New Tasting Notes
#SVTTB Round Two – Tea 18/???
I’m trying to understand this blend because I know it has a massive cult following and it’s the wildly more popular option between in and the Malty Biscuit tea released at the same time. I had my cup hot with a hearty splash of oat milk because I’ve been told this is best with milk. However, I gotta admit that I don’t think I get it…
It does taste fine. The black tea is pretty brisk and malty and it’s rich body does make it perfect for the addition of milk. However, the “jam” note is kind of out of place feeling for me. It sort of just tastes like red fruit that’s been wedged into the blend? Not that I have anything against red fruit teas, but it’s not the wow factor I was expecting given how people discuss this tea. Especially when I can find so many other black teas with red fruit flavouring.
And, reflecting on it, it’s a very specific red fruit that it reminds. Not, like, in the sense that “Oh, this is strawberry” but more that it makes me think of a particular flavouring of the several different popularly used red fruit flavourings in tea blending. The one it’s reminding me of specifically is commonly called ‘Red Fruit Jelly’ flavouring and, to me at least, it kind of tastes like jello?? Maybe I would like this more without the milk.
I’ll revisit this one, for sure! I think I want to get it, and so I’m willing to put in the effort to try it a few ways to see if anything sparks more excitement for me.
#SVTTB Round Two – Tea 17/???
This is the last Plum Deluxe blend from the TTB that I’ve pulled out to try and, honestly, I feel like I sort of unintentionally ended up leaving the best for last. I’m usually super picky about chocolate teas but there was something about this one that spoke to me in almost the same way that Wize’s Chocolate Dream (probably my fav chocolate tea) does. I also LOVE the pu’erh base (adds so much depth), and that combined with the beetroot is such a nice clean, smooth sweet earthy flavour addition
…and it does steep a red-ish colour appropriate for a red velvet so that’s a big win too.
Yeah, I think I’m holding onto this one!
Picked this one up last night while shopping with Marika.
If I’m being honest I sort of bought it our of anger. That’s probably a stupid reason to buy something but the name really appealed to me because of the cherry and then when I turned the container around to read the ingredients I saw there was ZERO cherry in the blend. It’s a flavouring free tea as well, so you can’t even make the argument that the “cherry” they named the tea after is coming from there. I hate that.
So, of course, I had to taste it and see exactly how cherry like this non-cherry tea is.
First things first, it did taste really nice. Good balance of sweetness and acidity, with a surprisingly rich mouthfeel. The blend contains ashwagandha (that’s the “chill out” part) which is a hard ingredient to work with because of it’s intense and off putting taste, but I thought they balanced it out with the fruit REALLY well.
But cherry… I mean, I guess?? I tastes like red fruit, for sure. Not debating that point at all. It’s one of those weird cases where it’s a generic enough type of red fruit note that with a name like cherry your brain will probably fill in the gaps and it becomes passable. However, without the name to prompt that almost placebo effect I don’t think most people would blindly say this tastes like a cherry tea.
I guess I just don’t understand why push an angle like cherry with the name/copy if you’re not putting it in the tea?? Especially when the taste could be described a thousand other more accurate ways that are still super appealing sounding.
Another late night cuppa from this week!
Yesterday Marika and I went shopping after work. We hit up a couple places, but the main ones were Chapters and a board game store where I bought waaayyyy too many new dice sets. So shiny and beautiful, though!
It was late when I got home and I was tired and hot from the day. Spearmint seemed perfect because it was crisp and refreshing yet sweet and soothing and i was able to just shove a bunch in a tea bag and let it keep steeping indefinitely in my mug. Such a better alternative to peppermint – it makes me really miss having this blend on the tea wall, even though it was often overlooked.
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.
If peach was the flavour of this past week then this week’s flavour fixation was definitely on blueberry. I had this as a late night cuppa, and though I don’t usually think of this as a hot tea I still enjoyed it a lot. It’s blueberry in the way that those blue whale gummy candies are blueberry – with just a hint if pineapple and lemongrass.
Age has slightly muted those notes, but honestly not by much. For a blend as old as it actually is (like, five years old) it’s held up super impressively.
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!
Drinking this one currently and I’m finding it really nice after a very long day. Our office, for whatever reason, has felt like a sauna all this week so I’ve come home each day just dying of heat and humidity. Air conditioning and pre-strained cold brews are my best friend right now.
Obviously this is very camphor forward; the cardamom is easily the strongest note but it’s followed swiftly by crisp, cooling peppermint. What’s really selling me here is the soft, sweet and vanilla-like note of woodruff that comes through right on the tail end of the sip. I don’t usually taste this note as prominently when I drink this tea hot so it’s nice to see its presence in this cold brew.
Wow.
Sipping this was almost painfully nostalgic for me. I feel like it’s the closest blend I’ve ever tasted to Butiki’s Watermelon Xylophone – which is such a beloved blend to me. It’s that same type of incredible fresh, natural watermelon flavour on top of a smooth, and almost brown sugar tasting silver needle base that has such a constant yet delicate floral undertone to it. There’s some other stuff going on in the blend too, like a hint of pomegranate and mulberry, so it’s definitely not as straight forward as that incredible Butiki creation – but the watermelon is by far the focal point and I just can’t compare it to anything else…
Another late night cuppa!
Love the borderline sickly sweet brown notes of this blend. It’s like a mix of honey, caramel/toffee, and molasses which is super interesting because all of those notes have varying degrees of density and brightness to them – though, all being more “brown leaninig” flavours. The honey is more of a top note sweetness that sits in the front of the palate and the molasses a much more heavy low note that pulls the sip down in the opposite way the honey livens it. The caramel/toffee sits comfortably right in the middle. I think that’s a huge part of why this very rich blend never feels simply just sweet. It’s playing with all these different nuances to what that means and that keeps it interesting and, in a way, balanced.
All of that, of course, is punctuated with the fruity date flavour. A perfect final addition to a warm, gooey and rich blend.
Cold Brew!
I used to think that this was coconut and guava flavoured, but as I was drinking this cold brew I was less sure of that. It’s still very unmistakably coconut flavoured and that very fresh, true coconut note is really enjoyable chilled. However, the fruity note that accompanies it was reading less tropically to me this time around and was a little more like a general red fruit taste. Regardless, still quite pleasant!
Snarky is a company I would love to order from more because they put out a lot of interesting sounding seasonal blends – however their Canadian shipping is brutal. Gotta hate international shipping craziness.
I’ve been trying to make more of an effort to drink my caffeine free blends at night. Not so much because I’m worried about my caffeine intake but because, since I’m not concerned about caffeine, they tend to get neglected in favor of caffeinated teas…
Anyway, I’m still fully enamored with this blend. Such a perfect balance of the base, the bright lemon, and that perfectly creamy and slightly tangy note that just nails the idea of cream cheese filling in a pastry for me. I was worried I’d come back to this blend and it would be less exciting for me, but thankfully not the case.
Sipdown (2330)!
I know I’ve been on a peach kick lately, but this was one of my free samples in my last Bird & Blend order so I feel like I can’t even blame my cravings for this one. It was just handed to me on a silver platter in sachet form.
I’ve had the tea before and I think it’s fine – more blueberry than peach, but definitely a little bit of each. It’s certainly much better iced or cold brewed, but that’s not realistic with these sachets so I just had it as a late night hot cup instead. Perfectly fine! Kinda a bit like Froot Loops if it was slightly less generically fruity.
Iced Oat Milk Latte!
This powdered Chai blend really shines with this type of preparation – but that, of course, makes sense given you’re taking a blend with oat milk in it already and just doubling down on that. It’s a nice balance of creaminess (taste and body) and spice though with a natural sweetness from the very prominent cinnamon in the blend. Secondary spices, like clove, follow. I feel like sometimes people are scared to add clove to Chai blends in a noticeable way (like with anise), but I think it just adds so much more depth to the profile here.
Gongfu!
I knew this tea would be interesting from the moment I cracked open the sample bag and was hit with a wave of wood and spice aromas mixed with a brighter note of freshly macerated strawberries. Though strawberry didn’t come through in the steeped notes, this seven year old aged Taiwanese oolong did continue to be pretty intriguing and nuanced.
After a few softer steeps, while the leaves really opened up, this full bodied and deeply woody tea really started to pop off with notes of allspice, petrified woods and pine sap, clove, nutmeg, baked quince, and sandalwood. Lots and lots of sandalwood, actually. Somewhere in the middle of the session I got an infusion with a particularly notable cozy and fruity undertone of apple butter – that was my favourite part of the session, especially with the range of almost Autumnal spice notes present.
I think the only really negative of the session (if you even want to go so far as to call it negative) was the backend astringency of each steep, and the slight numbness left on the bed of my tongue. I didn’t particularly mind the numbness, though it was strange. However the astringency had an almost “crawling” sensation where it would catch in the back of my throat as well. I do have a tendency to leaf a little heavy with oolongs though, so that could maybe be resolved with a lighter touch…
Side note! After years of having some of my Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures volumes in the background of my tea space I’ve finally switched things up and rotated in some new graphic novels and manga. Still deciding if I like it, though it’s definitely a bit brighter feeling!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ct62Ad3OnDT/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3m-IhgWyAo
Grandpa Style!
I’ve been so impressed with all of BLT’s black teas lately and this one is no exception. The liquor has a rich and velvety full-bodied mouthfeel. From the first sip, the sweet and savory notes of malt, brioche dough, and dark golden honey with an almost orchid-like floral undertone which makes me feel as if I’ve just walked into a bakery in the opening hours of the day. Intensely warm and inviting aromas of different pastries, rolls, and breads fresh out of the oven. Aside from that, there’s a slight undertone of golden raisins that completes the cup; very delicious alongside the array of pleasant baked notes.
Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ct9zq71OSMD/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5fSu774THM
Iced Oat Milk Latte!
Immediately digging into my recent Bird and Blend order with a refreshing Jaffa Cake iced matcha latte!! Though I would have loved a little more chocolate and a little less orange, this was a refreshing afternoon pick-me-up. A bit of a drying mouthfeel – I think from the ground up orange peel – but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s seriously a real shame that Jaffa Cakes aren’t nearly as popular in North America as they are across the seas in the UK, so I always try to pick up a Jaffa Cake inspired tea blend whenever I come across one.
I also picked up all of the biscuit collection and a sampler of the recently announced Zodiac collection, so I’m seeing some delicious iced lattes in my near future. I know a lot of people get really into iced and cold brewed fruity teas this time of year, and honestly so do I …but I think I drink just as many iced teas too!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CuATo2JujkR/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G09Qx-UGQLQ
Gongfu!
A morning session from yesterday. This is definitely one of those reoccurring sheng productions where I always forget just how much I enjoy it until I’m sitting with a cup in hand, thinking to myself “Wow, why don’t I drink this more often!?” I can think of no better way to describe the texture of the liquor than to simply say it has a distinct and commanding presence to it; somewhere between soft and pleasantly biting and astringent. Usually I focus more on taste over mouthfeel, but I honestly can’t even recall my tasting notes from this morning – it’s just all warm body feels and texture!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CuDOtrAOJyt/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMOakrucBME
Ashmanra’s sipdown challenge – June 2023 Tea #5 – June 29 – International Day of the Tropics: drink a tropical tea!
Nope, nevermind tomorrow — I snuck in a tropical tea tonight. And could the name of this tea BE more accurate for this prompt?!? I just happened to have this one along on the trip. It’s aging. Not fantastically. but that is understandable, and could be worse at this point.
Ashmanra’s Sipdown Challenge | June 2023 | June 29 – International Day of the Tropics: Drink a tropical tea!
A sad sipdown, because I forgot how good this one is! It’s delightful cold-brewed. The coconut comes out more strongly, giving the whole thing a creamy, coconutty, peachy vibe that is quite nice. Very refreshing after a workout.
2023 sipdown count: 40
Sipdown! (4 | 193)
I just find this one weird. Like yeah, it has peppermint, hence the candy cane. But then there’s cinnamon and chicory, both odd choices to me. I guess I kind of get holiday vibes? But the extra ingredients make it taste less like a candy cane.
Not one I would buy again.
Flavors: Chicory, Cinnamon, Herbaceous, Musty, Peppermint, Woody
Preparation
Very hard to beat for the price. Steeps well in a tumbler without getting bitter. The texture is a little thin, but the flavor is nice and malty, strong but not overpowering.
Unfortunately my city’s air is full of smoke right now, but this warm tea helps to soothe my throat.
Flavors: Dark Chocolate, Malt, Maple Syrup
Oh no I forgot the tropical tea prompt today! Maybe tomorrow. I think this was from SkySamurai a while ago. Thank you! A sample holding two servings. A tasty jasmine tea good for two steeps. It’s pretty good! The green tea allows the jasmine to shine. But really nothing comes close to Teavivre jasmine. Though this sample is many years old now, so this is PRETTY good for being this old. I was glad I brought it on this trip and it’s one less tea to take back home in a couple days.
2023 sipdowns: 53
