New Tasting Notes

One of my favourite Deb teas! I had a nice piping hot mug of this last night and it was very soul soothing. Were it not for the hint of sweet, brown maple that sometimes bleeds through the undertones into the heart of the sip I would say that this particular combo of really bright, tart red berries and hibiscus with the spicy ginger makes me think of Cranberry Gingerale. In a good way. It’s a compliment. As it is, that maples pushes it into being something more unique tasting that verges of the “crisp” part of the tea’s name pretty well.

Sipdown (2587)!

Whoah, Nelly! The aroma of the tea bag after tearing open the overwrap was so much more potent and boozy than expected. Almost like uncorking a particularly strong bottle of limoncello. Steeped up, however, it was very nice. Definitely lost that strong edge while still having quite a bright and distinct lemon note with a hint of more woody yet sweet ginseng in the finish.

Plus, of course, we love an homage to RBG.

Sipdown (2588)!

Something about this was surprisingly herbaceous and savory and I don’t think it was just from the echinacea, which is a pretty unpleasant tasting herb generally speaking. All in all though I thought this was pretty palatable for a clearly very functionally targeted blend. I mean, the combo of elderberry and echinacea is definitely a bit of a powerhouse duo for immunity and it’s a tough thing to get those two really bold flavours to want to cooperate with each other.

I did think the berry notes were really dense and jammy, and almost more cassis/black currant like to me than the somewhat floral leaning and tart taste of elderberry. However I just read the ingredients list and see there’s actually black currant flavouring in the tea, so I do feel a little vindicated in my observations here.

Don’t think I’d seek this out again – especially when I’ve recently discovered a lot of other much more pleasant Pukka teas. However, if you were looking for an immunity focused tea blend I do think this isn’t a bad option. Certainly better than many other grocery store teabags targeting that function that taste sickly sweet because they over corrected when trying to mask the taste of the herbs or of feet because they haven’t tried to mask anything at all…

Cold Brew!

I don’t know why I decided to cold brew this tea since on paper it doesn’t sound like it would be a very good tea chilled. It was fine though. Pretty full bodied for a cold brew, but smooth with distinct notes of cooked orange/orange peel and spices. Clove, more than anything else. It kind of reminded me of the stock that I make tea eggs with but less salty/savory. That same sort of Chinese-influence to the spice composition though, with the citrusy edge.

I’m not sure I’d make this tea that way again – but it was surprisingly pretty drinkable and refreshing despite the unfortunate egg comparison.

I shit you not that I have had the tin of this tea with the last two cups worth of tea leaf sitting next to my kettle for me to work on sipping down for over two years now. I look at it almost every day and think “nah, not today” and make something else. So, I finally made a cup this past week and… I can’t even remember what it tasted like. All that stuck in my head was that it was surprisingly quite smooth. But no tasting notes. No thoughts at all, really.

But at least there’s just one cup worth of leaf left now. Hopefully it doesn’t take me another two years to want to drink it.

Iced!

Love, love, love this tea. It’s just a really refreshing, pure play lemon or lemonade type flavouring that has this perfect balance of sweet and sour. I had forgotten that I reordered it last summer, so for the past few months in my head I thought I just had a cup or two left but turns out I have enough to make several pitchers worth. So this last brew really felt like a special, summer-y treat.

Cold Brew!

Ooh, I liked this cold brew much more than I thought I was going to! Very strong notes of blackberry syrup/compote lead the cup with a bright tartness to them. Sweet and super juicy but also really thick. Definitely makes me crave pancakes a little bit. They’re balanced out right at the end though but fresh, lush notes of floral jasmine that take the edge off what might otherwise be described as a really saturated, decadent berry note.

In my head, I had sort of remembered this as one of those teas that’s “okay” tasting without any real off notes but maybe not the most memorable. But, well, dang. Thank blackberry flavour seems pretty memorable to me now.

Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.

Sipdown (2589)!

A very anti-climactic sipdown, but I’m afraid that was entirely my fault. I thought I had let the water in my kettle get up to temp before pouring, but apparently not because I found out only after removing the strainer that I’d been steeping the very last of this tea leaf in lukewarm water for the last five minutes. Womp womp. I drank the cup to not be wasteful, but it was like drinking room temp water with a hint or a whisper of spearmint and orange. Almost like a flat La Croix.

On top of the ripe pineapple and distinct smoke notes I thought the cinnamon in this blend especially came out to play in this cup. As a hot tea it was good, though it felt more like some sort of throat soother type of vibe that I could see, maybe, a pirate drinking on their ship on a cold night at sea. Sort of a tropical hot toddy, if you will. I let the latter half of the mug cool and drank it chilled, and I liked that a lot too – it was a little more of a tiki/cocktail sort of vibe but with the smoky edge.

Iced!

I don’t usually mess around with flavoured drink syrups – not because I’m against them or anything though, as I have been known to use the odd flavoured agave or honey in my tea. I just find they’re relatively inaccessible to me as I’d have to buy a whole giant bottle which is a lot for something I really just want to experiment around with or that I don’t consistently find myself craving…

And I say that because, well, I made this tea with a few pumps of Torani’s “Sweet Heat” syrup. Starbucks recently released a line of “Spicy Lemonade Refreshers” (which are REALLY interesting, though hella sweet and spicier than you’d think) so someone brought this bottle of syrup into the office because they were inspired by the whole sweet heat/swicy trend and we’ve just been mucking around with it the last few days. Honestly, though, it was pretty delicious. Definitely makes Mango Fruit Punch even sweeter than it already is, so this is not something I’d recommend if you don’t have a big sweet tooth. However, the sweet juicy mango and distinct chili heat in the aftertaste go together REALLY well. Like a Mexican spicy mango candy!

I’ve tried all three Starbucks drinks now, and this was definitely better. The Starbucks drinks were soooo cloying (even sweeter than this) while being hot enough to actually give me a little bit of a stomach ache by the time I finished the full grande cup. Like, I’d for sure make this again if it wasn’t so annoying to need to buy the whole big syrup bottle.

Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.

Gongfu!

Enjoyed this session with this afternoon with some freshly sliced orange. You would think the orange would overpower this beautiful golden bud-heavy black tea, but weirdly what ends up happening is that the mouthfeel of the tea becomes incredibly buttery and smooth. It’s tasting notes lean predominantly in the more rich and decadent camp with flavours like dark chocolate, carob, malt, and freshly baked bread. So with the smooth and creamy mouthfeel and pops of juicy orange this pairing is almost like the tea session version of a Terry’s Chocolate Orange. Less sweet though, annnddd still pretty orange heavy.

I don’t want to jinx it, but it really is starting to feel like the weather has stabilized enough to be back to regular outdoor tea sessions again. Definitely excited to be back to that practice – it always makes me feel so grounded and at peace.

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5_Uq2Uus1Z/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MY9fGsHetc

Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.

Gongfu!

This organic Kenyan grown tea is so rich and full bodied, but also quite sweet and smooth with prominent notes of stewed or brandied red fruits and citrus that feature alongside flavours of malt and molasses and a hint of spices like allspice, ginger, and nutmeg in the undertones. In the past, I’ve compared this tea to fruit cake (but, like, GOOD fruit cake) but today the prominent molasses and spice notes are making me think a little bit more of gingerbread and mincemeat. Regardless, it seems like this is a tea that definitely elicits fond memories of holiday baking. Is that perhaps a little weird for what is the heart of Spring!? Maybe just a little. However, it’s a delicious tea and easily one of the most complex African black teas I’ve tasted!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6B840CxaMz/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw-AQZo_R5s

I brewed this tea grandpa-style while enjoying the fresh air and surrounding signs of Spring. This tea is so rich and full bodied with velvety smooth notes of dark chocolate truffles and roasted barley with deep, dark fruity undertones of sweet red wines and black cherry and a finish that hints of leather and charred peanuts. With this brewing style there’s less naunce and some of the more delicate floral aromatics are lost, but the flavours that remain feel so much more intense. I especially love the contrast of such a fudgey and slightly bitter cocoa note with those lush red fruit and liqueur elements – it tastes expensive, if that makes any sense at all!? Definitely one of the first teas from The Tea Practitioner that I would recommend to someone else – these little mini coins/bings/cakes can do no wrong!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6EyWoZOs58/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYqPaBQP9m0

Gongfu!

Even though this tea isn’t actually smoked or alcohol-infused, I can’t even begin to explain how excited I got when I smelled the dry leaf of this tea sample. True to name, it does have a natural smoky edge (which comes even more alive once infused) with an oaky undertone that really evokes the nose of a good whisky. Steeped up it’s pretty smooth with whisps of smoke, Bourbon Vanilla, and peat moss with a finish of oak and cooling camphor. Soft at first, but with a presence that builds into something quite powerful feeling by the mid-session. It sneaks up on you, though. Basically, it’s sneaky and slick but in a good type of way. Definitely very, very accurately named and soooo up my alley!!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6HftVeuPth/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uugDpWJ7big

I have the Kati Hanami model it is perfect for brew tea!! Also it keeps your tea warm due to the insulation build

After a horrible attempt (45s first steep, 10s other steeps with strong bitterness), I tried the following Gong Fu style:
First Infusion:
Steep for about 10 seconds. That’s to quickly extract the flavor without letting the tea become bitter.
Second Infusion (15s) : Very relaxing, as bitter as expected for a black tea, but otherwise a very standard yunnan black tea, nothing seemingly outstanding out of this one.
Third Infusion (10s) : This is where the tea really showed its potential, the biterness is gone, it’s almost light. This is great.
Fourth Infusion (25s): Except for the obvious added biterness, no difference was noted between the 3rd and 4rd infusion.

Overall, it’s a non-exceptional yet pleasant black tea with a bit less bitterness than the norm. Would recommend for a casual consumption.

The quality of this Earl Grey tea is far beyond any Earl Grey out there! Since I opened the canister I am hooked <3 this tea transport you to a pleasant realm of flavor

This tastes a bit like sugar cookie sleigh ride from Celestial Seasonings, which I was glad to find a box of this holiday season after a few years without. I’m kind of obsessed with how sparkly this tea is. It also tastes somewhat like the various forever nuts spinoffs. Not bad, just not special, and a little weak. Pleasant with milk and sugar overleafed.

I had some pretty negative apprehensions when I was about to try this tea,

As many others, I find most Japanese teas to be too herbal, vegetably even; having that typical astringency that you find in especially cheap ones.

For Matchas and Senchas, it’s not uncommon to find herbalness mixed with a strong and direct bitterness that rules over every other subtleties.

But this wasn’t one of those cases, in fact it is one of the only senchas I was able to drink gong fu style — albeit with some consequences.

There are many reasons why Sencha isn’t really compatible with gong fu style, its finely cut needle-like leaves are hard to block and Sencha is usually infused for long periods of time, a kyusu thusly being the more logical vessel to be used and more generally, the tea itself doesn’t benefit much from a tea “cleaning” per se since the leaves are already broken, so I’m gonna drink that 1st steep anyways.

With all that in mind, I tried a different method. First, I would infuse for 2 minutes at 70C, then I would make two more 20s steeps, any more would be too bitter.
Here’s how it went:

1st Steep: The herbalness is particularly clear here, with surprisingly almost no bitterness — Airing the tea a little bit gradually makes the tea more and more bitter however.
2nd Steep: Now the bitterness took over completely, it’s almost undrinkable, the vegetable-like taste is still however completely present.
3rd Steep: No herbalness whatsoever now, it’s completely bitter, like drinking ear wax I guess…? Cannot describe what could possibly be worse that this.

Alright, although it may seem as if I hated this tea, this is truly one of the most suprising ones I’ve tried so far. The first thing that came to my mind when I drank that first steep was “fresh”, it was just fresh and very vegetably, like cucumber water. Just for that first steep, and the shock that it caused, this tea deserves more recognition.

Coworker brought this back for me from a recent trip to Taiwan. I was thrilled after some searches and Google Translate to realize this was a real milk oolong and not a green tea.

A very green oolong.
Dry leaf has very little scent to it.
Wet leaf almost reminds me of cooked spinach. Leaves have some breakage, but overall are whole or nearly whole.

Water temp was not quite boiling but I did not measure.

Hot, flavor is light with a wonderful creamy mouth feel. As it cools, flavor becomes more pronounced. I’m not sure how to describe it however.

Doesn’t have any grassy notes that I dislike about a lot of greens. As it cools, it does have a bit of a vegetal note, but this is mild and does not make me feel like I’m trying to drink the water brussles sprouts were over boiled in.

Second steep the vegetal notes in the taste and smell are more pronounced, but not unpleasant. Mouth feel still has that creamy texture, coats the mouth nicely. There’s almost a kind of tang in the back end of the sip. Unsure if this is some bitterness (my perception of bitter is messed up) or something else. Its a little drying on the mouth and tongue, but again not unpleasantly so. Let it really cool and there is a bit of astringency.

Third steep and the vegetal smell is more pronounced, but not so in flavor. Reminds me more of the first steep,

What I haven’t seen hide nor hair of is any hint of the sweetness described. I did at one point seem to detect almost a light floral-ish aftertaste.

The downside is this is just not the kind of tea I tend to crave. Just finished lunch and what I am thinking right now is that I wish I had something else to drink this afternoon.

I use this tea as the base for making boba tea. I brew it strong in hot water (~200-250 mL) and buy frozen or shelf stable pre-cooked boba pearls. I just got some taro syrup so I’m using ~50-60 ML of that too. Fill up the rest of the big cup with ice and soy milk. This tea has a wonderful desserty quality with dark cocoa and smooth malty notes. It even smells like cocoa. It has a nice sweetness but a touch of roasted notes (like how coffee and cocoa are a bit roasty, not like grain type roasty).

Sipdown! I wish I’d purchased a larger pouch of this one when I ordered from S&V last year, because it’s excellent. Juicy and mildly tart, with lychee flavor just bursting in every sip. Yum.

2024 sipdown count: 18

Well this tea bag wrapper I have is saying it contains Chinese green tea and temperature 85°C.

The bag smelled mostly after cardboard and hay, which wasn’t too promising, but tea itself is luckily just hay. In taste it is like a tea for jasmine green tea; but without the jasmine, grass seed and cut grass, but not hay yet.

Pretty okay-ish, keeping my old rating 69.