Name: Cinnamon Heart
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Pu'erh
Dry Scent: This smells almost exactly like those cinnamon hearts that everyone gets around valentine's day. Warm, slightly dusty and very much of sweetness and cinnamon.
Steeping Time: 5-6 min
Steeped Flavour: I like this, actually. It's very warming from the cinnamon, but the pu'erh balances the hot brightness of the cinnamon with its rich earthiness. The whole thing is like drinking a warm blanket or a big hug, extremely comforting. There isn't so much cinnamon that it burns the tongue either, which is better than the candies ^_~
Food/Drink Pairings: This is an anytime, any-meal tea. It would go nicely with desserts but I can see it pairing just as well with a steak or pasta. It might overpower too bland a meal though, so red meats and tomato sauces, not so much fish or alfredo. It would also probably be lovely made into a sweetened tea latte, come to think of it.
Rating out of Six Tails:
5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Friday 30 August 2013
Guava Cadabra
Name: Guava Cadabra
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Herbal (fruit infusion)
Dry Scent: This smells incredible, like freshly-cut guavas and a little like a very juicy candy (someone else said something about it smelling candy-like and now I can't help but smell it). Very sweet, but in a natural, tropical fruit kind of way, and with just enough citrus acidity to make sure it doesn't smell sickly-sweet
Steeping Time: 5-8 min (plus, plus, plus...this can sit forever, it only gets better with time)
Steeped Flavour: The sweetness of its dry scent is still here, but it is cut very nicely by the tartness of hibiscus and the natural tartness of the guava itself. If you've ever eaten fresh guava you'll know what I'm talking about. There is a sweetness to it, but there is definitely tartness as well. A most delicious fruit which has managed to be translated very, very well into this tisane.
Food/Drink Pairings: This would be very tasty iced, and would make an incredible base for drinks involving any fruit liqueurs, especially those involving tropical fruits. It would also be very refreshing watered down on a hike, bike ride, or any other activity requiring hydration, and I think it could be just about the perfect picnic tea, hot or cold.
Rating out of Six Tails:
6/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Herbal (fruit infusion)
Dry Scent: This smells incredible, like freshly-cut guavas and a little like a very juicy candy (someone else said something about it smelling candy-like and now I can't help but smell it). Very sweet, but in a natural, tropical fruit kind of way, and with just enough citrus acidity to make sure it doesn't smell sickly-sweet
Steeping Time: 5-8 min (plus, plus, plus...this can sit forever, it only gets better with time)
Steeped Flavour: The sweetness of its dry scent is still here, but it is cut very nicely by the tartness of hibiscus and the natural tartness of the guava itself. If you've ever eaten fresh guava you'll know what I'm talking about. There is a sweetness to it, but there is definitely tartness as well. A most delicious fruit which has managed to be translated very, very well into this tisane.
Food/Drink Pairings: This would be very tasty iced, and would make an incredible base for drinks involving any fruit liqueurs, especially those involving tropical fruits. It would also be very refreshing watered down on a hike, bike ride, or any other activity requiring hydration, and I think it could be just about the perfect picnic tea, hot or cold.
Rating out of Six Tails:
6/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Thursday 29 August 2013
Pumpkin Chai
In honour of David's Tea bringing out their fall tea collection, I present to you...
Name: Pumpkin Chai
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Black
Dry Scent: This smells like fall, particularly fall baking. Now I'll be honest here, I am not a fan of pumpkin pie. Something in the mixture of pumpkin and spices always smells wonderful to me but makes me very, very sick. Probably the pumpkin. My tummy is a bit weird >.> In any case, this smells delicious. Not too strongly of spices, but cinnamon and cloves are evident, and there's a sweet smell that reminds me of baked pastry.
Steeping Time: 4-5 min
Steeped Flavour: Yum! This is what I imagine pumpkin pie would taste like if I could eat it. There's even some creaminess to the mouthfeel of this tea that suggests the whipped cream that no self-respecting pumpkin pie should ever go without. I was very iffy about purchasing this tea at first, and for good reason (as noted above) but I got a sample and was very impressed indeed!
Food/Drink Pairings: Dessert. Once again, this is not really a drink-with-main-course kind of tea, but it definitely goes well with desserts. I would think especially harvest desserts like zucchini loaf or (shocker) pumpkin pie, if such is your thing. It would make, I am sure, a divine chai latte, and is also robust enough to stand up to spiced rum. Hmm...I could also see it being very nice with a little of the alcoholic eggnog I have stashed away in my booze cupboard...
Rating out of Six Tails:
5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Name: Pumpkin Chai
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Black
Dry Scent: This smells like fall, particularly fall baking. Now I'll be honest here, I am not a fan of pumpkin pie. Something in the mixture of pumpkin and spices always smells wonderful to me but makes me very, very sick. Probably the pumpkin. My tummy is a bit weird >.> In any case, this smells delicious. Not too strongly of spices, but cinnamon and cloves are evident, and there's a sweet smell that reminds me of baked pastry.
Steeping Time: 4-5 min
Steeped Flavour: Yum! This is what I imagine pumpkin pie would taste like if I could eat it. There's even some creaminess to the mouthfeel of this tea that suggests the whipped cream that no self-respecting pumpkin pie should ever go without. I was very iffy about purchasing this tea at first, and for good reason (as noted above) but I got a sample and was very impressed indeed!
Food/Drink Pairings: Dessert. Once again, this is not really a drink-with-main-course kind of tea, but it definitely goes well with desserts. I would think especially harvest desserts like zucchini loaf or (shocker) pumpkin pie, if such is your thing. It would make, I am sure, a divine chai latte, and is also robust enough to stand up to spiced rum. Hmm...I could also see it being very nice with a little of the alcoholic eggnog I have stashed away in my booze cupboard...
Rating out of Six Tails:
5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Wednesday 28 August 2013
Pink Lemonade
Name: Pink Lemonade
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Rooibos
Dry Scent: Wow! Yikes! Very, very lemony! Sweet though. Actually, this does smell very much like pink lemonade, which has always been a favourite summer staple of mine, so the lemonyness doesn't put me off at all. I will warn you ahead of time, however, this is not a tea which you will wish to bury your nose into the container of! It smells very tasty, but you'd probably be blinking back tears! Gently waft it toward you, the way you're taught in chemistry class, and you'll be good.
Steeping Time: 6-7 min
Steeped Flavour: Yup, this is lemony, but it's not a pucker-your-whole-body lemon, it has that inherent sweetness that pink lemonade should. I know this is really supposed to be made into iced tea, but I happen to find hot lemon very soothing when I have a cold, and this was definitely living up to that need. Sweet, lemony and soothing on the senses, and the cute shade of pink lent by the hibiscus in this blend didn't hurt either!
Food/Drink Pairings: Well, given that this looks and tastes much like summer's best lemonade I would say it pairs well with most picnic foods, especially iced. It would also probably stand up very well to a slice of lemon meringue pie, or a lemon square, although it might be a bit tart for most other desserts. I can't really see this being a breakfast tea, but iced with some berries it would make a truly marvelous mixer for vodka, rum or gin. Especially gin...
Rating out of Six Tails:
5.5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Rooibos
Dry Scent: Wow! Yikes! Very, very lemony! Sweet though. Actually, this does smell very much like pink lemonade, which has always been a favourite summer staple of mine, so the lemonyness doesn't put me off at all. I will warn you ahead of time, however, this is not a tea which you will wish to bury your nose into the container of! It smells very tasty, but you'd probably be blinking back tears! Gently waft it toward you, the way you're taught in chemistry class, and you'll be good.
Steeping Time: 6-7 min
Steeped Flavour: Yup, this is lemony, but it's not a pucker-your-whole-body lemon, it has that inherent sweetness that pink lemonade should. I know this is really supposed to be made into iced tea, but I happen to find hot lemon very soothing when I have a cold, and this was definitely living up to that need. Sweet, lemony and soothing on the senses, and the cute shade of pink lent by the hibiscus in this blend didn't hurt either!
Food/Drink Pairings: Well, given that this looks and tastes much like summer's best lemonade I would say it pairs well with most picnic foods, especially iced. It would also probably stand up very well to a slice of lemon meringue pie, or a lemon square, although it might be a bit tart for most other desserts. I can't really see this being a breakfast tea, but iced with some berries it would make a truly marvelous mixer for vodka, rum or gin. Especially gin...
Rating out of Six Tails:
5.5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Monday 26 August 2013
Super Ginger
Name: Super Ginger
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Rooibos
Dry Scent: Very gingery but also sweet. This smells an awful lot like gingersnap cookies, only with just a bit more gingeryness to it. Hmm...did I mention ginger? XD
Steeping Time: 7-8 min
Steeped Flavour: Unsurprisingly, ginger spicy. There is also some pink peppercorn in this, which adds its own bite, but - and this bit is surprising - the tea is naturally sweet enough to keep me from feeling like I just sucked down the juice from that pickled ginger you get with sushi. This will definitely get drunk some more while I'm sick, it's doing wonders for the sinuses!
Food/Drink Pairings: I honestly can't see pairing this with any food, it's just too much of a "medicine" tea for me, but I can, maybe, see it featuring, iced, in a very fancy dry cocktail or martini, maybe something with lychee or ginger liqueur.
Rating out of Six Tails:
5.5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Rooibos
Dry Scent: Very gingery but also sweet. This smells an awful lot like gingersnap cookies, only with just a bit more gingeryness to it. Hmm...did I mention ginger? XD
Steeping Time: 7-8 min
Steeped Flavour: Unsurprisingly, ginger spicy. There is also some pink peppercorn in this, which adds its own bite, but - and this bit is surprising - the tea is naturally sweet enough to keep me from feeling like I just sucked down the juice from that pickled ginger you get with sushi. This will definitely get drunk some more while I'm sick, it's doing wonders for the sinuses!
Food/Drink Pairings: I honestly can't see pairing this with any food, it's just too much of a "medicine" tea for me, but I can, maybe, see it featuring, iced, in a very fancy dry cocktail or martini, maybe something with lychee or ginger liqueur.
Rating out of Six Tails:
5.5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
This is not by any stretch of the imagination something that I would drink every day, but it's DEFINITELY something to have on hand for sick days! Maybe even with some fresh-squeezed lemon juice and honey.
Candy Ginger Peach
Name: Candy Ginger Peach
Brand: Panacea (The Bubble Tea Place)
Primary Type: Rooibos
Dry Scent: There is sweetness here, and spiciness from the ginger, as well as the warm summery scent of peaches. It does in fact smell very much like candy, although not a sickly-sweet kind of candy, more like a ginger candy one might suck on to help with feeling a bit off. A surprisingly comforting smell, really.
Steeping Time: 7-8 min
Steeped Flavour: The rooibos is quite evident here in its warm, slightly earthy flavour, but more than that, the ginger stands out as a bright spark in the nose and over the tongue. The peach is not so evident, but given how strong ginger is that doesn't really surprise me. There is more peach evident as an aftertaste, which is nice. I have a cold today and need to drink the ginger for my health, but straight ginger is really not all that appealing, I would very much rather have peach lingering on my tastebuds than the burn of a strong ginger!
Food/Drink Pairings: This makes a good after-dinner tea, or before dinner, more than it does as a companion to any food in particular, although it would probably not overshadow a good, heavy spice cake, anything else might not stand up to it well, and it's a bit too sweet to go with main courses.
Rating out of Six Tails:
Brand: Panacea (The Bubble Tea Place)
Primary Type: Rooibos
Dry Scent: There is sweetness here, and spiciness from the ginger, as well as the warm summery scent of peaches. It does in fact smell very much like candy, although not a sickly-sweet kind of candy, more like a ginger candy one might suck on to help with feeling a bit off. A surprisingly comforting smell, really.
Steeping Time: 7-8 min
Steeped Flavour: The rooibos is quite evident here in its warm, slightly earthy flavour, but more than that, the ginger stands out as a bright spark in the nose and over the tongue. The peach is not so evident, but given how strong ginger is that doesn't really surprise me. There is more peach evident as an aftertaste, which is nice. I have a cold today and need to drink the ginger for my health, but straight ginger is really not all that appealing, I would very much rather have peach lingering on my tastebuds than the burn of a strong ginger!
Food/Drink Pairings: This makes a good after-dinner tea, or before dinner, more than it does as a companion to any food in particular, although it would probably not overshadow a good, heavy spice cake, anything else might not stand up to it well, and it's a bit too sweet to go with main courses.
Rating out of Six Tails:
5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Buy/Don't Buy
I actually quite like this tea, and the fact that it's helping soothe my sore throat is only part of the reason for that LOL. It's easy on the tastebuds and easy on the stomach, and just sweet enough to not taste too medicinal, so you can pretend you're drinking it purely for your own pleasure and not because you think it'll make you feel better.
People may note there isn't a link to this tea online as I've done with my previous reviews. This is because unfortunately Panacea does not have an online store or any real online presence for their teas, which is a shame. Still, if you live here in Victoria I HIGHLY recommend you frequent their store, and not just for their amazing, peerless bubble teas! They have some very nice loose-leaf tea blends as well.
Sunday 25 August 2013
Forever Nuts
Name: Forever Nuts
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Herbal
Dry Scent: This one pretty much smells like apple coffee cake; apples, cinnamon and a little hint of nuttiness in there for good measure. It smells like a comforting warm hug on a fall day. No better way to describe it.
Steeping Time: 6-7 min (but can steep indefinitely, there is nothing in this tea that will oversteep)
Steeped Flavour: There is a great deal of natural sweetness from the apple in this tea, and the cinnamon and nuts are more than obvious as well, but this tea has a secret, and it doesn't just change its colour to a lovely, unexpected pink. There is beetroot in this tea, and it not only lends colour but infuses the tea with a deep, grounding earthiness. Sipping this makes you feel connected, right down through your toes, to the earth in its harvest speldour. Honestly, although I'd drink this anytime, and it works well iced, it really is a "harvest season" tea more than anything else.
Food/Drink Pairings: Coffee cake, apple pie, any fall favourites would go well with this tea. There's no caffeine so it does well in the evenings with dessert, but it's an anytime tea for sure! This would also do very nicely infused with hot apple cider as a mulling bundle, and could likely stand up well to a little warmed spiced rum to kick up the earthiness a notch or three.
Rating out of Six Tails:
5.5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Herbal
Dry Scent: This one pretty much smells like apple coffee cake; apples, cinnamon and a little hint of nuttiness in there for good measure. It smells like a comforting warm hug on a fall day. No better way to describe it.
Steeping Time: 6-7 min (but can steep indefinitely, there is nothing in this tea that will oversteep)
Steeped Flavour: There is a great deal of natural sweetness from the apple in this tea, and the cinnamon and nuts are more than obvious as well, but this tea has a secret, and it doesn't just change its colour to a lovely, unexpected pink. There is beetroot in this tea, and it not only lends colour but infuses the tea with a deep, grounding earthiness. Sipping this makes you feel connected, right down through your toes, to the earth in its harvest speldour. Honestly, although I'd drink this anytime, and it works well iced, it really is a "harvest season" tea more than anything else.
Food/Drink Pairings: Coffee cake, apple pie, any fall favourites would go well with this tea. There's no caffeine so it does well in the evenings with dessert, but it's an anytime tea for sure! This would also do very nicely infused with hot apple cider as a mulling bundle, and could likely stand up well to a little warmed spiced rum to kick up the earthiness a notch or three.
Rating out of Six Tails:
5.5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
It's pretty clear to see why this tea is one of David's Tea's most popular. Very tasty but also soothing, and very approachable even for people who are not normally tea-drinkers. A very good "gateway tea" if you have friends who don't drink tea and you want to share a hot drink with them!
Saturday 24 August 2013
Caribbean Calypso Maté
Name: Caribbean Calypso Maté
Brand: Teavana
Primary Type: Maté
Dry Scent: Tropical and fruity, with the scents of mango and pineapple predominating and an undertone of lemony citrus from the lemongrass. Very warm and summery, like sitting on a tropical beach but with that hint of an ocean breeze to keep it from being too much altogether.
Steeping Time: 5-6 min + (if drinking gourd-style, minimum 5 min before beginning to drink)
Steeped Flavour: Yum, although not what the dry scent would bring you to expect. Most strong once this maté steeps is the flavour of the lemongrass. This actually put me off a little at first, I was disappointed because I had wanted this to be more fruity, but the fruit is still there, hiding under the strong, grassy citrus, and lingers in the mouth after you take a sip. I find this is often the case in teas blended with lemongrass - it tends to take over and come on just a little too strong. The citrus is strong enough, in fact, that I taste nothing of the maté's dark earthiness in this tea at all.
Food/Drink Pairings: This would be lovely iced, and is definitely a dessert tea. Conversely, it would be lovely with breakfast, since it's a maté and has lots of zing from the matteine to wake you up and get you going. This would cut nicely through any food that is rich, due to the citrus overtones, and the tea itself is quite light.
Rating out of Six Tails:
4.5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Brand: Teavana
Primary Type: Maté
Dry Scent: Tropical and fruity, with the scents of mango and pineapple predominating and an undertone of lemony citrus from the lemongrass. Very warm and summery, like sitting on a tropical beach but with that hint of an ocean breeze to keep it from being too much altogether.
Steeping Time: 5-6 min + (if drinking gourd-style, minimum 5 min before beginning to drink)
Steeped Flavour: Yum, although not what the dry scent would bring you to expect. Most strong once this maté steeps is the flavour of the lemongrass. This actually put me off a little at first, I was disappointed because I had wanted this to be more fruity, but the fruit is still there, hiding under the strong, grassy citrus, and lingers in the mouth after you take a sip. I find this is often the case in teas blended with lemongrass - it tends to take over and come on just a little too strong. The citrus is strong enough, in fact, that I taste nothing of the maté's dark earthiness in this tea at all.
Food/Drink Pairings: This would be lovely iced, and is definitely a dessert tea. Conversely, it would be lovely with breakfast, since it's a maté and has lots of zing from the matteine to wake you up and get you going. This would cut nicely through any food that is rich, due to the citrus overtones, and the tea itself is quite light.
Rating out of Six Tails:
4.5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
My first rating for a maté, yay! I do so very much love maté, and I keep a variety of blends in stock at all times. Especially since my body started rebelling against caffeine when I discovered my thyroid issues. Matteine (the caffeine-cousin compound in maté) is just as effective, but a much gentler ride than caffeine, with no crash at the end. Straight maté takes some getting used to, it is VERY earthy and grassy-dark-herbal tasting, but it is very much worth educating your tastebuds!
Friday 23 August 2013
Cream of Earl Grey
Name: Cream of Earl Grey
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Black
Dry Scent: Very clean milk chocolate scent (even though there is no chocolate involved here), not over-sweet, faint mintiness (even though there isn't any mint in this) & bergamot, rounded out with a beautiful rich and creamy vanilla, not like the preparation, but like very good quality vanilla pods. The scent of this is like a warm, comforting hug, and I could seriously bury my nose in the canister for hours and just huff this. The first image that always comes to mind is a small, fancy chocolate shop which makes a variety of unusual but divine truffles and creams.
Steeping Time: 4-5 min
Steeped Flavour: This is an incredibly smooth tea, with flavours of chocolate, jasmine and dark citrus from the bergamot. Almost no bitterness at all, surprising in a black tea, and much more subtle on the palate than most Earl Grey. It is almost perfumed, but not in a bad way at all, and the vanilla adds a creaminess that helps blend everything together. It is hard to describe what I love so much about this tea. It almost sounds like it should be "too much", but it is wonderful, comforting and the kind of thing you can sip all day long, or all night long if you need to stay up.
Food/Drink Pairings: This would be good any time of day, but probably not with the main course of lunch or dinner, since the vanilla makes it naturally sweet even without adding any milk or sugar. It pairs very well with any number of desserts, however, and would be incredible with chocolates. In fact, if I knew how to make my own chocolates and ganache, this would be made into Cream of Earl Grey chocolates.
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Black
Dry Scent: Very clean milk chocolate scent (even though there is no chocolate involved here), not over-sweet, faint mintiness (even though there isn't any mint in this) & bergamot, rounded out with a beautiful rich and creamy vanilla, not like the preparation, but like very good quality vanilla pods. The scent of this is like a warm, comforting hug, and I could seriously bury my nose in the canister for hours and just huff this. The first image that always comes to mind is a small, fancy chocolate shop which makes a variety of unusual but divine truffles and creams.
Steeping Time: 4-5 min
Steeped Flavour: This is an incredibly smooth tea, with flavours of chocolate, jasmine and dark citrus from the bergamot. Almost no bitterness at all, surprising in a black tea, and much more subtle on the palate than most Earl Grey. It is almost perfumed, but not in a bad way at all, and the vanilla adds a creaminess that helps blend everything together. It is hard to describe what I love so much about this tea. It almost sounds like it should be "too much", but it is wonderful, comforting and the kind of thing you can sip all day long, or all night long if you need to stay up.
Food/Drink Pairings: This would be good any time of day, but probably not with the main course of lunch or dinner, since the vanilla makes it naturally sweet even without adding any milk or sugar. It pairs very well with any number of desserts, however, and would be incredible with chocolates. In fact, if I knew how to make my own chocolates and ganache, this would be made into Cream of Earl Grey chocolates.
Hmm...maybe try making Cream of Earl Grey infused chocolate cake with cream cheese icing...
Rating out of Six Tails:
6/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Rating out of Six Tails:
6/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Can you tell I'm in love with this tea? This is definitely one of my first loves from the David's Tea advent calender I got last Christmas, and another one of those "must have this on hand at all times" teas, for sure!
Wednesday 21 August 2013
Sweet Strawberry
Name: Sweet Strawberry
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: White
Dry Scent: Pretty much can be summed up as smelling sweet and like strawberries! LOL. Honestly, it is very summery, like the smell of freshly-picked strawberries straight out of the garden first thing in the morning
Steeping Time: 5-6 min
Steeped Flavour: Lovely and strawberry, although very mild. There is enough hibiscus here to keep it from being sickly-sweet but actually this might do with a little bit less hibiscus and a little bit more strawberry. If this was an actual strawberry I was eating, I would think I had accidentally picked it about a day too soon.
Food/Drink Pairings: This would be nice any time of day. Especially first thing in the morning. It would also pair very well with anything that had strawberries in it, like strawberry shortcake or strawberry crumble
Rating out of Six Tails:
4.5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: White
Dry Scent: Pretty much can be summed up as smelling sweet and like strawberries! LOL. Honestly, it is very summery, like the smell of freshly-picked strawberries straight out of the garden first thing in the morning
Steeping Time: 5-6 min
Steeped Flavour: Lovely and strawberry, although very mild. There is enough hibiscus here to keep it from being sickly-sweet but actually this might do with a little bit less hibiscus and a little bit more strawberry. If this was an actual strawberry I was eating, I would think I had accidentally picked it about a day too soon.
Food/Drink Pairings: This would be nice any time of day. Especially first thing in the morning. It would also pair very well with anything that had strawberries in it, like strawberry shortcake or strawberry crumble
Rating out of Six Tails:
4.5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Tuesday 20 August 2013
Wonderberry Chocolate Truffle
Name: Wonderberry Chocolate Truffle
Brand: Teavana
Primary Type: Oolong
Dry Scent: This smells very much of dark chocolate and dried raspberries, with just a hint of coffee-shop thrown in for good measure. Very appetizing scent, for sure.
Steeping Time: 5-6 minutes
Steeped Flavour: You can actually taste the chocolate, which is nice. There is also a strong, sour cherry/berry flavour but the strongest part of the flavour profile to come forward, especially as the tea cools, is hibiscus. Now don't get me wrong, I like hibiscus, but I just find it overpowers the rest of the flavour a bit too much. Less hibiscus and this would taste just like black forest cake, which I wish it did. Close, but not quite right. Ah well, we can't have everything, can we?
Food/Drink Pairings: Definitely a dessert tea. Actually, this might do very well with some hot chocolate mix thrown in, or maybe a little Bailies (or both!) Depending on your mood, it also might do very well as a first-thing-in-the-morning tea to really get you going on your day. I don't think it would stand up well to being iced, but I do think it would be delicious over vanilla ice cream if you reduced it to a syrup. Hmm...ideas, ideas...
Rating out of Six Tails:
4/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Brand: Teavana
Primary Type: Oolong
Dry Scent: This smells very much of dark chocolate and dried raspberries, with just a hint of coffee-shop thrown in for good measure. Very appetizing scent, for sure.
Steeping Time: 5-6 minutes
Steeped Flavour: You can actually taste the chocolate, which is nice. There is also a strong, sour cherry/berry flavour but the strongest part of the flavour profile to come forward, especially as the tea cools, is hibiscus. Now don't get me wrong, I like hibiscus, but I just find it overpowers the rest of the flavour a bit too much. Less hibiscus and this would taste just like black forest cake, which I wish it did. Close, but not quite right. Ah well, we can't have everything, can we?
Food/Drink Pairings: Definitely a dessert tea. Actually, this might do very well with some hot chocolate mix thrown in, or maybe a little Bailies (or both!) Depending on your mood, it also might do very well as a first-thing-in-the-morning tea to really get you going on your day. I don't think it would stand up well to being iced, but I do think it would be delicious over vanilla ice cream if you reduced it to a syrup. Hmm...ideas, ideas...
Rating out of Six Tails:
4/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Monday 19 August 2013
Mango Diablo
Name: Mango Diablo
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Green
Dry Scent: The mango is very evident in this. It smells like those really tasty dried mango strips that I always covet but don't often end up buying because they're too expensive. There's a little bit of grassiness in the scent as well, from the green tea, but the strongest thing to come across is warm, summery mango.
Steeping Time: 3-4 min
Steeped Flavour: Whee! This is one spicy mama! The mango juicy sweetness is still evident, but this passes over the tongue like liquid fire! The green tea base keeps the tea light enough that it is like drinking the feeling of lying on the grass in a warm, summer meadow while the sun beats down overhead, sweet and innocent, but then...wow! It's like a really hot guy just happened to lie down next to you and start kissing you with abandon! >.> okay maybe that was a bit over-the-top but hey! I liked it.
Food/Drink Pairings: This would be amazing with an appy of nachos. Especially with my favourite summer salsa of diced fresh tomatillo, mango, lime and anaheim pepper. It's definitely a dinner tea, if you're drinking it with food, and it would probably blend very nicely with tequila or rum, or a mango liqueur. Hmm...or even lichee liqueur. Anything smooth and sweet, really. It would also probably be wonderful poured over ice cream or as a popsicle.
Rating out of Six Tails:
5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Green
Dry Scent: The mango is very evident in this. It smells like those really tasty dried mango strips that I always covet but don't often end up buying because they're too expensive. There's a little bit of grassiness in the scent as well, from the green tea, but the strongest thing to come across is warm, summery mango.
Steeping Time: 3-4 min
Steeped Flavour: Whee! This is one spicy mama! The mango juicy sweetness is still evident, but this passes over the tongue like liquid fire! The green tea base keeps the tea light enough that it is like drinking the feeling of lying on the grass in a warm, summer meadow while the sun beats down overhead, sweet and innocent, but then...wow! It's like a really hot guy just happened to lie down next to you and start kissing you with abandon! >.> okay maybe that was a bit over-the-top but hey! I liked it.
Food/Drink Pairings: This would be amazing with an appy of nachos. Especially with my favourite summer salsa of diced fresh tomatillo, mango, lime and anaheim pepper. It's definitely a dinner tea, if you're drinking it with food, and it would probably blend very nicely with tequila or rum, or a mango liqueur. Hmm...or even lichee liqueur. Anything smooth and sweet, really. It would also probably be wonderful poured over ice cream or as a popsicle.
Rating out of Six Tails:
5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
I give out this "buy" with a caveat. If you are overly sensitive to spicy things, this is NOT the tea for you. It's very spicy! Like "my mouth is burning!" spicy! I love it, but not everyone might XD
An afterthought...I should really try blending this with the Lime Gelato tea... Hmm...
Sublime
Name: Sublime
Brand: Silk Road
Primary Type: Green
Dry Scent: Strongly citrussy tea. Actually, the dry smell of this took me back to my childhood playing "taste test" with the cabin-neighbor kids, who happened to have Good Host iced tea powder (a commodity my mother would never have allowed us!) This smells very similar to that as you open the tin.
Steeping Time: 2-3 min
Steeped Flavour: Sadly, there was not nearly as much citrus in this when brewed as there was evident in the dry smell. I would definitely have liked a bit more bite to it. The truly unfortunate part was that the smell of the hot, steeped tea was very, very green-tea-fishy, although thankfully it didn't taste too fishy. I'm not sure what green teas taste like to other people, but I often find that the lower-quality ones taste like the beach.
Brand: Silk Road
Primary Type: Green
Dry Scent: Strongly citrussy tea. Actually, the dry smell of this took me back to my childhood playing "taste test" with the cabin-neighbor kids, who happened to have Good Host iced tea powder (a commodity my mother would never have allowed us!) This smells very similar to that as you open the tin.
Steeping Time: 2-3 min
Steeped Flavour: Sadly, there was not nearly as much citrus in this when brewed as there was evident in the dry smell. I would definitely have liked a bit more bite to it. The truly unfortunate part was that the smell of the hot, steeped tea was very, very green-tea-fishy, although thankfully it didn't taste too fishy. I'm not sure what green teas taste like to other people, but I often find that the lower-quality ones taste like the beach.
I will perhaps try this tea again at a greater concentration of leaves/water and maybe a slightly longer steeping time at a slightly lower temperature... It's not bad per se, but it's not quite what I was hoping for. Sadly I've found this same problem with another tea from Silk Road (which I will review at a later date) although I have had good teas from them and I like supporting a local company.
Food/Drink Pairings: This might make a decent iced tea if doctored with some cut up chunks of lemon and lime... I can't say it would really be much of a "drink this with dinner" kind of tea although I can see it going nicely with sandwiches and salad for a picnic lunch...
Rating out of Six Tails:
3/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Food/Drink Pairings: This might make a decent iced tea if doctored with some cut up chunks of lemon and lime... I can't say it would really be much of a "drink this with dinner" kind of tea although I can see it going nicely with sandwiches and salad for a picnic lunch...
Rating out of Six Tails:
3/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Honestly, I can't quite make a decision on the buy/don't buy for this one, although I lean slightly toward the "don't buy". It's an ok tea, as far as green teas go, but it just didn't quite live up to what it could have been.
Saturday 17 August 2013
Coco Chai Rooibos
Name: Coco Chai Rooibos
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Rooibos
Dry Scent: Delicate, spicy scent with notes of cinnamon, cardamom and ginger. In a way, this smells a little earthy and a little musty, but the good kind of musty, like a library full of old books where you can curl up in a big, soft chair and read until you fall asleep.
Steeping Time: 6-8 min (or more. I often like to steep Rooibos teas closer to 10-15 min)
Steeped Flavour: Very subtle chai, with the flavour of cardamom and pink peppercorns predominant and the bite of ginger evident on the tongue more than its flavour. Silky smooth in the mouth, probably due to the coconut, and very little aftertaste, but the peppercorns do leave a lingering heat. Not as spicy as some tea blends I've had, but definitely something to be aware of if you're not the type to like "burny" food or drink. As it cools, the tea begins to taste a little like a nice spice cake to me, although this may be due to the fact that my aunt's famous spice cake involves quite a lot of cardamom.
Food/Drink Pairings: I can see this going well with desserts, but also very nicely with greasy foods such as sausages. It cuts through and can stand up to quite a bit of flavour competition, even though it is, as I've said, a subtle chai. It would probably make a very nice mulling spice blend with some unclarified, pressed apple juice, especially if you add a little spiced rum to the final drink
Rating out of Six Tails:
5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Rooibos
Dry Scent: Delicate, spicy scent with notes of cinnamon, cardamom and ginger. In a way, this smells a little earthy and a little musty, but the good kind of musty, like a library full of old books where you can curl up in a big, soft chair and read until you fall asleep.
Steeping Time: 6-8 min (or more. I often like to steep Rooibos teas closer to 10-15 min)
Steeped Flavour: Very subtle chai, with the flavour of cardamom and pink peppercorns predominant and the bite of ginger evident on the tongue more than its flavour. Silky smooth in the mouth, probably due to the coconut, and very little aftertaste, but the peppercorns do leave a lingering heat. Not as spicy as some tea blends I've had, but definitely something to be aware of if you're not the type to like "burny" food or drink. As it cools, the tea begins to taste a little like a nice spice cake to me, although this may be due to the fact that my aunt's famous spice cake involves quite a lot of cardamom.
Food/Drink Pairings: I can see this going well with desserts, but also very nicely with greasy foods such as sausages. It cuts through and can stand up to quite a bit of flavour competition, even though it is, as I've said, a subtle chai. It would probably make a very nice mulling spice blend with some unclarified, pressed apple juice, especially if you add a little spiced rum to the final drink
Rating out of Six Tails:
5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Friday 16 August 2013
My Popsicle Experiment...
...was a definite success! Admittedly they were a bit more like ice-cubes than commercial popsicles but that didn't take away from their deliciousness at all!
Observe!
Yes, I realize it's a bit of a dark photo, but you can see the lovely pale greenish-cream colour, and just imagine how refreshing and tasty it was!
Observe!
Yes, I realize it's a bit of a dark photo, but you can see the lovely pale greenish-cream colour, and just imagine how refreshing and tasty it was!
Midsummer Night's Dream
Name: Midsummer Night's Dream
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Herbal
Dry Scent: This is going to sound odd, but this smells like Tang. Primarily, that was the reason I even went for this tea, given that the second ingredient in it is spearmint. I figured it was worth taking the risk (and I had a free sample, which never hurts!). There is a strong tangerine fragrance, but it is not a sharp citrus, very mellow and sweet.
Steeping Time: 6-7 min
Steeped Flavour: Light orangey-fruity flavour, I tasted none of the spearmint (yay!) but also nothing of the rosepetals. It could steep longer, but I worry that might bring troubles with the mint, and I really don't want that hassle. There is sweetness here, but not overpowering, and it is very refreshing. The only evidence of the mint that I can find at all is that there is an aftereffect of cooling in the mouth.
Food/Drink Pairings: This is definitely an any time of day tea, although I can't see drinking it with any actual meal but breakfast. It would be wonderfully refreshing iced, but probably could not stand up to any strong booze. It also makes a nice end-of-the-day tea before bed, since it's caffeine free and light.
Rating out of Six Tails:
4.5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
All in all, it's a nice tea. Emphasis on "nice". It didn't wow me, but I'd definitely drink it again.
Thursday 15 August 2013
Lime Gelato
Name: Lime Gelato
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Green
Dry Scent: This smells like key lime pie. I kid you not, it smells EXACTLY like key lime pie, or maybe lime cheesecake. Either way there is a definite creaminess to the scent, and even something that smells a little bit of cookies or graham crackers (although of course that might be pure associative suggestion since they are paired so intrinsically in my mind)
Steeping Time: 6-7 minutes
Steeped Flavour: Wow. Just wow. I've not always had good luck with green tea blends, I find that they often have too much green tea flavour (and sometimes the fishiness that green tea can have) and not enough flavour of what other things are blended with them due to the shorter steeping time most green teas require, and the lower water temperature. This one? ...does not have that problem at all. I wouldn't say it tastes like gelato to me exactly, it's creamier than most citrus gelatos I've had but that may just be where I get my gelato rather than any fault in naming. It definitely tastes of citrus, particularly of sweet lime, and the creaminess of yoghurt is there as well. The tea has much less tannic bite than some, which makes it flow over the tongue smoothly, and the only lingering aftertaste is of sweetness and limes. The flavour of this tea changes very little as it cools.
Food/Drink Pairings: Forget drinking this with dessert...this is dessert. I think it would pair very nicely with citrussy liqueurs in a martini, or could stand in for margarita mix if you didn't have such a thing handy. I did take about half a cup of this tea and added it to a single-serving container of coconut flavoured greek yoghurt, whipped them together and put it in a popsicle mould...will update you with the results once they're frozen, but I anticipate deliciousness!
Rating out of Six Tails:
6/6
Buy/Don't Buy
To be perfectly honest, I was not expecting this one to rate so high! >.> it looks like I've got another tea to add to my "must keep this in stock at all times" list, particularly in the summertime.
Wednesday 14 August 2013
Berry Good
My first tea review, yay!
Name: Berry Good
Brand: David's Tea
Primary Type: Pu'erh
Dry Scent: Sweet, sun-ripened wild strawberries. Not the store-bought kind, but the almost jam-like scent of those tiny balls of pure flavour that one might come across in a field somewhere and sink into summer bliss over.
Steeping Time: 7-8 minutes
Steeped Flavour: Tastes like strawberry freezer jam primarily, with some of the deep earthiness that typifies pu'erh teas and a green brightness from the presence of strawberry and blackberry leaves that cuts the sweet and leaves a clean finish on the tongue. As the tea cools a little, the hibiscus comes more into play with its sharp, citrussy bite, but it still plays nicely with the sweetness of the berries.
Food/Drink Pairings: This is definitely a dessert tea, or a tea to sip if you're craving something sweet and don't want to give in and munch on something full of calories. I also suspect that this tea would be very good for dipping a cookie or biscotti into, and would be nice with milk or cream, although I very much doubt anyone would think they need to add sugar, even people who normally take sugar in their tea.
This would probably make a beautiful iced tea, especially if frozen strawberries were floating in it to cool it rather than ice cubes. Throw in a nice berry-flavoured vodka or some coconut rum and you could have a summer cocktail people would be sipping probably faster than they ought!
Rating out of Six Tails:
5/6
Buy/Don't Buy
Right, so, one last bit of housekeeping.
Before I start writing the actual reviews and such for this lovely little blog, there are a couple of things about my tastes that need to be made clear.
I like things that are sweet, but I do not sweeten my tea. All reviews will be based off tea prepared "black" or plain; no sugar/honey/agave, no milk or cream.
There are a couple of flavours/ingredients that I do not tolerate well in tea. Well, two major ones and one minor:
Mint: This is a MAJOR turnoff/problem for me. I can drink some very few teas with mint in them, especially if it is a minor ingredient, but if it is the main player, it's not likely to appeal to me. Any reviews of teas with mint should be taken with that in consideration. If you love mint teas, disregard any of my whinging about too much mintyness. Heavy mint actually tends to make my stomach upset and give me migranes, so...yeah.
Chamomile: Like mint, not a big favourite of mine and tends to make me slightly headachey, so it's highly unlikely that I'll be reviewing many teas with this as a major player.
Lavender: Not such a big issue, but I don't tend to like too much of it in a tea, as I find it makes them a bit on the bitter side, which I don't really like much.
As for everything else, I can appreciate everything from a good, high-quality green tea to the sweetest of fruity rooibos blends to Lapsang Suchong (although I have to be in the right mood for the latter!) so expect lots of variety on here!
Onward and Tea-ward!
I like things that are sweet, but I do not sweeten my tea. All reviews will be based off tea prepared "black" or plain; no sugar/honey/agave, no milk or cream.
There are a couple of flavours/ingredients that I do not tolerate well in tea. Well, two major ones and one minor:
Mint: This is a MAJOR turnoff/problem for me. I can drink some very few teas with mint in them, especially if it is a minor ingredient, but if it is the main player, it's not likely to appeal to me. Any reviews of teas with mint should be taken with that in consideration. If you love mint teas, disregard any of my whinging about too much mintyness. Heavy mint actually tends to make my stomach upset and give me migranes, so...yeah.
Chamomile: Like mint, not a big favourite of mine and tends to make me slightly headachey, so it's highly unlikely that I'll be reviewing many teas with this as a major player.
Lavender: Not such a big issue, but I don't tend to like too much of it in a tea, as I find it makes them a bit on the bitter side, which I don't really like much.
As for everything else, I can appreciate everything from a good, high-quality green tea to the sweetest of fruity rooibos blends to Lapsang Suchong (although I have to be in the right mood for the latter!) so expect lots of variety on here!
Onward and Tea-ward!
Friday 9 August 2013
So...why tea?
A legitimate question. After all, there are so many things a person could blog about, and tea doesn't seem like the most likely culprit even from my own varied habits and hobbies, but there are very good reasons for blogging about tea, and even better reasons for drinking it - often - and enjoying it.
In a way, tea is secondary to a lot of things. By this I don't mean that it isn't as good as them, but that it can be enjoyed while doing them. A mug of tea while watching the evening news or your favourite show? Sure. A cuppa somewhere safe nearby while cutting out pattern pieces for a new costume, almost essential, given the need for caffeine and calm together when under a deadline. A nice thermos full of tea when you had to get up far too early to go to choir practice and can't abide the thought of singing on a full stomach? Of course! Not to mention the ubiquitous cup of tea and curling up with a good book on a cold winter's evening or brewing a massive pitcher of iced tea in the middle of summer's heat.
Of course, tea has other benefits as well. Such as the fact that a nice, sweet-flavoured tea can be brewed quickly and can stand in quite well for sweets when a snack craving hits, and it does far more for the good of your body than a handful of cookies ever did. And sure, I could bring up any number of websites extolling the health benefits of teas of all different kinds, but that isn't what this blog is going to be about.
In my mind, this blog will be an extension of my own habit of cataloging the different teas I buy and try in order to remember what each one of them tastes like and which ones I would like to keep in stock or on hand.
The plan is to have each review conform to an outline something like this:
~~^~~{@
Buy/Don't Buy
~~^~~{@
I'll try to provide links to each tea if possible, although in some cases I may not be able to. In any case though, I hope you all enjoy the blog as much as I enjoy my tea!
In a way, tea is secondary to a lot of things. By this I don't mean that it isn't as good as them, but that it can be enjoyed while doing them. A mug of tea while watching the evening news or your favourite show? Sure. A cuppa somewhere safe nearby while cutting out pattern pieces for a new costume, almost essential, given the need for caffeine and calm together when under a deadline. A nice thermos full of tea when you had to get up far too early to go to choir practice and can't abide the thought of singing on a full stomach? Of course! Not to mention the ubiquitous cup of tea and curling up with a good book on a cold winter's evening or brewing a massive pitcher of iced tea in the middle of summer's heat.
Of course, tea has other benefits as well. Such as the fact that a nice, sweet-flavoured tea can be brewed quickly and can stand in quite well for sweets when a snack craving hits, and it does far more for the good of your body than a handful of cookies ever did. And sure, I could bring up any number of websites extolling the health benefits of teas of all different kinds, but that isn't what this blog is going to be about.
In my mind, this blog will be an extension of my own habit of cataloging the different teas I buy and try in order to remember what each one of them tastes like and which ones I would like to keep in stock or on hand.
The plan is to have each review conform to an outline something like this:
~~^~~{@
Name:
Brand:
Primary Type:
Dry Scent:
Steeping Time:
Steeped Flavour:
Possible Pairings (food, booze or other drink):
Rating out of Six Tails:
~~^~~{@
I'll try to provide links to each tea if possible, although in some cases I may not be able to. In any case though, I hope you all enjoy the blog as much as I enjoy my tea!
Monday 5 August 2013
First and Foremost!
There's really nothing here yet, but I just thought I should drop in a note since the page looks woefully empty. This is going to be a little space for tea, and also perhaps things one might do while sipping tea, like sewing or reading. I'll try to avoid any hot-button issues (beyond what I like in a cup of tea, of course!) but besides that I make no promises! <3
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