761 Tasting Notes

83
drank Mulberry Magic by DAVIDsTEA
761 tasting notes

Ok, so, I am adjusting my rating on this. I don’t love it as much as I thought, though it is good. It is possible that I didn’t steep it right, or used too much sugar, so with my final steeping, I may adjust my rating once again. It might be something I get as an herbal every now and again, as it is tasty, but I am not sure it will be a go to in my tea collection at all times. There’s a taste of something, at the back of my throat, that I can’t put my finger on. It’s kind of musty. I think that this has potential in something, mixed maybe, but not sure what. As for cravings, I can’t really judge that. Maybe I will have a 3rd, totally different response when the last steep comes round.

EDIT: Is it me, or are these mulberry leaves just really weird? The colour and smell and texture…

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86
drank Checkmate by DAVIDsTEA
761 tasting notes

Ok, so, a few tasting notes…

1. I put sugar (fair trade organic cane) in the mug, but when I put the infuser over my mug, it was tres full. Like to the brim full. So I didn’t add any milk, nor did I stir the sugar in at the bottom. I just began sipping.

2. I’m having leftovers for lunch…vegetable stew with rice, from a West African take away place that just opened up near me, so there is a slight spicy, savoury feel to the veg.

I just got 1/3 of the way down the mug before I realized I had room to stir the sugar in now, and add milk if I wanted to! It is a perfect compliment to the lunch. It has the right amount of balance of sweet and nutty and smooth. It is not heavy or light…it seems very balanced. I don’t know how to explain it, really, but the black and white aspect does come through, in a subtle way. It’s sorta like a large jazz band…there are lots of parts that make up the overall sound, but it is smooth and sleek. That is how I feel about Checkmate…a simple smooth taste, but complex.

Jenn

I need to try this one!

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53
drank Cherry Potion by DAVIDsTEA
761 tasting notes

Damn you hibiscus! This would be quite a lovely tea if it weren’t for you! I actually thought you were an herbal blend because of you…must go back and edit my last tasting now. Grumble grumble grumble.

This tea is pretty smooth, with the exception for the tartness from the hibiscus, though it does add a very juicy note on my tongue. In all honesty, I could probably take this as an iced tea alright. And I bet it would be awesome with frozen fruit in it as a punch or maybe sangria style. Booze-ing it up might be fine too. :)

So, not my favourite, thanks to the hibiscus, but quite doable in the right setting.

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83
drank Mulberry Magic by DAVIDsTEA
761 tasting notes

Ok, so I had to go downtown to run a few errands before heading to a friend’s birthday party, and I decided I was gonna grab a cuppa for the long bus ride. Additionally, I knew that there was something happening in store today based on some Facebook messages. While I there I decided to see the teas of the day, and was a little disappointed that they were both herbal…Cherry Potion and Mulberry Magic. I don’t hate herbals, but I hate hibiscus and licorice and they tend to be in a lot of blends, so I tend to shy away from them. Still, I wasn’t too surprised since these two have been mentioned lately and the site has special features to them. Anyway, I did a sniff test to see if one smelled better than the other, so as I could drink the one that smelled best last. In this case, it was the Mulberry Magic that smelled the best, and boy it smelled good! It tasted great too!

I couldn’t put my finger on it what it was, until the SA mentioned it had macadamia nuts. Well, I must be a nut fiend, as I have been favouring Toasted Walnut and a few with almonds in them like Chocolate Rocket and Secret Weapon. The nuttiness was sooo comforting and warming, and despite not really knowing what mulberries tasted like, I really agreed with the whole taste. Mind you, this was all in the little sample cup.

The SA said it would help curb hunger/cravings, etc, and since I had a long us ride ahead, I thought it might be a good idea to try this (instead of a $1 straight tea), but as it was going to be a longish night, I actually did want a tea with caffeine, so I thought about mixing it with another one. We looked at a few possibilities, and I probably should have stuck with something simple like the Vanilla Oolong, or a white tea…but I opted to up the nut and fruit and mix it with Toasted Walnut.

Was it a success, you might ask? Well, yes and no. Let me say that it was a very complex taste, that I’m not sure my taste buds could handle. This doesn’t mean it was bad in any way. I think that the flavours are so similar in both, in a way, they married so well they became indistinguishable from each other. I think that hot, I picked up more of the Toasted Walnut and as it cooled I got more of the Mulberry Magic. As I like both teas, the blend tasted great, but it was a hard taste to peg. As I said, I probably should have paired it with a much simpler tasting tea for the added pep.

Lucky for me, they were giving away little tins of Mulberry Magic and Cherry Potion, so I have me a little sample to try again, here at home. I will see how that goes, but I may very well add this to my regular stash. I don’t really have any herbal tea except chamomile, so it would be nice to find a tea or two I can have later at night and not worry if the caffeine will be a problem or not. I am still tempted to try mixing it with another tea, for those times I do want that little boost.

But so far, me likey!

EDIT: Ok ok, so I just realized that Cherry Potion is a white tea! With the hibiscus in it though, it could have FOOLED ME. It’s an herbal with the mask of a white!

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74
drank Cranberry Pear by DAVIDsTEA
761 tasting notes

Ok, so, I think my second steeping might have been on the mild side, probably due to the nature of this tea as it is not heavy on the leaves. Hot, I was meh on it, telling myself, it’s ok, but nothing to write home about, but I had a bath and came back to the rest of it, cold, and I think I can safely say, I like it better cold than hot. I think this would make a pretty cool iced tea. So while I don’t blatantly hate this tea, I don’t fantastically love it either. I feel pretty much the way jessie does. Tasty, but not astounding. I might get some more of this while it is arpund, but it isn’t going to be a staple in my cupboard. I still reserve judgement on a fresh steep without milk. Part of me is also wondering how this would be with some oolong. That could change things.

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74
drank Cranberry Pear by DAVIDsTEA
761 tasting notes

Well, sometimes I think I ruin teas. Living in Victoria, BC now, I find it very automatic to add milk and sugar to all my black teas (and even oolongs if they are dark enough). We’ve oodles of tea rooms here, many of which are very British indeed(!) and Red Rose Orange Pekoe seems to be the de facto tea around here. And milk and sugar equally standard. Anyhow, I think that this tea might do better without milk. I do like it as is right now, but I am going to withhold a proper rating til I have it again without milk. I think it will have a stronger and fruitier taste…maybe juicier, even. I will probably re-steep after this cuppa.

More later steepsters!

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72
drank Cheeky Lychee by DAVIDsTEA
761 tasting notes

No sir. I don’t like it. Well….I don’t hate it. It’s alright, but I think it is a bit floral for me. I’m having a little deja vu with The Earl’s Garden, though not as much with this tea. I could conceivable finish my 15g bag, but I won’t be re-steeping unless I am making an iced tea. I might swap it with something else. I am gonna see how the Cranberry Pear is and decide. I might mix the two. I think I will like that better. I tried this black, but then added milk and sugar, and that is a help.

sarai

AH, now that you mention a slight resemblance with Earl’s Garden I can definitely see it. I have to say though – Cranbeyy Pear is absolutely delicious, by far my favourite of the three new additions! Hope you enjoy it!

Plunkybug

I admit I’m a bit dubious about the Cranberry Pear, as I’m not fond of cranberry, but I did get a small amount to try as well. Maybe I’ll give that one a go today.

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86
drank Checkmate by DAVIDsTEA
761 tasting notes

Still sipping, but so far liking!

EDIT: Ok, so I gulped a bit, as I need to have a shower and wash my hair and it is 10:15 already! I don’t think I will have the time before bed, sadly.

I had this with a big spoon of brown sugar and some milk, and honestly, most teas are quite fine for me that way. I got a very subtle taste, and the note I picked up most, I think, was the coconut. I find the blend to be a bit subtle…not sure I pick up the chocolate notes, but I’ve always been a bit rubbish at identifying subtle flavours in wine, coffee or tea. I just sorta like it or I don’t. Ha ha ha!

So I do like this blend, and I think that I will be ok with it and get more while it is here, but it isn’t Buttercream. I may have to have further tastings to see if I change my mind.

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77
drank Carrot Cake by DAVIDsTEA
761 tasting notes

So, having more of this today. I’m feeling a bit chilly and decided to have some tea. I was going to have some of The Skinny, but in a last minute decision, decided on this. I decided that The Skinny was much better suited as a follow up to tonight’s pending dinner of fish n chips. I can’t handle that much grease, so hopefully The Skinny will be helpful there.

Today’s brews were with a fair amount of milk and brown sugar, and this is a pleasing and comforting tea as prepared this way, however I don’t taste much of the tea. But I had some milk in a separate container I needed to clear out so I could use my little water bottle again for work. Anyhow, it is still comforting this way. I still aim to try it sans milk and see what it is like that way. I have a little of this left…just a serving or two (plus multiple brews).

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79
drank Strawberry by Tetley
761 tasting notes

I love this with a little honey and a dash of milk in the summer. Very nice for a bagged tea. When I can’t afford loose leaf, I know I can find comfort with this one. I also love the Black Currant one for winter.

valerie-mccue

My Favourite..Was told by Tetley that they are still making it although not many stores are stocking it..Highland Farms stores in the Toronto area may be the only ones..I used to buy it at Fortinos at Eastgate mall up until April but sadly they no longer carry it. I requested to the manager to try and get some more in even though it’s off the list

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Profile

Bio

I generally like a lot of tea. I do find I have a preference for flavored over unflavoured, but I do love a good straight tea as well.

Likes are too hard, since there are a lot. Dislikes are easier, so here they are…

Hibiscus. Blech. I can tolerate a little, depending on the brew, like Berry Good from Davids and Ruby Pie from Butiki…but in general, it’s too tart and too strong for me.

Licorice. Anything that remotely resembles licorice is out too, so that includes fennel and anise. Yuck, yuck, yuck.

Florals. I’m cool with petals in the tea to make them look pretty (except rose), and I’m cool with teas like oolongs having a floral note, but strong florals can give me migraines. Rose and jasmine are the biggest offenders. This is one where it can vary on the blend, as I can handle Teavivre’s Peach Jasmine Dragon Pearl tea because there is very little jasmine actually detectable in it.

Rooibos is hit or miss. I can do some, but not others. I handle green better than red, and honeybush better than rooibos.

My ratings don’t have a particular scale or method, and may on occasion contradict themselves, but I’m honestly not fussed about that. Sometimes I don’t even rate at all.

Um, I have an extensive wishlist. It is both a list of things I want to get again, and things I want to try. If you are sending me something, and you want to know which is which, I’ll tell you via PM.

Yes, I do trades…usually on request though. See something you want to try in my cupboard? Just shoot me a message and I’ll see what I can do!

Uh, guess that’s it.

Location

Victoria, BC

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