New Tasting Notes
Had this as an oat milk latte today. It is one of those black teas that hurt my stomach, but it was also delicious. I accidentally steeped too long (about 9 minutes). With the oat milk, though, it didn’t taste tannic, brisk, or drying at all. Just like rich, creamy salted caramel.
I’ve been making this tea as a cold brew, and it’s very refreshing. It brews a bright red color from the hibiscus, but there is no hibiscus flavor or tartness at all. It actually has a quite sweet and creamy flavor… I don’t really get watermelon, but I also associate watermelon with that really strong artificial watermelon flavoring used in candies, which this tea doesn’t taste like at all. Instead I get more of that mixed generic “melon” flavor used in Japanese candies that tastes a bit like cantalope mixed with honeydew and sweeter. I get a bit of a cucumber water note as well. The mint is a fairly strong backdrop, but blends with the melon flavor nicely, and gives the cold brew a very refreshing and cooling aftertaste.
Flavors: Cantaloupe, Creamy, Cucumber, Honeydew, Melon, Mint, Spring Water, Sweet
Preparation
Steepster TTB 2025
Too intriguing not to try, and worth the sample. I’m mostly getting a candy green apple flavor with a bit of chamomile and hay, but gentle hay, not overpowering. There’s maaaybe a smidge of grassiness from the green base, and then I guess the unidentifiable note (to me) is the sweet woodruff. I wouldn’t say this is bubblegum-y, but I can understand why they included that descriptor, if that makes sense (it doesn’t)!
This might be a keep from the TTB.
Flavors: Apple Candy, Chamomile, Green Apple, Hay, Sweet, Sweet, Warm Grass
Steepster TTB 2025
There’s some cinnamon, some [dried] fruitiness, and a bit of tang, but also an aggressive hibiscus sourness that mars the whole thing. Not sure I’d identify hot cross buns as the inspiration here!
Flavors: Cinnamon, Fruity, Hibiscus, Raisins, Sour, Tangy
Iced Latte!
So I saw this brand everywhere on IG leading up to the launch of their store in Vancouver. They’re sort of a matcha bar, but they also had a bunch of other powder based drinks that looked wild. Definitely a bit of a “everything but the kitchen sink” approach in terms of just blasting them full of a ton of buzzword wellness ingredients. I decided to try some of the more interesting ones since the powders were sold online too.
This one includes:
Tart Cherry
Astragalas
Ginger
Yerba Mate
Black Tea
Siberian Ginseng
Cinnamon
Vanilla Extract
Stevia Extract
…you see what I mean about the kitchen sink vibe.
Visually it’s a very unattractive brown coloured powder of a fairly fine grind – though not as fine as something like a matcha. The smell is very cinnamon forward and earthy. I whisked it up as an iced latte and it actually looked okay. A soft, creamy brown with some speckling from some of the more course powder inclusions.
The taste is better than expected, honestly. It’s very cinnamon forward but with undertones of the ginger and a bit of maltiness that I want to attribute to the black tea. With the vanilla, the mix makes me think of either cinnamon rolls or horchata. Were I not drinking this as an iced latte, I don’t know if the horchata vibes would be quite as strong as they are, but I’m certainly not mad about it. A lot of the other ingredients are very much lost in taste – like the tart cherry.
What isn’t lost, however, are both the ginseng and the stevia. Putting both of those in a blend is a choice – and probably not a good one. I understand that ginseng is probably more in here for function – a lot of these ingredient are supposed to be good for focuc/mental clarity, endurance, muscle fatigue and things of that nature. But just because it’s functional certainly does not erase the fact ginseng has a VERY STRONG sweet and licorice-like aftertaste. Add to that the distinct sweet aftertaste of stevia and you have a drink with one hell of a punch of cloying, mouth coating sweetness after each sip. Oof. Like, big oof.
So, it’s not as bad as expected and at times the creamy vanilla and cinnamon profile is pretty nice. It’s not even a terrible mouthfeel, which is so often a concern with powders like this. But damn it’s hard to ignore that aftertaste.
Cold Brew!
Absolutely adored this tea in cold brew form. Very, very smooth with a thickness both in mouthfeel (coconut fat contributed to this, I would presume) and in taste what with the creaminess of both the coconut and the vanilla. You still taste a very good amount of the brisk, full-bodied black tea which is a little malty and floral in a way that works not just with the coconut/vanilla combo but also with the fresh, aromatic bergamot. It’s citrusy but in a dense, heady sort of way that melds beautifully with the more whipped feel of the other flavours. Super delish!
Gifted to me by a coworker who purchased a box of this while travelling in Asia not too long ago. It’s a herbal blend of five different cereals/grains. I brewed it last night and really enjoyed it. Very dark and roasty with a bit of a char-like mineral note to go alongside strong, strong notes of barley and buckwheat. A bit of a corn silk finish. Not terribly nuanced, but mighty cozy and comforting.
Revisiting this Whittard instant tea, but this time brewed much more strongly to see what changing the concentration does for the flavour balance. Honestly, I liked it much less than the first cup I’d made for myself. I thought it might come off sweeter and more juicy since the lychee was so prominent when I first made this, but it actually seemed a lot more floral. However, the stronger rose flavour combined with all the sugar was both very cloying and artificial feeling to me. I definitely found this much more refreshing (but still flavourful) with less powder used to make the drink…
Had this earlier in the week! At first I was drinking it hot and enjoying the thick, smooth and smoky whisky flavour with the sweeter apple notes that came through in the finish. However, I got called into a meeting and left my tea behind. When I came back the last half of the mug was cold, so I poured it over ice and drank it that way. Just as delicious, in fact, with more smoke coming out and a little less overall sweetness. Definitely felt like it could be a great non-alcoholic drink alternative or a fun mixer for a tea based cocktail.
More revisiting older DT white tea blends…
This one is almost a sipdown, actually. It’s mellow but with an underlying sweetness that’s almost grape candy-like, but just not so artificial. Quite floral actually, in fact. This was never really a super intense tea in either sweetness or floral flavour, so it’s actually aged gracefully and that softer, slightly muted quality almost corrects some of the areas where it was a bit more abrasive and astringent in the past.
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!
It was nice to revisit this one since, though I’ve had tea sessions with it in the past, I don’t have a strong memory of how it tasted. I found it smooth and light to medium bodied, though leaning more on the medium bodied side. Unsurprisingly given the name, not only was it a floral session but one with very fresh, aromatic notes of roses. Those florals were met with complimentary notes of buttercream, almond blossoms, beeswax, and just a bit of creamy pear puree. It’s an overall profile that has such a gentle and captivating mix of sweet, milky leaning confection and delicately lush fruity florals. Very peaceful way to start the day!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIy6eWCsQMZ/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAq7g-LMkBg&ab_channel=DoraJarVEVO
Drank this bowl-brewed while reading the latest Eighty Degrees issue. The golden yellow flowers are, of course, very stunning. However, they also produce such a uniquely floral cup with a thick, syrupy liquor and strong, pungent notes of dark honey and dried medicinal and earthy herbs that evoke imagery of what you might see strung up in a sort of stereotypical medieval apothecary. The finish is rather peppery tasting, at least to my palate.
Though I’ve rarely enjoyed chrysanthemum tea in the past, this past winter I had some really positive experiences with a few different offerings that really challenged that bias I was holding. So, when I placed this recent order for Mountain Stream’s Spring oolongs I decided to continue pushing myself with this tisane and see just how much my taste for it has changed. I’m glad I did because, although I won’t be running out to mass restock more chrysanthemum tea any time soon, I did actually enjoy this cup quite a lot. I find that mix of golden honey and peppery flavour really soothing, and it was a very relaxing tea to drink while reading through some of the articles and photo series in this issue!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DI1p2_opiLE/?img_index=1
Also, I just have to shout out this yunomi cup from Ali Schorman because I’ve been eyeing her work for soooo long and am just really, really happy with this piece I snagged from Charlie Cummings not too long ago! Gorgeous attention to detail, really tactile, super saturated and beautiful sunset orange and pink colours… I’m just loving using it!
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBHusJ0BXxE&ab_channel=WILDERADO
Gongfu!
This is obviously a very beautiful looking tea, but the mix of fresh, aromatic rose with the notes of warm and lightly caramelized sweet rolls that the dry aroma gives off caught my attention just as much as the look of the leaf. Those fresh out of the over baked aromas are only amplified when the water hits the leaf, as are the tender, lush florals. It’s a very well-balanced cup, with a slightly heavier and cozier liquor than most other rose scented oolong teas I’ve had. Other than the flavour of sweet baked goods and pastries, it also has notes of darker honeys, a gentle and slightly woody-leaning roast, nuttiness, and even a smidge of cinnamon. More the warmth of cinnamon versus the heat. Quite a different rose oolong than I am used to, but wow, do I like it!! It would be so interesting to do a side by side with this tea and one with a greener and less oxidized base…
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DI64kkVSijB/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBzrVda54g8&ab_channel=ScoobertDoobert-Topic
Gongfu!
A little treat for myself going into the weekend. t’s exactly the smooth but darkly earthy tasting tea that I’ve been craving the last few days. It was so rich and muddy, but the good kind of muddy like the caked on potting soil covering root vegetables freshly pulled from the ground following a heavy spring rain. Garden carrots and beets wrapped in the clean, earthy petrichor. Cooling and camphorous in the finish, with spice notes pulled into the mix: allspice, clove, vanilla. A little woody. Despite all of these heavier, dense notes that paint a picture from below the ground, the liquor is so incredibly smooth with an almost velvety roundness. It was good for many, many enjoyable steeps!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DI4uUuuyhKa/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Woh0Euhkk&ab_channel=Glassio-Topic
I received a sample of this with a recent order and certainly was not expecting it, so thanks TeaSource! This was even one of the teas I had in my cart but weeded out at the end to only hit the free shipping threshold but not spend over that, so I was curious to try it.
I usually get the chocolate/mint combo on a rooibos base, but I’m really liking it on this black base. I gave it a pretty harty steep and it isn’t astringent at all! There is a bit of a coppery quality coming through, but mostly the flavor is very richly chocolate mint. The cocoa note is dark and smooth, with perhaps a tinge of that alcohol-quality, but not much. The mint has almost a creamy taste rather than being abrasively menthol, but it does leave a very refreshing cool aftertaste on the tongue. It’s well-balanced and tasty and I regret my decision to drop it from my cart last minute, but won’t sleep on it next time. I think this tea would make a wonderful latte, but with just a sample’s worth of leaf, that will have to remain speculation.
Flavors: Cocoa, Copper, Creamy, Dark Bittersweet, Mint, Sweet
Preparation
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – April 2025 Tea #5 – A soothing tea
Does anyone else ever find that the last cup of a tea to a sipdown is the most delicious cup? This one was better than I remember. Maybe for the simple fact that it is probably now becoming even more difficult to get tea from overseas. ack. Anyway, I consider this one soothing, probably for the cocoa shells. It’s a lovely combination of flavors. Maybe the annoying licorice has aged itself gone at this point.
2025 sipdowns: 30
I cold-brewed this one overnight – so refreshing! Sweet strawberry, tart lime & just a hint of rum. I’ve never actually had a strawberry mojito (unless you count the mojito drinks at ShareTea? I think I’ve had a Strawberry Mojito from them, although the lime is definitely my favorite.)
Anyway, I’ve never had the cocktail & I’m sure that those who have had the cocktail probably would note differences, but this is the way I’d like my Strawberry Mojito to taste. Light with a lovely contrast of flavors, smooth & refreshing! Even though this one is quite nice served hot, this one is definitely best as a cold-brew.
I’ve owned this tea for a while now, and enjoy it. I have to say it has aged well.
I prefer this tea gong fu style with boiling water, starting with a brief rinse and then resting the leaves for a bit to let them open open up. I like to drink the rinse for this one.
In today’s session, after I did the rinse, the early steeps tasted sweet and citrusy. Later steeps had notes of citrus and honey.
Flavors: Citrusy, Honey, Sweet
Preparation
Steepster TTB 2025
Drank this one on my final (!) day at my field placement/practicum — I’m sooo close to being done with my grad program! Just one more semester to go.
My hastily jotted notes indicate that this tea was a bit too sweet for me, but it did have a nice, jammy blueberry flavor to it. I wanted a little more cinnamon to really evoke the streusel element, and possibly a slightly stronger base. Not a bad dessert-y blend, though!
Flavors: Blueberry, Jam, Sweet
Reddit TTB tea! I taste a lot of mint, but also lemongrass. This must also include some sweetener because it was super sweet. Even the resteep was sweet, and sometimes that becomes a bit cloying. Actually, the licorice-like sweetness is the strongest flavor of all.
