Glitter & Gold

I can’t say enough great things about this tea! It was such a pleasant surprise! I stopped by the David’s tea on Bleecker Street and was going to get a sample of it to try, because although the description was alluring, I am skeptical of overtly cinnamon-flavored teas. However, all that hesitation melted away once the salesperson lined up some flavored black teas for me to smell. I instantly swapped the sample packet for a large pouch, and it is easily one of the best decisions I’ve made! The cinnamon is so subtle, its just a warming hint of sweetness that is capable of melting away the harsh winter days!!

What a fun, shimmery, cinnamon-y cup of tea! Perfect balance of black tea leaves, cinnamon and sweetness from the sugar crystals. Makes for a wicked awesome lattea too.

This tea was bought because I needed a few more dollars to get the free shipping from David’s. I am really glad I added it. The cinnamon is really great in it and really comes through well.

Unfortunately I let it sit for awhile before I could finish it and the cinnamon has turned into a really overpowering flavour. Oh well. Guess I won’t drink this one iced.

nice cinnamon tea – maybe i’ll try with Hot Chocolate? hmmmm….

This one was a surprise. I never thought tea could be so delicious while (well, let’s not hide it) glow in the dark. It’s nickname is Cullen’s tea because it sparkles. It’s a cinnamon tea, so if you don’t like cinnamon, avoid it. Although the taste is not strong, it’s still present. It’s also love in a can AND in a mug. When I have lots of study to do and a long evening ahead, I pick this one or Coffee Pu’erh. They are both my comfort tea, if I may say.

I have wanted to try this tea for a while given that the ingredients sound like something I would like. I’m a straight tea fan, so I figured this would be straight tea with a bit of “oomph”. With that, I wasn’t disappointed. However, I was hoping that this tea would be more. When I drink a flavoured black, it needs to “sing” a bit – it needs to justify it’s existence beyond a straight black tea (which I was drinking exclusively prior to February). This one just doesn’t make the cut. It’s a nice, solid tea. I’ll finish my sample. But it’s just “meh”. Very pretty to look at though!

I was at the store and thought the name was interesting so I asked to smell it and ended up buying a 25g pouch. When I came home and made this tea (and later the other one I had bought, organic Stormy Night) I fell in love! My only regret was that I had bought 25g instead of going for the tin. I ended up giving the tin of SN to my mom and buying myself a tin of this when I ran low. This has been my go-to black tea since just after Christmas.

As a bonus, it shimmers. Shiny.

This is easily one of my most favourite teas. I’ve refilled my tin so many times now that I’ve lost count. I reccomend this tea if you feel like having a bit of whimsical in your life ^_ The spices and vanilla tastes are lovely in this black tea :D

I love it! Its so warm and sugary and makes me feel so happy! The glitter in it makes it look so pretty when the dry leaves are already so beautiful. I found the smell wayyy to sweet but once i tasted it, it was a really nice balance :)

After first seeing this tea in store, I was hit by a wave of nostalgia. The gold ball sprinkles took me back to childhood, making and decorating Christmas sugar cookies. I had to pick out a few and just hold them, then ate them, totally brought me back. So I know this is going to be a good tea, no matter what it tastes like.
Now to the tea, it is very good. A little sweet for my taste (sweet on its own without adding any extra sweetener). There is a bold, strong taste of vanilla, the vanilla is almost spicey, but the spice is not overpowering.
The dry loose leaf tea is visually appealing, and for me, this always makes things taste better. There is a sweet aftertaste that lingers on the back of my palate.
I would like to try blending this tea with a chai mix.

First tried it in my David’s Tea advent calendar and I fell in love. Creamy and sparkly, what could be better?! Just purchased it online and can’t wait to get it!

I’m so relieved that this doesn’t taste like chai. I’ve tried to like chai. I’ve tried very hard. I just can’t do it! This is more like a vanilla/clove/orange. No cinnamon! :) Doesn’t need any sweetening in my opinion.

This is #6 in my DAVIDsTEA 24 Days of Tea advent calendar—and what a treat! It’s gorgeous dry, with the gold pearls and sugar crystals. But the best part is when you steep it. The gold pearls partially dissolve in the hot water (some of the filigree is left with the leaves)—and they give you a tea that actually glitters with a million dancing sparkles! I’ve never had so much fun watching my tea—the warm water swirls and shimmers in my mug. The cinnamon is veeeery subtle, but the tea has a nice flavor – mellow black tea with perfect sweetness; I taste the vanilla and clove more. Now, at the bottom of my almost-empty mug, along with small bit of tea leaves, there is a silver swirl of sparkles. This tea is bringing out the girl in me (shiny!)

I used my travel mug with loose leaf steeper this morning as I was running out the door for the bus, which means it probably steeped for 10 or so minutes. It didn’t turn bitter, and was such a pleasant surprise as I got to sip it in the cold outside!

When I tried it again tonight, I steeped for 7 minutes, and it turned out great once again.

It doesn’t seem to make a very strong second steep, and there are still sparkles, but less. But the first cup IS magical…I may need to get more of this. Of course, it’s perfect this time of year, with my Christmas tree lit and glowing across the room :)

(added dollop of honey, no milk)

This tea is an interesting one, because I swear to you, it is best served in a clear vessel. It will do fine in plain mugs as well taste-wise, don’t get me wrong, but it has a visual element to it. This is a tea that I will never ever ever drink out of an opaque travel mug, because I would miss the visual element, which is part of the enjoyment and wonder of the tea itself.

As it is, I would brew it in a clear teapot, like on should use for flowering teas, if I had one. As it is, I don’t, so I try to make the most of it in-cup as I can.

What makes this tea so special you ask? Well, the short version is that it sparkles. Tiny specks of glitter appear to be floating in the tea, making for a beautiful sight, especially when looked at directly under a source of light. Yes, this tea is absolutely perfect for those who like a little bling, those who enjoy a bit of magic and whimsy in their food and drink, and Twilight fans alike (but only perhaps if you’re Team Edward).

Myself? I fall closest to the whimsical side of things if had to choose. In any case, having the beautiful visual element makes my day.

That being said, on with the review.

Steeped: 1 tbsp in my 2-cup pot with freshly boiled water

First Cup: Brewed 5 minutes
This tea is very mild, with a vanilla aftertaste. The spices come through as well, for sure, but the overall flavour is very mild and light. I wonder if it might do well with a longer steep time. That being said, the visual experience is AMAZING!!! I love watching all the suspended sparkles in the tea.

Second cup: Brewed about 40 minutes. Milk added.
I tried a little bit clear before I poured the cup proper with milk… no real change in flavour strength.
Usually, when I make it with milk, the top still sparkles beautifully, but I can’t seem to make it do so this time. That being said, the milk goes quite well with the vanilla. The spices still seem underdeveloped, but I’m enjoying the sweetness of the tea as a whole.

Third cup: Resteep. Brewed for around 30 minutes.
There is a mild substance to the flavour… a sweet, vanilla, spiced somethingness. It’s still very weak, and I wish it was stronger, but it’s still good. Also, the tea is just as visually interesting as it was on the first cup. Seriously, I love these sparkles.

Fourth cup: Same resteep. Brewed for around an hour. Added milk.
The sweetness and slight spiced-ness are still coming through as I sip. I wish I’d left the milk out though I prefered it without milk, I think. Plus, it’s still not as sparkly with the milk as usually is still. Perhaps I put in less gold sugar balls somehow or something? That being said, I let the last half the cup cool while I ate lunch… the sweetness and slight mulled/spiced-ness was nice after my meal.

Overall impression: A little lighter in flavour than I like, but still quite nice. For those of you who have tried Bigalow’s Constant Comment before, it’s like that tea with vanilla and sparkles added to it. Seriously, though, I might have to pick up a large amount of this tea just to watch it glitter. I love it!

My rating: 83. A-. I may have rated it lower for taste alone, but the visual element is A+++++ so I have to balance them out a bit.

One of my favourite black teas! Fun, and not too sweet :)

I don’t quite understand the concept of the tea – I guess it’s pretty because it does glitter once steeped and ready to drink, but that’s it. It’s quite sweet without any addition of sugar, and I could very just subtly taste a cinnamon taste, if any. I felt like I was just drinking a sugary tea. Not my favourite tea, this one was recommended by the girls at the DavidsTea store I frequent, they usually know what I like but this is a miss. :(

This tea is delicious and the gold and silver candies in it give it sparkles!
I first discovered it during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics when it was known as “Go For The Gold”. I like drinking it black, with almond milk, or almond milk and a little agave or honey.

It’s like heaven in a cup!

This is my go-to tea. Love, love, love. It’s a staple in my home.

when i first found this tea i was overjoyed its so delicious and smooth nothiing like any other black tea i have had and its not bitter i infused a batch 4 times and was still strong fantastic tea for all day drinking