79 Tasting Notes
This was one of the first two teas I have received from my initial online order from DT. As I mentioned with Lapsang Souchong Star I am a huge fan of Whisky so this was a must try for me and well honestly I cant say it tastes like any Whisky I have ever had.
Dry this tea has a sweet peach aroma to it with a light nut undertone from the macadamia nuts, and is loaded with colorful bits of fruits and other goodies, nothing here gave me the distinct reminder of whiskey; however it also doesn’t smell bad. Steeping brings out the peach aroma a bit more but otherwise it was fairly unchanged.
The final brew is golden in color and retains it peach aroma, it has a sweet taste on the tongue that as I mentioned does not remind me of any type of whisky I have ever had. Almost reminds me of Life Long Oolong, so while it doesn’t really live up to it’s name it is a decent blend.
Preparation
A wishful blend of intrigue and taste.
I really don’t know what to say about this blend, it smell great but when you steep it, it has a different aroma and then when you finally drink it the taste is totally different then what you may expect, well at least that is how it went for me.
Dry this tea has tons of color being a mix of green and black tea’s and then there is jasmine and rose hips it will remind you of the jars of potpourri your parents had. It has a very similar aroma of Buddha’s Blend but with a floral addition, from the rose hips. Steeped it mostly has a rose aroma to it.
The final brew is a bit darker then a green tea but lighter then a black tea, it has a peachy rose taste to it. I found it to be a bit tart without sweetener; however with some raw sugar added it took on a nice flavor. As suggested by the packaging I will have to try this one iced as well. Overall I certainly would drink it again but I don’t know yet if it is a tea I would keep a bunch of on hand.
Preparation
The flowers are in full bloom in the Earl’s Garden.
Everyone should have a Earl Grey tea in their stash as it is probably one of the most commonly asked for tea’s, probably something to due with being a great blend. I am going on a streak of trying out DT’s Earl Grey blends as it is one of my favorite blends of tea and they seem to have some unique takes on it, this being one of them.
Dry you have your typical black tea leaves, in amongst them there are pieces of freeze dried strawberry giving it a bit of a contrast in color. It has a heavy bergamot aroma with a light berry undertone, this is certainly an Earl Grey tea no mistakes about that! Steeping reduce’s the bergamot aroma a little and enhances the berry aroma as well creating a perfect balance of the two.
The final brew certainly tastes like an Earl Grey, but with a hint of berries. I felt the amount of bergamot might have been a little high but I also did steep it at a slightly hotter then recommended temperature because I wasn’t paying attention. Even with my mistake it was still a great cup of tea, I am certainly going to keep this one on hand. Especially since it mixes with Cream of Earl Grey really well.
Preparation
The strawberries taste like strawberries!
This was the other white tea that I picked up from DT the other day (the other being Gold Rush) and I must say, I have had this tea before I purchased some so I already knew what I was getting into but I really enjoyed it so I knew it had to be added to my stash and I certainly wasn’t wrong.
Dry this is a very white tea with little pieces of freeze dried strawberries and the odd piece of hibiscus providing contrasting colors. It has a very sweet strawberry aroma to it that will make you mouth water immediately. Steeping the tea produces the same lovely strawberry aroma and will have you watching your tea timer waiting for it to hit zero.
The final brew color really depends on the amount of hibiscus and strawberry you get when you make your cup. I made one yesterday night when I got home that was quite golden due to the lack of strawberries and hibiscus but another cup today was nice and pink because I made sure to get extra pieces. This brew has stevia in it so sweetening really isn’t required but it wont hurt it if you want some, when I had it iced it would have been a little sweeter. This tea took cookie dough and slapped it into next year taking my top spot for white tea’s from DT.
Preparation
Around and round the mulberry bush the monkey chased the weasel…
So I picked this tea up the other day as a spur of the moment kind of thing, I originally had gone to DT to purchase some refills of my favorite blends and when I walked in the door the daunting tea wall took hold of me as usual and I some how came to the conclusion I did not have enough white tea’s in my collection, so naturally I added some more.
Dry this tea has a very sweet smell to it, I am assuming that is because it is just loaded with mulberries. Someone commented here on the cost of the tea compared to how much white tea it has in it, while it is true there is smaller amount of tea leaves in this blend the price is probably a factor of mulberries being a precious fruit, they command a pretty good price for what they are.
The brew is a light golden yellow color that has a sweet but soft caramel aroma to it, the aroma lets you know you are in for a good cup of tea with this one. It has a sweet creamy taste to it that does have a hint of caramel to it, but there is something more as well, not sure if it is from the coconut, the tea leaves or the mulberries.
I would certainly drink this tea again and I will, but I don’t see it becoming a regularly consumed tea for me, it’s a little too sweet and is more suited to certain time’s.
Preparation
Lime Gelato Amore!
So on my recent trip to DT the girl was adament on finding me a green tea I liked seeing as I already had so many blacks, oolongs and other types but hardly any green teas. After going through a bunch if not all of the green teas it hadn’t really found anything that struck a chord with me. Then she brought over Lime Gelato one smell almost had me sold, a free cup to try really sealed the deal.
Dry like most of the flavored green teas it looks like potpourri or something, there is a little bit of everything in this tea, but that’s not a bad thing at all. The aroma is a distinct creamy Lime Gelato smell, I have had real Italian Lime Gelato and this is pretty authentic for being tea. Steeping the tea will produce a lovely lime aroma.
The final brew is a greenish golden color, its a fairly cloudy tea, presumably from all the flavoring in the tea. The upside is this tea tastes like Lime Gelato and it doesn’t even require sweetening to do it and I usually put in 1tsp of sugar per 8oz of tea regardless. I have since tried it again with sweetener and it does taste a bit better but not by much.
I highly suggest everyone tries this tea unless allergies or a personal hate for Lime Gelato exist in your personal history, otherwise its one of the few flavored teas I have had that taste EXACTLY like what they claim to be.
Preparation
Still hurts my brain thinking about it…
I am a huge fan of Single Malt Whiskeys to the fact its what I drink when I am not drinking tea. So immediately after smelling this tea I knew I had to try it and to be honest I do not know where I sit with it. This is a very basic tea as it is not really ‘flavored’ even though it has the smokey taste to it, as everyone knows this is a byproduct of the drying method for Lapsang Souchong.
Dry the leaves are your typical black Chinese tea leaves, nothing out of the ordinary. One whiff of the tea and you will have flashbacks to times you have gone camping or childhood memories if you grew up in a house heated by a wood stove. This tea has a complex peaty smoke aroma to it that is just awesome, I honestly walked around the DT store smelling this tea while browsing stuff, yes I am aware I need help!
The moment you steep the tea it really cuts back on the smokey aroma but it is still present. The brew is a very dark tea, almost black from what I could tell, sadly I was too lazy to wash my clear mug when I brewed this one. It has a similar complex peaty taste as one would expect from whiskey but seeing as it is a water based drink of a alcohol based drink it is missing all the other components of whiskey that a true connoisseur would be looking for. It was a good tea, but I am highly undecided on it, simply because as a whiskey drinker my taste buds go “Hey it’s whiskey” then my brain goes “Shut up stupids is just Lapsang Souchong” Before I totally dismiss this tea I will try it mixed with some of my Oh Canada, as it apparently makes a maple bacon flavored tea.
Preparation
Oh, I this one left me so unsure… too heavy on the smoke! But it does smell really good, I like the idea of mixing it with Oh Canada, I might just try that tonight!
Yeah I am still a little unsure, straight it was almost like drinking a heavily watered down whiskey. Mixing it with Oh Canada came from the DT girls, and apparently its a common mix. I have also read that this one does well as a ‘London Fog’ style drink.
My father is a whisky enthusiast too. Husband to a slightly lesser degree, meaning that Husband has a little more self-control when it comes to collecting than my father does. ;) Anyway, this is the one type I really wish I could get my father to taste just one sip of. Just one small sip. Unfortunately he doesn’t like tea at all, even the smell of it makes me go blech, so I’ll likely never achieve it. Pity, but more for me, then. (I won’t even consider trying to force him. I feel the same way about most alcoholic beverages that he does about tea and I wouldn’t like the turnabout)
What is this? This is not a review of a DAVIDsTEA blend!
So for no peculiar reason I had the opportunity to try some of this blend via Starbucks, this is the first loose leaf tea I have tried from Teavana as I usually do not stray far from my favorite DT blends.
Dry the tea has a very floral and fruity aroma that is actually quite soft in comparison to other similar tea blends I have had. The leaves are sparse between all the bits and pieces of fruit but the thing that does stand out is the rolled jasmine balls that give this tea a sophisticated look.
The final brew again retains the same floral smell, it gains a nice pinkish hue from the strawberries I am guessing. It has a light but sweet taste, mine has sat for a while so it has gotten pretty cold (darn paperwork!) it still tastes great leading me to believe this tea would be very tasty as an iced tea.
Going by their directions the tea came out tasting fine, I think 2tsp of leaves for 16oz of tea is too little, for me it came out a little soft tasting (possibly the blend itself?) and it has an amazing amount of crap that will come through your infuser, my mug is full of stuff at the bottom that is a little unappealing, but that is just cosmetics.
I don’t feel it would be a tea that I would go out and purchase for my stash but it has certainly opened up the doors for Teavana to get a blend or two in my stash.
Preparation
This did slightly have me feeling like Tarzan!
Jungle Ju Ju is yet another one of Davids unique herbal infusions, but this one has a slight twist, its base is Guayusa (pronounced gway-u-sah) and it packs a potent energy punch.
Dry this infusion has small leaf particles filled with bits of peach and papaya and a very soft earthy smell from the guayusa. Steeping the tea provides the same peachy aroma, like Buddha’s Blend it smells strangely like Fuzzy Peach candies!
The final brew is a dark color, with a sweet peach aroma. It has a light sweet fruity taste, that is great served warm or cold. Served best long before you plan on going to bed!
Overall this is a pretty simple infusion, if you want a punch in the face of energy that comes with a nice peach flavor this infusion is for you.
Preparation
Ok, ok you paying attention? now Read My Lips…
Wow this tea totally broke me and converted a family member to tea, it is literally like drinking a mint chocolate chip. They were not joking when they say this is the best Chocolate tea in the world!
Dry the tea is a cornucopia of colors and little bits and pieces, it has the soft aroma of chocolate and mint, who would have thought that seeing as they key ingredients! Unfortunately I didn’t take the time to smell the tea while it was steeping, but luckily this isn’t a big factor.
The final brew is a golden brown color and has a pleasing chocolate aroma to it. The peppercorns add just the perfect amount of bite to this otherwise sweet tea, hands down one of my favorite teas from DT I honestly do not think I could get tired of drinking this one, one cup even converted my coffee drinking sister and caused her to order some immediately.
This is a must try tea for everyone, I honestly do not know how someone couldn’t like this tea as it is exactly what it claims, no frills or gimmicks just an awesome cup of tea.
