12 Tasting Notes
Read our whole thoughts on the tea at our tea blog: http://teaconnoisseurs.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/sun-soaked-darjeeling/
Tea vibes:
Brooke: I wouldn’t want this mix every day because I am not necessarily a huge fan of simple black tea but it is the perfect black tea. It is so clean: nothing added, nothing modified and no extra flavours in there. I do really enjoy it; I am looking forward to offering it our guests. 8/10
Stacey: How often do we have guests? In any case, this is simple and delicious. I’m happy. ‘Nuff said. 8.5/10
Preparation
Tea vibes:
Stacey: It’s minty and chocolatey, that’s for sure. Any lip vibe? Not really. I don’t get the whole “more reliable than sex” part. It’s not more reliable! [Brooke: hehe] I don’t taste too much peppercorn, if any at all. On the other hand, I’ve had this tea a bunch of times and every time I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve never regretted a sip. If you’re a fan of those minty-chocolate candies then you’ll like it. 8/10
Brooke: This whole tea is like that mint. It’s minty, you like it, you bite down and taste chocolate and are confused, you chew, you swallow. It’s nice! Not like sex, though. No. And the little lips in the loose tea flakes are cute- a super sweet little touch. The loose leaf smells amazing, too. Couldn’t really get the vanilla but I did get a little hint of peppercorn spice at the end! I’d give it a 7/10. It’s not bad, it’s simple, smart, and delicious.
Read the rest here: http://teaconnoisseurs.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/read-my-lips/
Preparation
Stacey: This tea has been one of my favourites from the start. The combination of the ingredients definitely works. The almonds give you this full flavour and the apple gives you a touch of sweetness that lingers in the mouth. The colour of the beetroot is just the cherry on top of a great tea. This tea has been a staple in our tea shelf for a long time now so I recommend this tea to anyone and everyone. 9/10 hands down.
Brooke: As I said, Stacey and I do have this in our cupboards and I can never turn this one down. It’s one of my favourites, I love it. It’s… the best. So good. Mm. Yes. I will be forever nuts about this tea. Ohoho. 9.5/10.
Read more here: http://teaconnoisseurs.wordpress.com/2012/12/17/forever-nuts/
Preparation
Brooke: Yep, it’s a first for tea time, but I do not like this one. It’s much too sweet and bitter for me. The berry flavour has never been a favourite of mine for a hot drink. It reminds me of candy… and warm candy is weird. I would be interested in trying this as an iced tea in the summer; I can see myself enjoying the sweetness with a fresh chill to the glass… but I’m not going to live to be 200 drinking this brew. Whew! 4.5/10
Stacey: First, I really like the loose leaf and fruit pieces in the tea–you could probably just munch on those. Second, I surprisingly like the flavour! I know I had a Tetley goji berry tea that I really didn’t like… but this is great! If I want something sweet and am in the mood, I’d go for this one. You don’t get the sweetness the whole time… just at the very end, and it’s just a hint. This gets 6.5/10; it’s nice, but it’s not like “whoa, this tea!” it’s more like “okay, this tea”. [what?]
Read the rest of our review here: http://teaconnoisseurs.wordpress.com/2012/12/13/goji-pop/
Preparation
Stacey: It’s hard to write something that we haven’t already said. Honestly, it’s just nice to have a green tea; I was beginning to forget what they tasted like. Hot Lips is a pretty solid tea; I like the little bit of heat if gives you at the end. I probably wouldn’t have it every day because it does have a lot of cinnamon but if I’m in the mood for a kick won’t be afraid to give it another go. I give it 7/10.
Brooke: The very day we bought the 24 Days of Tea box set, I had Mango Diablo, and THAT was a hot tea, phew. I don’t know if I steeped the mango tea for too long but wow, it smacked my mouth at each sip. With Hot Lips, you taste the green tea part first and then zing- a nice little kick. I’d steep this tea for longer next time to get a bit more of the spicy because what I got, I liked. If you’re a green tea fan and you want to switch it up a bit, this tea is for you. 7.5/10.
See the rest of our review here: http://teaconnoisseurs.wordpress.com/2012/12/09/
Preparation
Stacey: I think I get what you were saying earlier; DAVIDsTEA has a black tea base and this is it. I’d like to try this one with my grandma, I think, because it reminds me so much of orange pekoe which she loves. It’d be fun to have a clear glass to get the whole effect of the ‘glitteryness’, too. This tea is another not-too-crazy-pretty-solid-wouldn’t-scare-anyone-off tea. Simple, relaxing, and sparkling. 7.5/10
Brooke: Yep. I love the glitter, I think that’s really unique… but I think without the visual, this tea is quite normal. It’s a good breakfast tea; it’s got some sparkle… but damn. If I have to stub my toe every time I want a cup, I’ll pass. It’s not worth the throbbing ache I get to deal with for the next day or two. In all seriousness, it’s a decent tea, but the “ooh ahh” factor is in the sparkle, not the taste. 6.5/10
See our full review here: http://teaconnoisseurs.wordpress.com/2012/12/06/
Preparation
Stacey: This is certainly not your typical cup of Earl Grey but it’s not too wacky either. DAVIDsTEA doesn’t throw intense flavours at you; just subtle hints of vanilla; that changes it up a bit. If you’re a fan of London Fogs, this is the tea for you (with less of a sugary base, of course). Mmm! A solid tea and a good staple to have in our cupboards. I give it 8/10 because it’s the best Earl Grey I think I’ve ever tasted.
Brooke: This is a good morning tea; it starts you off on the right foot, creamy and smooth. No milk needed, no sugar needed. Reminds me of my Aunt-tea (get it?). Yep, I’m okay with us buying a batch of this for the cupboard [Stacey: I’m okay with that too, we need some regulars in here]. I know I keep giving this out, but another solid 8.5/10.
Read our full review here: http://teaconnoisseurs.wordpress.com/2012/12/04/
Preparation
tacey: Well, after a really long day, it’s really nice to have this cup of tea. I agree, it would be a nice dessert tea. I know I’ve said that before, but this one is a dessert. You don’t really get a lot of the rooibos, it’s more of a herbal feel. It’s nice. I feel satisfied. I give a 7/10. [Brooke: Why only a 7, then?] It’s not blowing me a way, it’s just comforting and giving me a little something. The taste isn’t in my face. I guess I could bump it to 8/10. A little bit of a different experience than the salted caramel. I feel like I’m winding down instead of being wound up.
Brooke: You know you’re at a wine tasting [Stacey: uh, sure] and to smell the wine, you have to dip the entirety of your nose into the glass? You give it a swirl and immediately throw your face into the drink in order to soak up the smell? Well… I’ve been doing that this whole time to this tea. It smells… wonderful. I do smell the cream, I do smell the rooibos, I do smell the dessert. Wow, just. And the taste? Mm. I drank it to the very last, lukewarm drop and it was delicious. 8.5/10
Read our full review here :) http://steepster.com/teas/davidstea/11798-creme-brulee
Preparation
Brooke: You know, what often happens with DAVIDsTEA is they throw a lot of flavours at you. We have guests who ask for regular tea and we never have anything simple to offer them from our stash. I think this tea would be nice to have in our cupboards just for that. It’s a regular black tea with just a hint of caramel. I recommend this tea for someone who is used to drinking the regular Red Rose and is a little intimidated by all the flavours DAVIDsTEA offers. I give it a 7.5/10 because you don’t always need a flavourful tea to make your morning.
Stacey: I really like this one. Like many other of the DAVIDsTEA we’ve had, I’m finding the flavours coming out more in the second half of the cup (why do they do that?). It’s definitely a dessert tea, one to enjoy after a big fancy meal. The smell really does it for me too. The caramel lingers in my mouth after I swallow. Wait…is this what they meant when they said seduced? I am seduced? I give it an 8/10.
Read the full review here :) http://teaconnoisseurs.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/
Preparation
Stacey: Okay, so to be honest, this tea is spicy… but not a hot spicy, just flavourful. I could definitely taste the ginger but the cinnamon unnerved me. I’m always a fan of rooibos so it was nice to have a chai rooibos. Definitely NO coconut, though. Overall, I’d give this tea a 6/10. It would have been a 7 or 8 if the flavours lasted the whole time but they pittered out at the end. I would say enjoy this tea while it’s hot.
Brooke: Couldn’t agree more, Stace. There were delicious hints of gingerbread cookie and cloves at the beginning that unfortunately faded near the end. Unlike black tea based chais, this one was softer and easier to drink without milk. It filled you up nicely but be sure to drink it down before the tea cools, or else you’ll be left with spicy water. I’ll give it a 7/10, because it was certainly delicious at the beginning. Whew!
Read the full review here :) http://teaconnoisseurs.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/