9 Tasting Notes
Coconut and pineapple! I thought this tea would be something I would really enjoy as those are normally a good indicator of great things about to happen. Now, I should say that I normally sweeten my teas following a fairly consistent process, just as I did when I tried Jolly Jellybean. The result was a drink that seemed to be all sweet and very little actual taste, not at all what I expected from a jellybean tea. I am planning to give this one a second chance to see if adjusting the process will make a difference.
Preparation
Need to start by stating that I have a strong personal dislike for anything mango. What I noticed about this tea is it was very light with the strong mango taste of any of the teas DavidsTea sells. The official descriptions states the tea was inspired by an iced green tea with mango ice cubes served at a staff party. I can see this being a really popular iced tea in the summer, especially for mango fans, but it is definitely not for me.
Preparation
When I first saw the description of this one I had really high hopes as the ingredients seemed very similar to The Countess of Seville which is a personal favourite. Sadly, not only was it missing the characteristic bergamont oil flavour of an Earl Grey, I also found the flavour it did have was not something I enjoyed. My impression was that this is a little citrus tea that I am sure many people will enjoy iced when the weather gets a little warmer.
Preparation
This one reminds me of Kanpe as they have similar ingredients. I found that Paradise Found had a more subtle flavour that left me craving the richer experience offered by Kanpe. Also, I normally drink all my black teas with milk however due to the hibiscus I knew it would not be possible with this one. Definitely my favorite of Davids Tea Spring 2012 collection.
Preparation
Sad that your favorite of the collection only gets a rating of 38. Definately a disappointing collection this spring.
Lemon and ginger, what is there not to love here. When this came out last year I gave it the nickname Lemon Halls. Been fighting off a cold and the other go to teas were not helping. Tried it today and it worked wonders. Hopefully it will come back at some point…
Preparation
Tried it last night and really enjoyed it. A comment I have seen making the rounds suggests steeping at 94C for 10 to 20 minutes. I accidentally did this and found it really brought out the flavors. This is likely due to the minimal amount if tea leaves in the blend. Unlike other whites this is a very dense tea meaning the cost per cup is fairly high. Even with that in mind I am planning to purchase more.
Preparation
This tea is dominated by the taste of cinnamon. As someone that loves cinnamon I really enjoyed this tea. I gave it a lower score than other teas for two reasons, the unnecessary spicy kick and that I prefer the pu’erh based Cinnamon Heart, also from Davids Tea.
My memory of the cinnamon hearts candy is that the heat comes purely from the cinnamon candy, not the peppercorns and chilies added to this tea giving it some negative marks.
It is also difficult to not compare this tea directly to Cinnamon Heart from Davids Tea as they are both attempting a similar flavour blend. I prefer the Cinnamon Heart tea as the cloves and orange peel aide the cinnamon in coming out instead of competing with it. Had I not previously had this other tea I would be deeply in love with Hot Lips.
Preparation
I just can’t bring myself to love Cinnamon Heart. But I totally suspect that it is because I’ve yet to be won over to the pu’erh teas, and that’s such a part of what makes that one great to those who love it. I’m hoping they make this one permanent so we both get our cinnamon fire fixes!