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I drank this tea early in my switch from coffee to loose-leaf, and I found it impressive in both its ability to carry a lot of flavour and its efficacy as a maté. It maintains its dominant powdery chocolate flavour (powdery like cocoa, not like sugary hot chocolate mix) and like any other properly-balanced tea, its other ingredients bring out its main even more. This tea also stands up well to milk, both regular and flavoured non-dairy alternatives; I stirred this around with 20% vanilla soy milk and still got a huge kick of chocolate, with the vanilla flavouring marrying nicely with the cocoa and nutty flavours. I didn’t purchase this tea again, only because I found the flavour to be a bit too strong to drink more than two or three times a week, and that natural cocoa taste lingered in my mouth through the day. But it certainly does what it’s marketed to do, so I would recommend this tea for those looking for a “healthier” alternative to coffee and chocoholics of all kinds, alike.

This is the only tea that I’ve eaten, with my fingers, in all of its soggy goodness, after about three piping hot steeps to get every last drop of flavouring out of it. A fan favourite, Forever Nuts adds a good sweet but still authentically nutty flavouring to any combination of teas. I purchased it as a new DavidsTea customer, and it was sold to me by a green employee who told me “it’s really pretty when it steeps pink and sparkly.” What really got me, once I actually brought it home to try it, was the smell. I have a peanut allergy (but not to any other nuts) so I was skeptical of making myself a nut-based beverage. It doesn’t smell like nuts but rather like cane sugar, honey, vanilla, and even strawberries. If this tea is too sweet for you, steep it a bit longer to get a stronger flavour with nuttier undertones. Also makes a great iced tea without any flavouring needed, but if you must, I suggest honey.

For a product marketed as a consumers-choice experiment, I was honestly expecting this tea to be a messy combination of flavours without any balance or harmony whose taste would reflect its lack of care or craftsmanship. I took a cup home once it was named and was blown away. True to a black tea, it carries a dominant base backing coconut and cane sugar flavours on the nose and tongue, but finishes with a 50/50 balanced, simple yet prominent mint that dances all the way down your throat to cool the belly. Appeals to both the seasoned, former-coffee drinker with a heavier palette (that’s me) and the tea newbie looking for strong flavours that are familiar and easy to identify. A fan favourite, and therefore an obvious consumers’ choice. Well done David!

Every insomniac needs to keep at least 100g of this stuff in their cupboard. A foolproof sleep aide, needs no sweetener but smells of honey and flowers, and will have you dozing in 30 minutes or so. A little messy to clean out as the flowers disintegrate into a mushy powder with each steep. And, if you don’t like chamomile – which is a category I definitely fall into – you’ll love this. Take it from me.

Off-balance. Caramel pieces provided too much sweetness to contrast the natural rooibos flavour, creating a dulling aftertaste that one might get after putting too much maple syrup on a pancake and having the insides of your mouth stick together uncomfortably. Smells phenomenal but didn’t carry through post-steep. However, blend 1/2 and 1/2 with a standard vanilla rooibos and ICE, and this makes for a delicious alternative with no sweetener required.

As a mango-lover, I had high hopes for this tea but found it fell short in the flavour department. The mango taste was certainly authentic but not prevalent enough to hold up against its counterparts, which could have better complimented mango, the namesake of the tea. Certainly light and refreshing and perhaps it would have been better if steeped longer than the recommended time at a slightly higher temperature than the usual calling for green varieties. Would not buy again but would purchase for others new to tea who enjoy fruit flavours.

Tried this in the DavidsTea 2013 Advent Calendar. A disappointment. Gives off a pungent, rot-like smoky smell both dry and steeping to precede an equally foul-tasting product. Does not marry the flavours of the popular holiday dessert with nearly as much harmony as the real thing. Might be a creative gift for an acquaintance over the holidays who you know loves chocolate oranges, but has received more than their share in stocking stuffers in their lifetime. Spice it up and gift this tea, but do not drink it.

DavidsTea Tea of the Month for April 2014. Goes well with a bit of honey but any other sweetener will overpower its delicate notes. Coconut adds natural sweetness with hints of lemongrass; tastes like the tropics. Well-balanced.

This is my go-to whenever I start to catch a cold. I brew a whole pot of this and sip on it for hours until I fall asleep. Instantly, the peppermint clears sinuses while the orange peel sends waves of relaxation through your entire body, and the peppercorns provide a lasting kick. An incredible sensation when you’re feeling less-than-stellar – and one you can depend on to work every time. Do not oversteep; it kills the flavour and will not make the medicinal properties any more effective. Honey complements but agave is often too sweet.