DAVIDsTEA

First eggnog latte of the season and I had to go with a classic! Thanks Roswell Strange for the suggestion!

I finished my eggnog today and who knows if my brother-in-law will be able to find more post-Christmas. So this may be my last eggnog latte of the season and it seems rather fitting that I both started and ended with Cranberry Pear eggnog lattes this year.

I first tried eggnog as an eggnog latte at DAVIDsTEA. And Cranberry Pear was the first tea I truly loved as an eggnog latte. Then it retired and I finished my stash and I was sad. Until magic happened and by magic I mean Roswell Strange and Cranberry Pear came back. So I am a happy, happy person and this eggnog latte is just as good as the ones made in store! Yum!!

Eggnog Latte Sipdown (248)

This is back on DAVIDsTEA’s website. That meant I was totally ok with using the last of this sample from Roswell Strange (thank you!) for a delicious eggnog latte. First of the season. Plus we decorated today a little bit so it’s feeling festive and cozy here.

This latte is so good. It’s fruity and sweet and creamy and delicious and Christmas in a cup without being the in-your-face Christmas flavour profile.

Thanks Roswell Strange for replenishing my stash of this one. It’s so wonderful. The pear is strong today and I’m loving it.

I took this with me when I went on an outing. Since March, I really haven’t gone out much. I did some drive thru exhibits where you never leave the car. I went to the office twice – once to pick up a laptop and once to drop it off again. Twice I went to my apartment in London – the first to bring my textbooks home when it became clear the semester was going to be fully remote and then to pack it up when I realized my final year was fully remote too so I no longer needed the apartment. I went to a restaurant once and was super uncomfortable. Once to a chocolate shop. Twice to Toys R Us with my sister. Twice to the dentist. Once to the eye doctor. And two socially-distanced visits in my friend’s backyard where we sat like 12 ft apart. That actually isn’t a lot when you consider we’ve been in lockdown since March and I think avoiding the world coupled with my agoraphobia is making me a little paranoid. That’s because when I do go out, I’m very cautious and so anxious that I literally don’t feel well physically. I also panic when someone walks somewhat close to me, even if we’re both wearing masks. It’s the same panic I would get in crowds.

With that in mind, when my sister told me she got tickets to a limited entry after hours event at Indigo, I decided to go with her. It seemed like a low stress situation to put myself in that was outside my literal comfort zone – the house. Plus, I love Indigo. So, it was a bit stressful for me since a couple people got closer than I’d like but overall it was nice to get out and there were very few people in a large store. And we were successful since we bought a whole lot of new books for Grayson. I also picked up Born a Crime by Trevor Noah for me? Has anyone read it? I don’t read for fun much while in school since there is already so much I should be reading for class. However, I did read the first chapter and already I’ve learned so much.

I kept sending my stash of this to Roswell Strange because even though I love it, she loves it more so I was always happy to share. However, I think she knew I missed it because she shared some back. Thank you!

It was nice to have this around because even though I probably could have had another glitter chai eggnog latte and been happy with it, I decided against that and went for this instead. This was my favourite tea to have as an eggnog latte when I first discovered eggnog lattes and this doesn’t disappoint. So creamy and fruity and amazing. It’s good to have this back in my stash.

I decided I wanted a latte this morning and though originally I was going for Candy Cane Crush or a different mint tea, this caught my eye. For one thing I wanted to package some up to send to Roswell Strange but also this just makes a tasty latte. I will say it seems as though the flavors have faded since this is mostly creamy pear and the black base with little cranberry to be found. Hopefully RS has better luck.

Made this as an eggnog latte. Why? Because I have a lot of this tea and a shitton of eggnog and both are going to go bad fairly soon. Well that and this makes an awesome eggnog latte.

Used this in my smoothie and I didn’t notice it at all. Oh well. Smoothie was good though.

I used the last of this to make an iced latte this morning. I used cashew milk and together with the tea it has boosted the creamy pear flavor while muting the cranberry. It’g good but I think I prefer it as a hot latte with eggnog. Nonetheless, this tea is one of my favorites so when I reel in my cupboard, I will be picking up more of this. 255.

The cranberry is sooo strong in this cup. The flavors are all out of whack. Even though this is made as an eggnog latte, the cranberry is just taking over. Not that I’m complaining but it certainly was not what I was expecting when I brewed this up.

Made this last night as an eggnog latte and I am happy to announce that it was just as good at home as it is in store. And because it wasn’t all broken tea leaves from the bottom of the barrel like the last time I had it, this tasted like the fruity, creamy cup of deliciousness it is meant to be. Yum!

Usually I just run into the mall to get DAVIDs but today I actually had to run some errands. However, once I was there, I obviously had to get some eggnog lattes. I ordered Apple Custard and wasn’t sure I would like it so I got this to balance it out. Unfortunately, today, this was my least favourite of the two although that is not saying much because both were awesomesauce. With that said, for some reason today the base seemed more present than in past cups. I think its probably because the leave was taken from the very bottom of the container meaning it was mostly broken pieces of leaf that have fallen to the bottom and fewer fruity bits to balance those out. Still, it had its sweet, almost bubblegum, flavor that I like quite a bit so I was pleased. I was not pleased with the little piece of seal from the eggnog container that found its way into my drink and then eventually my mouth but oh well.

Well my eggnog latte obsession has reached new heights because today, rather than getting one at the start of my shopping trip and another at the end, I sort of just convinced my mom to pretend like she was getting one and then I simultaneously drank both of them. This is the one “I” ordered and it was amazing. The tea already has a creaminess to it that really lends itself nicely to a latte preparation style. As I sipped, there was a familiar taste that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. At first I thought the fruity sweetness and the thick mouthfeel was reminiscent of a milkshake but that wasn’t quite right so as I continued to ponder, it hit me…BUBBLEGUM ICE CREAM! That’s what this tasted like! Amazing :)

I wanted something sweet and creamy and that is exactly what this tea is. Delicious fruity sweetness and a thick creamy vanilla. The flavors have dulled a bit with age which has led to the base being more present (and more drying) than I remember. Still it is still a tasty cup.

Well I wanted something sweet and fruity. This seemed like the perfect choice and it is certainly hitting the spot. Sweet, creamy, fruity and delicious. Thanks Sil for the generous portion!

After the White Chocolate disaster and a mediocre Pecan Dessert, I wanted something I knew I would enjoy. Creamy and sweet, this tea does not disappoint and thanks to Sil and her amazing generosity, I have many more cups in my future! Thank you Sil!!

Sipdown!! (176)

I am starting Sipdown Saturday right with three sipdowns lined up as my morning cups. This being the first in the row because I am sitting on a DAVIDs order and debating whether I want to order 50 g of this or not.

This is sweet and creamy and really delicious. The black base is a little more present than I remember but it is not astringent, bitter, or offensive in any way. I do really like this tea but the only problem is I am not sure if I want 50 g of it or not.

Why have I never tried this before?!? I know, because it never sounds all that appealing. Luckily I have read a whole bunch of awesome reviews on it here on steepster (I am looking at you Roswell Strange!) so I decided to try it. I figured buying 10 g, the worst that could happen is I wouldn’t like it and I would just pass the rest off to Roswell Strange in one of our swaps. However, what is left is staying right here with me and might even be joined by some more because this is good! Sweet and creamy and oh so delicious! Seriously. I have no idea how or why but this is a thick, creamy, cup of fruity yummyness. Thank you Roswell Strange for all your tasty sounding notes that made me finally give in.

Sipdown!! (220)

I got distracted doing my quiz for a class so this cup has cooled quite a bit. That is leaving me with a slightly bitter taste from the white base that I did not find in the cup I had yesterday. However, it is not too prominent. What I mostly get is the cherry and it is bordering on the line of medicinal. This is not a bad cup but I don’t think this will be a restock.

This was one of 10 teas I grabbed at DAVIDs today. I prepped about 5 of the teas to cold brew and made this and Cranberry Pear to drink right away. I am glad I went into the store because the floral made me hesitant but getting to smell it put my mind at ease. The floral takes a background seat to the sweet cherry flavor. The cup is also quite creamy from the coconut. The bases are both buttery and smooth. No vegetal taste and no bitterness which is actually surprising as it was steeped at a pretty high temperature for both a white and a green (90C). I don’t know if I would buy more of this but I am enjoying this cup for sure. It was certainly worth trying.

Not my favourite blend, by far, but it’s actually a really nice tea for coming back home after a long day at work (full of idiots) and a moderately long trek in the cold snow. I’m just a little disappointed with how strong the cloves come out. It’s not an unpleasant taste, but I think I’ll go for something with more vanilla text time.

What fascinated everyone in the house, though, was the fact that the cold ‘paint’ on the sugar pellets seemed to have peeled off and were then floating around in my mug. It actually really was a pretty sight, but honestly I spent more time stirring my tea and gawking at the shiny flecks than actually drinking it.

Pure vanilla was FANTASTIC. It was one of the free samples I got with my order , and it was a brilliant marketing strategy. It feels like a warm blanket for your senses, and just reminds me of older days when I’d come back inside from a day of playing outside, or, later, when I would come home from high school half frozen stiff from the walk outside. It’s a solitude kind of tea, for nostalgic little moments, and it’s fantastic with a touch of honey.

Sipdown!

I spent this weekend making tea packages for my fiance’s mother and some coworkers. This is one of the teas I included in each of the packages. I really enjoyed Long Life Oolong as a bedtime tea and was hoping Pineapple Oolong would be another before-bed treat. Unfortunately for me, not so much. I split the remaining bit of this tea between myself and my four tea packages.

This tea steeps up to a golden yellow color. The scent of the dry leaves is as lovely and pineapply as ever. I added raw sugar to this one after it had steeped and found that one packet of sugar turned into into an unpleasant fruity syrup. The second steep (with a bit of the first steep left over) was better, but even so, this isn’t one I’ll reorder. I just don’t like it enough, and I’d rather not have I-can-tolerate-this teas in my cupboard.

On the bright side, all this tea packaging has cleared four teas out of my cupboard. And my best friend is splitting the DAVIDsTEA spring collection with me. And I finally made a Timolino decision. Yay!