New Tasting Notes
Cold Brew!
Y’know, from the deep red liquor colour of this blend you would expect it would be like some kind of intensely tart cherry bomb but it’s actually surprisingly smooth. Definitely still cherry forward some some tartness/acidity from the hibiscus but it’s blanketed with an overarching softness and a smooth, silky vanilla undertone and finish. Very enjoyable, and very different than any other cherry teas I own.
Fresh, floral, and so, soooo buttery with a creamy coconut undertone. I unintentionally ended up drinking this tea mostly cold since I forgot it after straining my mug and it was actually much nicer at that cool temperate than I would have expected. Left a pleasantly light sweetness on the tip of my tongue with more of the floral notes coming out in the finish after the initial wave of smooth, butteriness. Hints of violet.
Finally getting around to trying this blend from Sewwie and it’s actually quite scrumptious and fantastic. I always get skeptical when I see toffee in a tea’s name because I’m so picky about my caramel/toffee teas but it was that exact right sort of dark and sticky sweet caramelized sugar flavour to perfectly convey it. Not too bright, with an overall “brown” dense quality. Though the baked apple finish was pleasant, it was the toffee element that made the tea in my opinion.
Steeped this up Saturday morning because I just woke up with a super strong craving for a mug of sweet, bright orange flavoured tea. With a stash of over 2000 different teas you would think it would be quick to find a caffeinated orange tea, but you would be wrong. It took an embarrassingly long amount of time to find something to fit this craving and the added cherry on top is that the tea I found has vanilla in the name and not orange.
On the flipside, I’ve always wondered why this has vanilla in the name when it is so clearly a citrus blend and I finally made what is (I assume) the connection that it’s a “Vanilla Sunrise” as in a play on a “Tequila Sunrise” which is a citrusy drink. Sooo if that’s correct then I feel a little personally satisfied in connecting those dots.
The mug was perfect, though! Bright and juicy orange without being tart or hibiscus heavy with a soft, creamy finish. Any more decadent than that subtle vanilla note and it wouldn’t have been the type of citrus I was craving.
Iced!
After a few days of experimentation I decided to just make a regular travel mug of this flavour – though I did do what I’ve done in the past and double up on the single serve packets to make twice as much in one go to fit my tumbler. Compared to the last few days drinks, which were a bit thinned out from using more water with less powder, this felt ULTRA tart and tangy with a really sweet, zingy strawberry kool-aid sort of vibe.
Iced!
Continuation of my exploration in water ratios. This time I used one packet for one and a half times the recommended water, and I thought that was much better. Obviously still thinner than following the directions, but I still tasted all the normal flavours I typically get when drinking this. The main reason I’ve been playing with the ratios it just because, while I love these powders, I’m finding that the serving sizes just aren’t enough for me to feel satisfied by the end of the cup – and I don’t want to just double up on packets every time I make one. That’s just not super economical.
Iced!
I’ve been dabbling with how watered down I can make a single packet of this so that I have more to drink without it tasting too noticeable weak/watered down. This was too big of swing because I essentially doubled up my water but only used the one single serve. It was a beautiful striking deep purple red colour but the flavour was thin. Kind of like a Vitamin Water. Good option if you don’t want to taste the apple cider vinegar at all, but I found myself missing that juicy tang.
I’ve had this sitting in my fridge for months now because I hated the other two flavours so much when I had them that I was scared to try this one. Turns out that this is probably the best flavour. Yes, it is still obnoxiously sweet and cloying however with the peach flavour it almost gives it a candy type of vibe that makes it a fraction more acceptable to my palate. That or I was just properly braced for it. Anyway, I actually finished this one – but no shot I’d ever buy it (or any of the others) again.
Cold Brew Sipdown (2526)!
Feels good to get rid of this blend – it’s particular style of very sweet cotton candy and marshmallow profile isn’t something I typically reach for often. It’s not that it tastes bad but it’s just so sweet and artificial tasting as, you know, is fair for the flavour it’s supposed to me. Definitely worse as a cold brew, also. Just was sorta… funky? Hard to explain, but I guess because it’s also got that very natural lemongrass note alongside such sweet candy flavours and the coldness seemed to make the contrast feel even more exaggerated.
Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.
I love the flavors in this. Brewed two cups from one and a half teaspoons and added brown sugar and a bit of sweet cream creamer. It was wonderful. Full of flavor and a warmth that makes me enjoy chai and ginger drinks. I am bummed that this is only available on Sipsby because otherwise, I’d totally buy it again.
Flavors: Spices
Preparation
Latte! …kinda.
So, this Superfood Latte powder actually released a few months ago, but I’ve been putting off writing the tasting note for it because it’s one of the handful of teas that have come out that I’m allergic to (the chaga – I’m allergic to mushrooms). It’s so incredibly hard and frustrating doing the research and development on teas that I can’t drink…
But, as I do every time we launch a tea I’m allergic to, I will drink a few sips of it once. Don’t worry, I do it in a controlled way. It’s just important to me to have more than a conceptual idea of the taste once we begin selling a tea so that I can take that into account when we start receiving feedback, seeing sales, etc.
Like all these Superfood Powders, this was developed with a specific function in mind. In this case, we were looking at more of a “mood boost” kind of vibe from the combination of the theobromine in the cocoa, the adaptogenic chaga, and chili which can cause the release of endorphins.
Honestly, it’s close to what I was picturing taste wise. Fairly rich hot cocoa kind of profile, though not too sweet at all. I think that’s kind of nice with a hot chocolate sort of blend because you get a little more control there with how you want the final cup to taste. Definitely can’t taste the mushrooms at all, though I do get maybe just a bit of the earthier undertone of the beets in the blend. I think it adds depth of flavour. The chili is the interesting part to me. It’s lighter than I expected, and without having more than just my few baby sips it’s hard for me to gauge whether it’s one of those kind of heats that stays a whisper or if it slowly builds in intensity on the palate over the coarse of a full mug. I’ve heard both from different coworkers.
So, anyway, this is officially in the flavour memory bank now!
Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.
We recently just brought back a few fan favourite Garden To Cup teas for the Spring season, and with them we’re introducing this new Darjeeling that will be a part of the core assortment. It’s a blend of First Flush Darjeeling teas that produce an overall medium bodied cup with crisp, mineral notes and a pleasantly soft and sweet floral quality. Makes me think of Spring rain and florals, or fresh mountain air. Very, very smooth without as much as astringency as Darjeeling blends can often have – this is meant to make it a little more approachable for someone possibly less familiar with this tea type while also having the benefit of meaning you can steep it for a long time in a method like a giant Western teapot (for high tea, perhaps) without it becoming harsh for quite some time.
Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.
Had this one a few nights ago. Usually I drink it cold, but I was just really in the mood for something bright and zesty but hot. It was surprisingly better than expected. Maybe more of the lemonade side of the profile overall, but the sweetness of the kiwi lingered on the palate after the initial wave of bright tang.
Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.
Iced Tea!
This is one of those teas that launched sort of in the heart of the pandemic. A lot of those teas feel like they were just sort of quickly moved on from and forgotten by most people. It was just a weird time. Honestly, it’s not a bad tea though. Dark, dark juicy strawberries and thick, concentrated guava. Tart, but ultimately very jammy and heavy for an iced tea. Probably one of my lesser favourite of DT’s guavua blends since I tend to like the more bright and overtly tropical flavours of guava.
Still, it stands out in my mind as a more unique take on a tropical blend since I rarely think of tropical flavours as so heavy or cooked down.
Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.
So much nostalgia in a cup. I ended up brewing this as one of my small handful of cake themed teas for my birthday, and it honestly felt so full circle. This is, of course, one of the blends that kick started my whole birthday tradition. Smooth, not too sweet vanilla cake notes. Simple. Classic. It felt right to prioritize this blend over others for how busy this day was.
Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.
Iced Latte!
This past Wednesday was my birthday and as I do every year that meant drinking some cake themed teas. We’re really not kidding when we say March Steepster Birthday Madness, huh? I was SUPER slammed at work though and I just wasn’t able to go as all out on the cake teas as I usually do, so this was one of just three I had in the day. I prioritized the actual “birthday cake” flavoured ones.
As an iced latte this is just so damn buttery. It does give it more of a baked feeling than what I’ve experienced with many birthday cake flavoured things that are typically just vanilla with sprinkles, but the rich buttery flavour plus the milk was kind of a lot. It was very indulgent. I drank it over several hours while at board game night though, which helped pace it out a bit better.
Gongfu!
This past week was my birthday, and if you’ve known me for a while then you know I have a tradition of drinking “cake themed” tea throughout the day! So, as I always do, I’m kicking off the day with a session of Phatty Cake II ripe pu’erh!! It’s dark, dense and woodsy with rich notes of rain soaked potting soil and beets with the most wonderfully camphorous and medicinal finish. I always look forward to this yearly tea session, and it never disappoints!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C4ddQH9uKpm/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uEQdIkqxPA
Gongfu!
This was a lovely medium bodied and Spring-worthy tea session. Though initially quite delicate, this tea did get a little more bold after a few steeps with a beautiful range of tasting notes encompassing fresh white peaches, buttery coconut milk, and soft white florals. Juuussttt a touch roadty too with an almost macadamia-like nuttiness to round out the otherwise my fruity and floral greener leaning profile. I experimented a little bit with pushing my steep times, and though it did bring out a smidge of astringency it also deepened the stonefruit notes. A worthy tradeoff, in my opinion.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C4gMJNXOQor/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1Ly0RSsbcI
Gongfu!
Enjoyed this session paired with some sliced up guava!! I wasn’t sure how these two very bold but different flavours would pair together, but it ended up being pretty tasty! The deep bittersweet cocoa, hint of spice and leather notes, and brisk tannins of the black tea only made the fruit notes feel more saturated and sweet, which the brighter tropical fruit accentuated the dense, rich flavours of the tea. Everything was smooth and very luxe feeling. Though I’ve dabbled in pairing these more decadent black teas with tropical fruits, I feel like this is a combination I’ve had hesitancy around despite usually finding success – so this was a fun reminder that it can pay off to take big swings with more unique tea pairings!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C4jHGmxu-r/?imgindex=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_KKUuDUbbA