17404 Tasting Notes
Basically this is like a really full-bodied and rich milk chocolate flavoured tea, and that’s not totally my jam because I just don’t love the taste of straight chocolate. I mean, the quality is totally fine. It’s very well flavoured/balanced objectively speaking. Cost is another, but TWG is notoriously pricey…
However, it’s finally eggnog season so I have a fridge freshly stocked up on eggnog for the winter and I decided to add a generous glug to my mug. Let me tell you, as a person not big on chocolate, this tea with a dose of that custardy eggnog goodness? Yeah, that slaps. It’s SUPER rich, but very delicious.
Drank a freshly whisked chawan of this over the weekend at the park near my house. It was a little colder than I’d expected and I hadn’t dressed totally appropriately for the weather, so the hot chawan in my hands and warming liquor of the tea hit the spot especially hard as they warmed me from the inside out. The flavour was really wonderful. Smooth and fresh golden pear with a juicy floral note to it. I sometimes think that if golden hour had a flavour it might be perfectly ripe pears. I felt that with this bowl of matcha for sure. Perfect time of year for a pear tea!
Had this one at work today! I had a few sips while it was hot that were pretty nice. Kind of like a steamed apple juice/toddy kind of vibe? Heavy on the flavouring so it had a little bit of an alcoholic taste, but not in the sense of a “hard cider”. If I’m being honest though I drank most of the mug after it had completely cooled down. Honestly, maybe that was better? It was a little more crisp tasting and I was noticing less of that boozy note from the heavier use of flavourings. It almost came off as a little more balance and refreshing.
Cold Brew!
Sort of a mixed bag as far as cold brews go. The violet is smooth, lush and delicate and that almost candy like (but not cloying/too rich) sweetness works well cold brewed. In general I like a floral cold brew. The milk oolong is buttery and the oolong itself also floral, the latter of which works well. However, it was coming off as especially milky. But a thinned out sort of milkiness where it was almost reminiscent of actual milk but not thick/rich/creamy enough to be, like, “latte territory”. That part weirded me out just a little bit…
So far I’ve only had this tea cold, so it was definitely interesting to have it as a hot late night cuppa. It’s definitely more overtly tart, but I like that kind of punch of hibiscus with the really sweet, juicy ripe peach notes. It comes off a little more artificial/candy-like to me this way, but is still enjoyable. There’s a subtle creaminess to the finish, but it’s easy to miss. Especially if you’re not taking gaps in between sips. I do think this shines a bit brighter cold brewed, but it was good!
Made a mug of this a few nights ago and really enjoyed it! Something about the combination of lemongrass and sweet coconut always feels just a little bit Thai-inspired to me, but that’s not a bad thing at all. It’s just kind of interesting to be drinking a Frozen inspired blend and have Thailand front of center in your mind. It’s a smooth tea though with a nice medium-ish sweetness from the coconut and candied pineapple that does a good job balancing out what is a pretty heavy handed lavender note. Were it not for the sweetness and fruitier flavours I think this amount of lavender could easily come off as soapy, but the overall blend is really cohesive and does a fantastic job course correcting those flavours. Plus it’s blue, which I guess some people care about.
Made a mug of this at work today! I was steeping two teas at once and one was herbal, and for someone my brain only registered the tea type of that blend so I wasn’t actively timing the steep. Well, ten minutes later I glance over to my steeping mugs and am suddenly hit with the realization that both blends aren’t herbal…
So, this was a little course with a bit of astringency from the over brewed green tea. Thankfully I have a pretty solid tolerance to astringency, so it was still a drinkable mug with a nice citrusy flavour. I can’t remember exactly what citrus flavours are in this blend, but to me it was coming off kind of lemon lime with a softer creamy undertone and finish.
Gongfu!
I got some teamail from Bitterleaf earlier this week with some new teacups and a few samples of some new 2024 pressings, and this is the first chance I’ve really had to dig into those samples and brew up a session. I’m starting with the 2018 Legacy shou pu’erh, and on this brisk Autumn afternoon at golden hour it’s a pretty perfect session. The tea is very slick and velvety with a highly approachable, clean earthy and nutty flavour to go alongside its smooth, full body. The top notes have a fleeting moment of bright, fruity sweetness that makes me think of biting into a plump, ripe summer cherry and getting that first second of tartness as the juices explode in your mouth. It’s just a moment, though, and then the cup mellows into coziness. With the nuttier profile and the faintest hint of warming spices, I can’t help but think of something like a pumpkin loaf or some type of spice cake. Very moist, and just a little bit sweet!!
I very nearly blind caked this tea, but decided against it since I went pretty hard with W2T’s Shulloween release. However, based on this session, I don’t think I would have regretted it if I had made that decision…
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DCKkBltypih/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aysjmAT8Isc&ab_channel=RainbowKittenSurprise
Gongfu!
In a pretty solid shou pu’erh mood lately. I’m always somewhat surprised by how bright and red-tinted the liquor of this ripe pu’erh is, especially given how absolutely intense, full-bodied, and deeply earthy the profile is. Heavy, heaaavyyyy notes of rain-soaked potting soil, garden beets caked in dirt and mud, molasses, clove, and allspice – all with an aromatic, round and mouth-coating finish of vanilla extract. So smooth, but dense and dark. With the stacked steeps this is a pretty casual and laid-back session, but still an absolutely solid one.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DCMviPzJO3h/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF1TzYkCWKA&ab_channel=StolenNova
Gongfu!
This unique cinnamon scented oolong has become one of my go to comfort teas. Think jasmine scenting but swap the florals for spices. It’s so snuggly and cozy, with warming notes of freshly baked cinnamon bread and hot cross buns and a lightly toasty and nutty undertone. Plus, it feels like it steeps practically forever. Despite all my dice, I actually lost count of the infusions brewing this one up! Just too lost in the leaves…
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DCPxFQOy0J2/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E854WspMnJs&ab_channel=Litany
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.
