give it a proper steep.

This was another tea from the Traveling Tea Box. It was interesting and I’m honestly not sure if I liked it, even after two cups. It did not taste like honey, but faintly reminded me of the Crunchie bars in the UK – the ones that have the “honeycomb” center. Not entirely unpleasant, but not quite what I was expecting.

Also, the mate never gave me an energy boost, which made me sad. I really could have used it today in the office.

This was it as bad as I remember it being. That’s not to say it’s good, I wouldn’t stretch it that far, but it was tolerable. A bit of sugar, a better understanding of how to deal with mate, and if only there wasn’t chickory in this I would be so much happier….

Okay, I did not have a good steep at all with this tea today! The first time I tried it, it was so mellow and smooth. Today I did a longer steep and it almost tasted burnt? Or coffee like? Was it the chickory? The mate? I am so confused. Maybe I really, really need to watch the steep time on this one, because this was not a good cuppa tea…

This tea was certainly the start of a divisive night of tea tasting in our house! I smelled the dry leaves and thought it was a little heavier on berry than I had been hoping it would be. The BF smelled it and thought it was absolutely perfect. I brewed some tea up with a brew time that was a little on the short side for a lighter flavour (mate and I have a very tenuous relationship at the best of times). First sip I was unsure, but about a third of the way in I was in love. The berry smell that had been so predominant in the dry leaves had faded back into a mere hint of tart. In its place was a woodsy, smoky, liquor with really warm flavour notes. In short, I was thrilled, the bf took a sip and demanded to know where the berry had gone…. Repeated demands that he just try it again had little effect on changing his opinion. Currently, we have reached a stalemate, the tea is categorized as “my” tea and I eagerly await the day that he sees the light and recognizes this tea for its brilliance!

I bought this to make iced tea but never got to it. So now I’m trying to sip down my summery teas so I can make room for fall ones. Pumpkin chai has been raved about so much that I can’t wait to try it!

This one is slightly tart but there’s a sweet creaminess at the end. It kinda reminds me of Movie Night in an apple-y playful green tea kinda way. It’s a fun pick once in a while but probably not something I’d crave often.

This was probably my least favourite tea in the fall collection. I don’t drink coffee (…which is why I drink tea :p) and do not like the taste at all. I decided to try it anyways after my positive reaction to Honeydew Mate but unfortunately didn’t like it. I managed to finish the cup am not in any rush to steep another!

This is definitely creamy and smooth however, I can’t say I really enjoyed the actual taste of the tea. I find that sometimes nutty teas can leave a strange aftertaste. I will probably finish the 25g pouch but can’t say that I will rush in to pick up more or even be disappointed if they don’t bring it back next year.

Best apple pie i’ve ever had! This is warm, fruity and very well balanced. I did not find the apple to taste artificial (like in some teas) so thats always a big plus. I really enjoyed this and will be sipping this all fall and even into winter.

This was the first tea in the new fall collection I had the pleasure of trying. Apparently, this is the most popular tea in the new collection and after trying it, I can definitely see why (or rather taste why). This tea contains a lot of warm spices such as cinnamon (so it basically tastes like a “liquid spice cake in a cup”). Perfect for fall and even into winter! I will definitely be picking up more of this before it goes away!

Had a nice cup of this one this morning. Getting low!

This tea was calling to me this morning. Cozy in a cup! It was extra cozy because my kitty cuddled with me on the couch while I enjoyed it. Yay for slow Saturday mornings! I think I have time for a puerh session before we go to the movies. .. ;)

They are already posting that they’re running out. Geez! It’s only October, people! Glad I still have a bunch left and that I picked up some for my mom. Not sure it’s going to last though, as I’ve been enjoying a cup fairly frequently (with almond milk and brown sugar of course!)

Mmm, so silky today. Gotta love those almond milk and brown sugar additions! I even got my mom hooked!

So far the weekend is looking pretty nice. Saw the new Dracula last night and we’re planning to get sushi in SF tonight, where they serve a whole big pot o’ genmaicha! We might even upgrade our phones today! Yay!

I don’t care if it’s going to stay hot and not feel like Fall…I’m gonna have Fall tea! I’ve also decided that my favorite way to have this tea is to brew it up for about 4 minutes and add a teaspoon of brown sugar and a splash of creamy almond milk…makes this tea a perfect pumpkin creme brulee. So silky! Yum!

Bringing some to my mom later today and I’m going to try puerh out on her…we’ll see how that goes! ;) I’m thinking Special Dark would be the least offensive, although it’s so different than other puerhs, as it doesn’t have that woody taste. Hmmm, should I go with representative? Or least offensive?

Was feeling very peevish this morning regarding work, but I made a cup of this over the stovetop and I feel better now. Nice and creamy and comforting. I think I can make it through Monday now!