17415 Tasting Notes
Haven’t had this blend in a long time either – seems like I’m just revisiting old DT favourites this week. I made it hot because I remember enjoying it a lot more that way than iced, and it was really nice. Bright, sweet and almost syrupy top notes of orange liqueur and grenadine with a slight pineapple edge before finishing with a brisk, pithy bitterness to really sell the Aperol element of the tea. Not too bitter at all though!
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.
Cold Brew!
Well, talk about a tea in my stash that’s been long forgotten…
This is one of DT’s original cold brew teas from when I was still working in store, so I think it’s gotta be hovering around six or so years old at this point. Still made a decent brew, though! The peach flavour is a little more tart/sour than DT’s typical peach blend, and it has a bit of a gummy candy quality to it. More peach rings versus fuzzy peaches. Though, it is balanced out by a grassier undertone from the green tea. It’s refreshing and summery, though maybe a little bit too basic??
I definitely prefer the new peach cold brew (Peach Passionfruit) that essentially replaced this one. However, I think that’s a bit biased on my part both because I dislike green tea but also because I helped develop Peach Passionfruit.
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.
Gonna be so honest that I was DYING of thirst when I made this cup and I ended up drinking it so fast that I barely registered any flavour except for the lingering notes of cream and vanilla. Like, it was almost one totally fluid motion/slurp and then just gone.
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.
Bit even that says something about how nice it is! Had there been defects, you’d have noticed while mid-swill. And in MY cup—even if not defective—had it contained appreciable rooibos, my throat would have convulsed shut and there’d be tea on my shirt and keyboard. :-P
Haven’t had this tea in a while but I was really craving rhubarb so I dug it out. It’s fantastic with that bright yet somewhat more cooked and jammy rhubarb note, the really rich and malty black tea base, and then that little bit of earthiness from the ginger. Not really a hot/spicy ginger at all, but I think that’s for the best because it really lets the rhubarb shine!
This was so familiar tasting and it took me most of the mug to realize it was reminding me of DAVIDsTEA’s Chocolate Rocket yerba mate blend. It was the thick, jammy raspberry notes like what would be used as filling in pastry combined with that super fudgey, dark truffle-like chocolate note. Not really any roast, which is a differentiation between the two. I rarely drink straight chocolate teas, but I like chocolate with fruit and I think this is such a greatly balanced pairing. I even resteeped it, which is rare for me. Definitely lost a lot of the richness in the resteep but the raspberry note was still there and it was still a nice cup of tea.
Evening cuppa. Just a sort of nice mellow, creamy banana pudding sort of profile on a brisk black base. I even felt like I got that sort of biscuit/cookie like “Nilla Wafer” taste from super traditional (ie. not instant mix) banana pudding. The kind your grandma would make.
I haven’t had this tea in years but when I took my first sips it really didn’t feel like it had been that long. That’s both because this is just such a nostalgic tea to me at this point but also because, in hindsight, it’s actually pretty dang familiar to The Silk Tea Co’s Golden Hour oolong blend. Both are fig teas with a bright sweetness, hints of floral rose, a mix of rich and sticky caramel and honey notes, and an underlying fruity quality that dives past the fig notes. And, now, I actually feel pretty good about sipping this one done sooner rather than later because I have tons of Golden Hour to fill that gap…
Again, your reviews impress! I just love the flavor of fresh figs! Was there any of that here? Would you suggest a different tea that does pack a figgy punch?
I find fig is a really tricky flavour to capture in tea, and I don’t know if I’ve found one that’s “pure fig” that I’ve been super impressed by. However, I think Golden Hour (the one I mentioned) and Magic Hour’s Summer In Amalfi might be some of my favourite “fig plus XX” type blends.
Thank you! I’ll add them to my list.
Golden Hour was awesome. I also found Tea Grotto’s Fig and Lavender Black tea to be very authentically figgy.
Oh, ashmanra, fig & lavender sounds just wonderful! It reminds me of walking through fields of lavender in the French Riviera near Cassis on a warm and sunny autumn morning several years ago (pre-pandemic) with a buddy, on vacation. We finished our harbor-side lunch nibbling on fresh fruits! I love France, and every time I visit, a new experience of delight awaits me! Now I just MUST get this fig tea, so as to cement the memory! Thank you!
You’re welcome! I hope it immerses you in wonderful memories!
More delicious kombucha slurped back during my morning commute. I try to have a mug of tea or tea session at home every day before heading into the office, but some days are more hectic than others so having some canned or bottled kombucha in the fridge that I can just grab in a pinch is perfect – and as y’all know this is a favourite.
Flavors: Anise, Fennel, Fruit Punch, Hibiscus, Licorice
I find the taste of honey in this matcha incredibly particular and bright. Less creamy or dense and golden than maybe I’m more used to in other teas, and with a very fruity and almost tropical undertone to it that I believe comes at least in part from the inclusions of lucuma as a sweetener. It’s refreshingly lively, and kind of a perfectly peppy and cheerful way to begin the day. Almost reminds me a little bit of mangosteen, with that juicy and tropical tutti-frutti situation happening. There’s something really thrilling about flavours defying expectations, especially when they’re nailing the flavour they’re meaning to be just in a whole different way than you’re used to…
Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DAWo—5y8LC/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDURtknUyWM
Gongfu Sipdown (2655)!
Now that this sheng has some age on it, it’s really settled into something quite smooth and tame with really soothing and consistent medicinal and mineral notes. Very woody and just a bit camphorous at the tail end of the sip, but with some undertones of ginseng root and green bell pepper. Maybe a smidge of fennel root sweetness. So much longevity to the leaves – this session just went on and on. What a pleasant way to say goodbye to what was one of my earliest BLT pu’erh purchases!!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DAZFlR2yMzD/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bkeb8HjsIcA
