82
drank Candy Cane Matcha by DAVIDsTEA
3986 tasting notes

DAVIDsTEA Matcha Advent Calendar – Day 24

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!

The last day of advent calendars has come… I have mixed emotions, sad because it has been fun to open those festive doors every day and get tea surprises, but also relieved because with my new spreadsheet it’ll be nice to be able to get a lot of sipdowns in!

I was excited to see this flavor, as I tend to love candy cane teas. I prepared it au lait with 8 ounces of warm water and 4 ounces of warm milk.

It’s very yummy, though a bit weaker than I expected. It has a fresh and very candy cane-like peppermint flavor as well as a bit of creamy vanilla. I don’t mind the sweetness in a flavor like this, it makes sense since candy canes are obviously sweet. I can also taste the vegetal matcha in the background, which is nice. I really like that the flavoring here isn’t as overpowering as some of the other flavors were.

As for the DAVIDsTEA matcha advent overall, it was fun to try. I love the design of it, with all of the asymmetrical little drawers to pull out instead of folding doors. And the flavors were certainly interesting, I liked a few of them. I will say, I thought the matcha chocolates were a letdown, as they mostly just tasted like plain chocolate to me. The gummies were yummy, but mostly just tasted like peach without much matcha flavor. I wouldn’t do this advent again, just because I didn’t really like how sweet the mixes were, but I would recommend it to someone who likes sweetened matcha! It is a little bit pricey at $65 though.

So the last spread from Bonne Maman is plain Honey. I don’t understand why they saved it for the last one instead of doing perhaps the spiced cherry one. But I do like honey, so am perfectly happy to have this one my toast this morning. This has a nice soft floral note that makes me think it’s wildflower honey. Sweet and sticky rich honey goodness!

This is one of my favorite advents and one that I would do every year. The flavors are usually mostly different, as they’re almost all exclusive to the calendar. There was a good range of flavors and I really enjoyed almost all of them, the only exception being the marmalades, which I just don’t like in general. Would definitely recommend!

(today’s advent teas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJMA9FugSnn/)

Flavors: Candy, Creamy, Grass, Peppermint, Spinach, Sweet, Vanilla, Vegetal

Preparation
3 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML
VariaTEA

I liked it because they were sweet (well not peach which was overly sweet) but agree the treats were a let down. I also liked the drawers. I had one calendar that was the more classic doors version and I found it ripped a bit.

Cameron B.

Yeah, the doors can definitely rip. I had a hard time with the Kusmi one because the spaces between doors was too thin, so sometimes the door would just rip all of the way off… XD

VariaTEA

That was my issue with the Kenneth Ave calendar!

Courtney

We will definitely be getting the jam advent next year (well, if it’s vegan and only contains pectin, no gelatin of course)!

Cameron B.

Looking at the ingredients, it looks like they all just have pectin. I think the honey would be the only non-vegan one.

Courtney

Yay! That’s perfect. :) Thanks for checking!

Sil

I had a lot of fun with the bon maman calendar this year too. I think they ended with honey because it wasn’t jam? haha

Martin Bednář

Ending with not jam, because it isn’t jam? Not my jam, in jam advent. Haha…
Anyway, it was fun to read your tasting notes Cameron. For both, jams and teas. I won’t get a jam calendar as it isn’t my thing, but nice to know they exist.

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Comments

VariaTEA

I liked it because they were sweet (well not peach which was overly sweet) but agree the treats were a let down. I also liked the drawers. I had one calendar that was the more classic doors version and I found it ripped a bit.

Cameron B.

Yeah, the doors can definitely rip. I had a hard time with the Kusmi one because the spaces between doors was too thin, so sometimes the door would just rip all of the way off… XD

VariaTEA

That was my issue with the Kenneth Ave calendar!

Courtney

We will definitely be getting the jam advent next year (well, if it’s vegan and only contains pectin, no gelatin of course)!

Cameron B.

Looking at the ingredients, it looks like they all just have pectin. I think the honey would be the only non-vegan one.

Courtney

Yay! That’s perfect. :) Thanks for checking!

Sil

I had a lot of fun with the bon maman calendar this year too. I think they ended with honey because it wasn’t jam? haha

Martin Bednář

Ending with not jam, because it isn’t jam? Not my jam, in jam advent. Haha…
Anyway, it was fun to read your tasting notes Cameron. For both, jams and teas. I won’t get a jam calendar as it isn’t my thing, but nice to know they exist.

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/tea...

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