91 Tasting Notes

80

I’m still working on my stash from the 2015 Vancouver Tea Festival, luckily they seem to still be keeping well. The Young Mountain booth had some great samples and were promoting yearly visits to India for tea related tours which sounds pretty cool. I’d love to do that one day. This tea really stood out with it’s rich earthy flavour and deep amber hue. The tasting note describes it as hailing from the tropical Assam plain that stretches between the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean. Very pleasant this morning even without cream and sugar as I ride out the last of my 16 hour intermittent fast.

Flavors: Earth, Malt

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec 5 g 12 OZ / 355 ML

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91

I’ve had this as both a latte and brewed tea now. Both are excellent. The coconut and chocolate combination is always a winner for me and the pecans in this are also quite flavourful. It’s got a smooth and velvety flavour that is very pleasant combined with the earthy black tea flavour.

Flavors: Chocolate, Coconut, Pecan, Sweet

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 5 g 12 OZ / 355 ML
Dustin

I hated this tea until I had it cold steeped and iced. It was a totally different tea and super delicious. I now try to keep it in stock for warm weather.

CelticBrew

Ooh thanks for the suggestion. I’ll give it a go cold too.

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92
drank S’mores Chai by DAVIDsTEA
91 tasting notes

I just got around to trying this and love it. Now I’m wishing I had purchased “s’more”. See what I did there ?!? This reminds me of Stormy Night which is my highest rated tea. The chai flavour isn’t as bold as it could be and I miss the coconut in Stormy but otherwise this a nicely sweet and chocolaty tea. Graham crackers/baked goods really are prominent in the aroma. I’ve been torturing my work colleagues around my cubicle with it’s tantalizing smell and incurring visits from random people who have been told they must come and smell it.

Flavors: Chocolate, Cinnamon, Graham Cracker, Marshmallow, Sweet

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 5 g 12 OZ / 355 ML

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80

This has an interesting flavour – a balance of both spice and mint. The spiciness comes from a variety of ingredients – fennel, licorice, cardamom, ginger and black pepper. It has a refreshing quality to it and makes for a nice early afternoon tea with a light amount of caffeine from the green tea base.

Flavors: Mint, Pepper, Spicy

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 5 g 12 OZ / 355 ML

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77

This is a pleasant enough oolong-pu’erh hybrid tea that was part of the resolutions pack I got from DAVIDs. It actually reminds me a bit of Murchie’s Christmas tea. The orange and citrus notes are most prominent with a bit of a ginger aftertaste.

Flavors: Citrusy, Ginger, Orange Zest

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 6 min, 0 sec 5 g 12 OZ / 355 ML

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87
drank Forever Nuts by DAVIDsTEA
91 tasting notes

Forever Nuts is what always come to mind first when I think of DAVIDs gift packs and sampler sets. I’ve heard it’s also one of their best selling teas, and recommend it often myself when someone is looking to start out their experience at DAVIDs. It’s a favourite go to for me, enjoyable any time of day but particular in the afternoon or evening given that it’s caffeine free. The blend of apples, cinnamon and nuts are perfectly balanced. Funny that it’s taken me this long to rate it. Better late than never I guess. I haven’t tried it as an iced tea, but I imagine it would fare well chilled too. The pink from the beet root is such a beautiful colour. I’ll definitely give it a go chilled this summer.

Flavors: Almond, Apple, Cinnamon, Nuts, Nutty

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 7 min, 0 sec 5 g 12 OZ / 355 ML

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30

Wasn’t a fan of this one. I found the jasmine overpowering and the flavour quite bitter and overly floral. I tried it yesterday and thought I had just prepared it wrong, but today is no better. Time to move on to something else and drink a bunch of water to clear the palate.

Flavors: Bitter, Floral, Flowers, Jasmine

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 6 min, 0 sec 5 g 12 OZ / 355 ML

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79

Ooops, didn’t realize this was meant as a sleeping aid or before bed tea. I’m enjoying it this afternoon at work so hopefully I don’t curl up for slumber at my desk. There’s quite an assortment of ingredients in it and I’m enjoying the way the mint, vanilla, lemon and apple flavours all blend together. I don’t really pick up any apricot. Enjoyable overall. I don’t really have tea right before bed anyways as I try to avoid trips to the washroom through the night.

Flavors: Apple, Lemon, Mint, Peppermint, Spearmint

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 6 min, 0 sec 5 g 12 OZ / 355 ML
Fjellrev

Did it end up making you feel drowsy later on?

CelticBrew

Naw, not drowsy. Just nicely relaxed!

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73

This is the final tea I brought home from the Murchie’s holiday pack my folks picked up during Christmas break. It has a pleasant aroma and reminds me of the hot mulled drinks brewed up slowly on a stove top at dinner parties. Apple isn’t a big favourite of mine – I’ve always opted for hot chocolate over hot apple cider. Still, it’s an enjoyable blend that definitely is reminiscent of the holidays.

Flavors: Almond, Apple, Black Currant, Cinnamon, Spices

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 6 min, 0 sec 5 g 12 OZ / 355 ML

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63
drank The Buzz by DAVIDsTEA
91 tasting notes

The Buzz is a decent tea but I’m not sure when I’d really want to drink it. The caffeine rich yerba mate and matcha seem an odd pairing with the spicy ginger-citrusy flavours. The flavour is a bit too strong for the morning and wouldn’t be my tea of choice to start the day with. But to have it later in the day with the higher amount of caffeine also wouldn’t be ideal. I suspect it would sit in my cupboard waiting for the right time never quite arriving. Good thing I just got the little sample in the resolutions pack.

Flavors: Citrus, Ginger, Lemon, Spicy

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 6 min, 0 sec 5 g 12 OZ / 355 ML

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Profile

Bio

I’m a mid-thirties tea loving guy on the West Coast of Canada. Only really got into tea in the last 6 years largely because my exposure to tea was always bagged rather than loose before that. It wasn’t long for me to become hooked with loose leaf tea though.

My favourites are fruity black teas, chocolate and dessert teas and fruit/nut blends.

Other interests include films, meditation, reading, writing and computer games.

Working on living healthier and sweet teas are a nice alternative to full desserts and other sugary snacks and drinks for me.

I only rate teas once and use the following spectrum:
100 – Only one tea receive this from me. It’s that good.
95 – Only three teas receive this from me. They are that good.
90-94 – These are top rated teas for me but fall just short of my top 4 or ultimate tier teas.
80-89 – Very pleasant, enjoyable. Would definitely purchase again but wouldn’t necessarily rush out for it.
70-79 – Decent teas. They had their charm while they lasted but I’m undecided about buying them again.
60-69 – Alright teas. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing amazing either. Unless it’s on sale, I won’t buy again.
50-59 – Meh, I can take or leave this. There’s something about it that borders on dislike for me.
40-49 – Sorry this one’s just not for me.
30-39 – Definitely not for me. Wasn’t able to finish it.
0-29 – How dare they call this “tea”.

Location

BC, Canada

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