New Tasting Notes

Elder care is not for sissies. We have been unsuccessfully researching care and living options for mom-in-law and I feel like a moth who has beaten its little head senseless on light bulb after light bulb without getting anywhere.

So this evening I folded my scorched wings and overheated brain, picked out a playlist of hymns that made my heart happy, crocheted to the beat, and washed it all down with a double bagger—this nice spearmint/peppermint blend, plus a tulsi chaser. Other reviews mention a cooling effect. I concur. Leaves your taste buds a little tingly.

I really enjoy this tea, it’s fruity with a hit of syrup and marzipan. It’s light and sweet and refreshing. I think this will be a rebuy eventually… just have a sample for now.

This is one of my all-time favourite teas. I did not buy a box this year because I still have a few teabags. To my delight, my new job had some teabags of this sitting in the communal tedabag area.

Not only did I land my new dream job with awesome pay, but they also pay us for a 30 minute tea and coffee break where we talk about science things. It’s incredible! AND I get to drink my favourite tea.

I have been drinking this nearly every day and have now used all of the tea bags, however I really enjoy this tea brewed hot (either plain, or with vanilla soy milk).

My teabag is labelled “Lemon ginger” and does not specify herbal revive as the produce line. But it is by Twinnings and was purchased several years ago directly from the Twinnings store in London. I’m not 100% sure this is the exact same blend as the listing.

I put this in a large water bottle (~750 mL) with cold filtered water and just left the teabag in for several refills of water. It can flavour about 2L of water, which is very impressive. It tastes a bit like a lemonade but without the sweetness. I did not find it overly sour, since it was coldbrewed. I’ve had this brewed hot and it steeps too sour and tart. But cold it makes a lovely iced tea (even if you don’t have any ice). The ginger could be a bit stronger but overall it is balanced. I can also taste what I think is lemongrass. It might just be the lemon zest with other herbs but either way it is very tasty.

As a housewarming gift, Kiki gave me a nice glass teapot from HomeGoods that included a few flowering teas. Spring snuck (do you say sneaked or snuck?) in this weekend, so why not give one of them a try. Gosh, I don’t think I’ve had one for 12 years, since my dad sent me an awesome Numi flowering tea giftbox.

Directions say to brew with boiling water for 5-10 minutes but I can’t bring myself to do so, recalling how the Numi balls would become bitter. So 185F, enough to get the ball to unfurl. The flower tower isn’t standing upright; it’s definitely a leaner.

The tea itself is drinkable, mostly mineral with light cooked green bean taste and a hint of butter. It is so heavily perfumed with jasmine and maybe rose?, though, that I’d only be comfortable serving this to a matronly patron of Crabtree & Evelyn. A little peach hides behind that gigantic perfumed schnoz.

For me, it’s a fair complement to the sunny, windows-open day but not something I would buy.

This is my go-to morning tea. It has a sufficient amount of bergamot, though to be fair, I always want more. I drink mine with a little honey and lemon and it’s a good start to the day. Is it fancy? No. Is it good. Yes it is. It’s a sturdy tea.

I was looking forward to try this because of the name but I am underwhelmed. Very astringent and tannin taste. It’s smells nice but no amount of milk can save this tea. Let’s just say it’s best to keep this tea on the secret sale as it doesn’t really live up to the hype.

This is super tasty cold with almond milk and sweetener. It didn’t taste like much warm. I definitely noticed the vanilla once it cooled down. I might like this is even more than the original flavor! So rich and chocolatey.

Sipdown! (23)

One of my tea goals for this year was to start cold steeping again, and so far it’s been going well! I have a little stash of teas I bought specifically for this purpose, and this was one of them.

Harney’s fruit teas are all quite enjoyable cold steeped (aside from the Goji Berry one, which I was not a fan of), and I’d be hard-pressed to choose a favorite. Anyway, this is one of the more hibiscus-y ones, but I can still drink it without sweetener, and it’s enjoyable tangy with prominent strawberry notes. Not sure whether I’ll repurchase it or not, we’ll see how I feel after I finish the rest of my cold steep stash!

Sipdown

Finishing as a cold steep for Ashman, who is finding that this is how he prefers his strong black teas.

Sipdown

This was one of the teas I was most excited to try in the advent as it was one of the few that I hasn’t had before. It was very good, figgy enough for me and not too figgy for Ashman. I do prefer Fig and Lavender from Tea Grotto over this one I think, but this really is comparing apples,and oranges because this Fortnum tea is what it is supposed to be – a black tea with fig flavor. Tea Grotto has a lot more flavoring and would probably suit different pairings than the Fortnum tea which is more black tea forward.

I would definitely enjoy having this tea again and if we do the advent again sometime I hope this one stays in the line up.

I saw this tea/company while grocery shopping, and I decided to give it a try since it’s not every day that a whole new tea company pops up in the grocery aisle. I’ve done some very light research and it seems like these cocoa husk teas are only a small area of focus of the company, and not their main bread & butter as far as products go. So, that’s kind of interesting to me!

I know that legally they don’t need to list out all of the spices in the ingredients and that just writing “spices” is compliant, but it always bums me out when companies choose not to. I would much rather have the full ingredients list as a consumer. Inspecting the dry leaf, I see quite a lot of cardamom along with clove, cinnamon, and ginger. I think maybe a small bit of a fennel, too? I didn’t look super close, but these were all very visually apparent.

Steeped up it’s pretty nice tasting! In the spectrum of cacao teas I’ve tried, I think this could be richer but it’s also not as thin/watery as some I’ve come across either. Like a light hot chocolate sort of flavour, but supported with warming spice. Cardamom is the strongest by a landslide and that’s really not surprising to me given how many full pods I saw when scooping. I like cardamom and chocolate paired together a lot, so no surprise this worked for me!

Not a big coffee person, but I wanted to try this one given how (seemingly intentionally) similar it is to DT’s Coffee Pu’erh. I do really like the shou pu’erh that Adagio uses in their blends. It’s very, very thick and earthy tasting in a way that obviously compliments the darker roasted flavour of coffee very well. And this is a really roasty tasting tea. I think maybe a little more overtly roasty than DT’s Coffee Pu’erh. The vanilla comes through a little bit in the finish, and I like that it gently softens out the end of the sip without diminishing the overall bold, intense feeling of the cup. I do think there’s room for it to be stronger, though.

The key difference is really that DT’s coffee pu’erh also has almond flavouring in it, and I personally prefer that inclusion. I think it’s richer feeling and creates a lot more depth and layering of flavours, and really leans into the aroma/nose of the brew as well. However, y’all know I’m a fan of things with a heavy roast note so I also appreciate that this blend was a little bolder in that aspect. It’s a solid blend overall.

Cold Brew!

Had this one a few days ago and was disappointed to not really be able to taste the cranberry at all. It actually eerily reminded me of DT’s Santa’s Secret with a very similar mix of smooth medium bodied black tea, creamy fondant-like vanilla, and lightly cooling mint. It was refreshing, just not quite what I’d been looking to drink.

So yesterday I had dental surgery – a root tip extraction from the tooth I broke earlier in the year and a bone graft. Lots I can’t do in the next 48-72 hours including spitting, swishing, rinsing, drinking from a straw, consuming ANY type of alcohol/spicy food, etc…

Honestly I was mostly just really, really tired afterwards so I went and got my prescription (a fancy kind of mouthwash I need to use for the next month) filled and bought a bunch of smoothies/drinks that I can have for something quick and easy and dentist approved for the next few days. This was among the mix, and the first thing I drank when I got home. Probably my favourite Mateina flavour – it’s bright and zesty from the yuzu but also has a thick and jammy raspberry note that’s so saturated and flavourful. Really refreshing!

That gave me the energy to make it a few hours after getting home, but I fairly quickly crashed out and ended up just sleeping for a bulk of the day.

A new release as part of DT’s Spring Wellness collection!

In some ways, this tea is a very literal reflection of its name. At its most simplified, it’s an Earl Grey with Yerba Mate. However, there’s just a bit more to it than that. I really like the idea of “functionally boosted” versions of more classic cupboard staple teas like chai, chamomile, and in this case Earl Grey. Those tend to be the types of teas people build routines around and drink habitually so they’re just natural marriages when you’re trying to address recurring wellness needs like sleep, energy, digestion, etc…

DT technically already has a couple functional Earl Grey variants: Earl Grey Rooibos is caffeine free and so could be viewed as an EG option for evenings to help with sleep, and Lavender Earl Grey has both lavender and ashwagandha root which can aid in relaxation/stress management. In this case, I wanted to build an EG blend that is more focused around, well, focus. Specifically mental clarity/brain fog.

So aside from the bold bergamot and brisk, malty black tea base we added yerba mate and ginseng root to this tea. Yerba Mate is naturally stimulating and has a long history of being consumed for mental clarity and focus – it’s great for “brain fog” and has been getting a lot of attention lately in the RTD space as a clean source of natural energy/stimulation. It’s something that I personally drink a lot of in the mornings because I do find it helpful in keeping me alert and on task while at work. I know a lot of people who also drink yerba mate when they’re studying, as well.

Ginseng root (in this case panax ginseng) is an adaptogen that has been used similarly as an aid in focus and cognition – one of the reasons you’ll see it so much in energy drinks like Rockstar/Monster or even newer, more healthy/clean energy brands. I really, really love the combo of ginseng and mate. It’s a bit like a benefit buddy system.

The other thing about this blend that differentiates it from a standard Earl Grey is the addition of lemon. We thought the added citrusy brightness was very fresh feeling and I think there’s a lot of subconscious association with lemon (and citrus in general) as energizing/stimulating flavours. However, more than anything else, we thought it just really complimented the sweeter and more earthy notes of the ginseng. So, it acts a bit as a bridge flavour keeping all of our key ingredients a little more balanced!

I’m not personally a big Earl Grey drinker, but as I’ve already mentioned I do drink a fair amount of yerba mate in the mornings and this tea has definitely found its way into my yerba mate blend rotation. I certainly reach for it more than other EG in my stash, that’s for sure. So far I like it best hot and plain, but I’ve had it with honey too and I thought that complimented really nicely. No surprise, though – honey, lemon, and ginseng are a pretty iconic/popular flavour trio. It’s also still pretty solid iced and though I’ve yet to try it as a tea pop I can see that working well, too!

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

Gongfu Sipdown (2732)!

The liquor is thick and oily with bright, juicy top notes of black cherry that get richer over the session, with earthy, darkly sweet undertones of molasses, roasted dandelion root, and bittersweet dark cocoa and a brothy, unctuous finish that lingers on the palate until it’s washed away by an eager next sip. It’s a little bittersweet finishing it off as I’ve enjoyed this shou pu’erh quite a bit, but putting in the work to finish off the last little bit of tea samples I’ve been holding onto was something I wanted to focus on this month. And it was a delicious send-off.

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DElC4zayTU7/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72ZW1QSorVU&ab_channel=flipturnmusicVEVO

Grandpa Style!

I’m still slowly sampling my way through my most recent W2T order, with this 2024 Stagecoach ripe pu’erh mini up next on the list. I’ve brewed it up grandpa-style so that I can more casually sip away at it while reading the first volume of Dandadan. The tea is very thick, with heavy notes of wet forest undergrowth that make up the bulk of the sip alongside a fudgey chocolate note and a hint of sweet yet umami walnut with a lick of camphor on the backend. There’s just a bit of funk to the cup still, but certainly not enough to derail the otherwise very soothing, darkly sweet and earthy flavour composition. It’s got really good bones, so I’m quite excited to see how this one settles and further ages!

I really, really enjoyed the first season of Dandadan’s anime (both the dub and sub) and, since it’s going to be a while until season two, I thought I’d dive into the manga. It’s proven challenging to find the manga here in Quebec as the English volumes have been selling out so quickly, but I finally lucked out and snagged the first volume. So good! Gonna have to keep my eyes sharply peeled for restocks of the next couple volumes…

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DEnp6x8ye1z/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly7nFV6z-6Y&ab_channel=CallMeKarizma

Gongfu!

I needed a bold start to the day, so I’ve brewed up a session of this smoky bad boy. I got this Japanese black tea along with several other teas smoked with different woods such as yuzu tree or cherry blossom tea. Personally, I find this to be the most aggressively smoked as well as the least nuanced. That’s not a negative for me as I still very much appreciate a brash, assertive smoke note and this one with its deep garnet liquor and full body delivers in spades. It’s brothy and unctuous too, with very savory undertones that remind me a lot of barbecue. Certainly not a coincidence given how popular Applewood Smoked meats, cheeses, and other snack foods like potato chips have become in the last handful of years!

Note that this session was from BEFORE dental surgery. There will be no smoky or spiced teas for me for about a week, now…

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DEp_YfiSHG_/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR4hOcDsaOc&ab_channel=introvertspartytoo-Topic

Gongfu!

I had dental surgery yesterday morning, so no gongfu for me for the next few days probably, but here’s a ripe pu’erh session from earlier in the week. It’s quite thick with an almost black liquor, though the taste is a bit sweeter and creamier than you’d maybe expect. There’s an element of chocolate to it, but mostly, it’s very oat-y tasting in a way that makes me think of oat milk or oat creamer. Just a little bit of a salty kind of undertone, but it’s wrapped up in a dark fruity sweetness that’s like fig cookies with a salted caramel drizzle. Not overly complex, but very good!

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DEss1ymy56Y/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT80b9n153g&ab_channel=slimdan

(According to Spotify Wrapped this was my most listened to artist of 2024, and this was one of my top songs from him. So good.)

Sipdown! (22)

I’ve really been enjoying hojicha lately, it’s perfect for the cold weather we’re having.

Despite being a dark roast, this still has a somewhat mellow flavor, not overpowering in its roastiness at all. The toasty flavor is deep but smooth, with a gentle charcoal note, crisp autumn leaves, soft wood, and a subtle smokiness.

Great! I was looking for a more “green” oolong and this is perfect. I like green teas, but some of the more vegetal ones are too much for me. Likewise, I like oolongs but if they’re overly oxidized/roasted they can be overly mineral-y. This is a great middle ground. The first few steeps definitely lean more green in character, while the last several cut the bitterness with a sweet, almost jasmine or floral-like flavor.

Happy 2025! I’ve been enjoying this ounce of tea from Daylon on special occasions, such as finally regaining my sense of smell after spending a week with a cold. I will need to see how much Whispering Pines charges to ship to Canada, as this tea is as lovely as all the notes on Steepster suggest. I steeped 6 g of leaf in 120 ml of 195F water for 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds, plus some long, uncounted steeps.

Wow, this tea is fruity and sweet! The dry aroma is of blackberry, strawberry, caramel, and malt. The first steep has notes of blackberry, strawberry, muscatel, honey, caramel, bread, and malt. I get a lot more muscatel and caramel in steep two, as well as some velvety tannins. There’s a fuzzy, fruity, sweet, lingering aftertaste. I continue to get stewed berries and muscatel in steeps three through six, along with lots of caramel sweetness. By steep seven, bread, malt, and wood become more apparent, though there’s still plenty of berries and muscatel. The final steeps have notes of raisin, muscatel, faint berries, honey, bread, wood, malt, and tannins. (Yes, even the last few steeps of this tea are special.)

This tea is a crowd pleaser for a reason! It’s probably too sweet to be a daily drinker for me, but it’s a wonderfully decadent treat. Those jammy berry notes make me smile.

additional notes: Sadly, the new batch I just bought of this is very different from the batch I loved years ago. (Seriously, at least a decade ago.) I had to look at my old tasting notes. I said previously that two teaspoons steeped would be too much, too astringent and strong. Here, I used 1 1/2 teaspoons and the base black tea is now incredibly thin and weak. That is very sad, as it needs that strong base to match the chocolate/cinnamon. It’s just very very different now. :/