DAVIDsTEA

Cold Brew!

Definitely a very sweet cold brew, but dang if it doesn’t taste like a strawberry donut. In this case a little more like a Simpson’s style glazed donut but with the icing sugar airy sweetness as well. Rich, fruity, and flavourful. Still one of my all time favourite teas I’ve gotten to make.

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.

I love this tea so much.

We officially made this tea a part of our core assortment so I wanted to celebrate by enjoying an evening cuppa. Mostly it was just an excuse to make a mug of it though. Not too sweet, but with that perfect jammy strawberry filling and powdered sugar balance. I think this is my favourite DT blend to have come out this year.

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!

Had this one shortly before the database crash. It was so smooth with a thick jammy strawberry note and just enough natural creaminess that it kind of made me think of strawberry milk that we would very occasionally get growing up as a special treat. I was way more of a strawberry milk kid than a chocolate milk one.

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.

Okay, this is by far my favourite tea from today’s launch.

Yes, I am of course hella biased because I spent over a dozen revisions and close to a year working on this tea. I just really needed it to taste like what was in my head and I think I got it perfectly!

One of the things I’ve always been surprised that DT has never done (until now) in our nearly fifteen years open is create a donut inspired tea. I mean, there’s just so many amazing flavour options to riff on just looking at the classic diner options alone- and you throw in all the weird hipster bakery possibilities? Yeah, there’s a lot of meat on that bone in terms of creative angles to play on. However, in my opinion, the best donut is the humble jelly donut. Especially when it’s filled with strawberry jam.

So that’s what I did here! I think the rooibos base was essential because it added body and worked as such a great canvas for the more buttery pastry/dough like elements of the tea to really shine and come together. I know not everyone likes rooibos, but I do think the flavour is pretty neutral all things considered. It’s really just there to give the mouthfeel some depth while keeping this a caffeine free blend. So that’s the “donut” part of the Jelly Donut, kinda…

The kinda part is because I want to talk about sweetness for a moment. This is definitely a sweeter tea meant for someone looking for something on the rich and indulgent side, but I definitely don’t think it’s cloying. Of course adding sweetener or steeping it a long time exaggerates those notes, but I think it’s a very controlled sweetness overall for a decadent tea. What I like most about how this reads, though, is that it’s almost kind of light and airy and that delicate sort of top note ‘general sweetness’ really makes me think of the icing sugar dusting on your typical jelly donut. Surface level I think it’s easy to say you need to capture the “donut” and the “jelly” in order for the tea to be complete, but I don’t think that’s the case – the icing sugar is as much integral to the experience as the other elements.

So part three… jelly! In this case, we went for strawberry. Unlike that sort of icing sugar kind of note/vibe which feels like it very much rests in the top notes as this almost airy/fluffy component, the strawberry is dense and thick and rests a bit lower on the palate which gives some weight to the blend as you’re sipping it. I think it’s important, when playing with different sweet components, to make sure they don’t all hit in the same place while you’re drinking – that’s a huge part of what makes teas feel cloying and excessive. The other thing is that it was very important to me when developing this tea that it could be made as a latte. I’ve heard soooo much feedback about teas like Chocolate Covered Strawberry, the Strawberries & Cream oolong from a few years back, or even Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait being frustrating for people because the hibiscus in them causes curdling. And I get it – I am also that customer that wants to latte all my fruit teas, so I’m right there with people about wanting a decadent fruit flavoured blend I can add milk to without issue! So, with that in mind, I was determined for this to be discernibly strawberry without the use of any acidified ingredients.

And, I can not stress this enough, you should make this tea as a latte. Honestly the effort paid off ten fold. My go to has heavily been to make this as an iced latte (it’s so refreshing and dreamy) but it’s a really killer hot latte too. I almost feel like the inclusion of milk even makes it feel more donut-like too!

So yeah, Jelly Donut. Is it gonna be for everyone? No, I don’t think so. But what tea is, anyway? But for all my fellow sweet tooth flavour junkies I think this is an EPIC blend and I’m excited to finally get to share it with people.

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.

Another new tea!

Admittedly, this is probably my least favourite of the new teas from today’s drop but I do think it’s a really nice example of a specific style of tea blend. What style is that? More of a sort of “European” blending style where it’s a nice, full bodied black tea base (in this case Darjeeling) with a straight forward addition of one, singular light flavour. I think this blend would fit in perfectly in the assortment of a company like, say, Mariage Freres or Fortnum & Mason…

The black tea base is full bodied and brisk with floral elements characteristic of Darjeeling, and a bit of a woody/foresty kind of note as well. The mango is very, very subtle and just adds a nice fresh top note and supporting fruitiness. Not anything at all like DT’s typical mango tea. If you go into this blend expecting something like Mango Fruit Punch or, even, Maracuja Mango, you will almost certainly be disappointed.

Honestly, this tea just screams “make me in a big ornate teapot and drink me out of beautiful bone china teapots”. I want to eat scones with tangy, fun jams and finger sandwiches while sipping on this blend during high tea at a fancy tea house. Like, there’s very much a “vibe” to this tea that I don’t know a lot of DT blends fall into and I think it’s cool that we’re trying something a little more… subdued? We’ll see if anyone else thinks so too, haha.

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.

As far as TGY goes, I found this to be a very gentle and approachable one with a strong floral leaning both in fragrance and tasting notes. Orchid, lilac, and snow peas predominantly. Very dewy and fresh. It both tastes and feels like Spring – something I’ve obviously been craving a lot lately as the days get slowly brighter and warmer.

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/C33QwM6u72u/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtErUK3tO80

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.

Earlier in the week a coworker steeped a pot of this that I ended up sneaking a cup out of. I say sneaking, but really he just fully offered one to me. Tea people are nice that way. Personally, I felt like he had over steeped the cup a little bit or maybe just over leafed. Still decent tasting, but STRONG. Stronger than I would usually make this tea.

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.

Another new tea!

There were a few returning straight teas that launched today as part of our Garden To Cup collection, like Anji Green, but this one is new. I actually had it gongfu this morning too, in honor of the launch day. I actually like this one a lot both Western and gongfu. It brews up similarly enough, I think the Western cup is a bit more sugar snap pea in taste.

Regardless, this just feels like the embodiment of Spring to me. It’s smooth and medium bodied with lots of fresh, crisp notes of garden peas and sweet summer grass with a calming floral undertone of lilacs to support. Very clean finish. It takes me back to gardening with my grandmother, which is a really cherished memory of mine. I think this would be such a lovely introductory oolong for someone less familiar with this tea type, and a very accesible daily drinker for someone who who knows it more like the back of their hand! And truthfully, this is maybe my favourite greener oolong (so not Ruby Oolong or Oolong Supreme) that DT has released?? Certainly I like it more than Golden Lily, which is our last straight oolong. I’m not even normally really into TGY – y’all know I’m a yancha drinker when it comes to oolongs. This one just works for me though.

Of the many new teas that launched today, Jelly Donut is admittedly my not-so-guilty favourite but this is definitely a very close second. It’s funny, because the two couldn’t be farther apart from each other if they tried, haha.

Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CplFI6COb86/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoxcCz1A-QE

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.

Had a mug of this one last night as I was winding down for the evening. It’s such a simple flavour profile, but I just really enjoy this delicate balance of fresh, floral peach and silky vanilla notes with the cozier, slightly mineral and honeyed oolong peaking through. I think anything richer or more intensely fruity would have killed that calming sort of vibe I was going for, whereas this just felt like a good option for the stillness of the evening.

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.

Tea Pop!

When a coworker surprises you with a freshly made tea pop you don’t ask questions, you take the tea pop and just enjoy! I will admit, I was a little surprised to see that she’d selected this blend for her tea pop and not something like Just Peachy. However, this worked very well. It was peachy but in a softer, more mature way with subtle creamy and floral vanilla undertones and a gentle roast and nuttiness from the oolong itself which was pretty apparent in the flavour make up. Not a sweet tea pop at all, and in fact it had the feel of the kind of “tea spritz” you might get at a more upscale sort of brunch space. I really liked it a lot, and now I’m wondering why I haven’t explored this tea made as a tea pop before now…

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.

I think I must have subconsciously really been in a peach mood this week because this is one of several peach blends I ended up brewing. Loved the rich, silky vanilla note that popped out in this cup alongside the fresh peach notes and a gentle nutty undertone from the oolong itself. Very smooth!

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.

Lots of new teas today on the DT site along with a bunch of teaware and accessories, but if you scroll through and look at all the Spring goodies (this is the biggest collection drop in a while) you won’t see this tea… that’s because it’s actually store exclusive!

I’ve been trying to remember if we’ve ever had a store exclusive tea before aside from the point where, y’know, we didn’t actually have a website. I definitely haven’t fact checked myself, but I actually can’t remember having something store exclusive in the six years I’ve been at DT. There have definitely been web exclusives and kit exclusives, but stores!? I don’t think so…

I’m on the fence about whether I like the idea – mostly because, in general, I don’t love the inaccessibility of exclusives. Web is, I guess, better because theoretically anyone can place a web order – though I know there are shipping costs to deal with and the sizing is less flexible than buying in person. But with so few stores now, it’s gonna be very hard for people who don’t live near them to try this – and that’s kind of a bummer. Especially because it’s a good tea! On the flip side, with so few stores it kind of makes every store a destination store. When other companies (tea and non-tea) have store exclusives and do cool limited launches I really find that exciting and it becomes a sort of fun challenge to get my hands on the product I want to try. So why does this feel different? No correct answer – just something I’ve been personally mulling over as I’ve been counting down the days until this tea launches…

Anyway, it’s a really nice tea! DT has definitely tackled peaches and cream before, and honestly I feel like we’ve done a decent job with it. White Peach is the blend that comes to mind most immediately, and the long retired blend from six or seven years ago that was literally named Peaches and Cream. Southern Belle, too, was kind of in that vein. So, why are we doing it again?

Well, truthfully, every time we’ve released one it’s kind of ended up (while delicious) too similar to Just Peachy – DT’s infamous juggernaut of a peach tea that just dominates anything we release with peaches in it. It’s such a delicious and classic profile though, so I wanted to really try and tackle creating a peach and cream blend that wouldn’t end up feeling too close to Just Peachy. ’Cause, when that happens, those blends never get to stick around long term…

I think the first thing that seperates this blend is that it’s very well balanced between the peach and cream. All the other blends I’ve listed have (to me, at least) felt like a peach tea with cream and I think this one feels very equal in part. It’s no more peach than it is cream, and vise versa. I find the peach very tender yet ripe and natural; like a freshly sliced summer peach that still has the skin on it. There’s a floral undertone, which the oolong base helps accentuate, that just isn’t present in Just Peachy and it’s also much less sweet and tangy. I’d probably go as far as to call it the more mature older sister of Just Peachy. As for the cream component, I find it more of a silky fresh vanilla than something really heavy. It brings some decadence without making this blend feel like a dessert, and I think that’s pretty different than past versions of this profile. I also love the licorice root in the blend. I’ll be the first person to say that I hate the taste of licorice root but I honestly don’t taste it here at all – instead, because of it’s demulcent properties, it actually creates a coating sensation on the palate (without having a strong taste) that plays into the sensation of cream in a really unique and very pleasant way! Plus, can we talk about the oolong? In addition to subtle floral notes, it’s just got a great medium body and the faintest hint of nuttiness that adds some elevation and depth to this beautiful blend.

Ultimately, I’m very proud of this tea! My biggest hope with this tea is that it does very well in stores, and as a result there’s enough interest for it to be added to the online assortment so more people can try it. It’s certainly been my go to Peaches & Cream for about half a year now!

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.

TTB Review #16: I’ve never met an earl grey I didn’t like, and this one is no exception. The creamy flavor is great and adds a natural sweetness without being overwhelming. Love love love it!

I wouldn’t exactly characterize the flavor as ‘pistachio macaron’, but it’s a nice fruit/herbal tea with a smooth mouthfeel and noticeable pistachio flavor.

I enjoy the sweet with a touch of bourbon. Wasn’t sure at first but after a couple tries I grew to love it.

Sipdown! (40 | 76)

Picked this one up with a reward, as I always have DT rewards lying around from teaware purchases. And I do like coffee teas, and this one came highly recommended from several tea people I follow, most notably Tea with Jann.

So I tried it plain first, and I’m just not a fan. It tastes overly artificial to me, in a cloying way, even though it’s not sweetened. I think it might be the almond flavoring that’s giving me that impression? So I sipped through the rest of the bag as a latte, and even that’s not my favorite either. The milk definitely helps to smooth out some of that artificial taste, or maybe it just makes more sense in a latte format.

Anyway, definitely not one I would reorder. I just don’t seem to mesh well with DT’s blending/flavoring style, so I think I’ll stick to their Garden to Cup collection when using my rewards from now on. I have a bag of Butterfly Jasmine that I’m excited to try now that I’ve finished this off!

#mugtober

It’s no secret that I have a pretty intensely large teaware collection. I mean, some of the comments I get most frequently are people complimenting my teaware or asking where it’s from. But, there’s one part of my teaware collection that is waaayyy larger than I think anyone realizes, and that’s my mugs. I own SO MANY mug. That was for sure my first teaware love, long before I got into gongfu and expanding my assortment of gaiwans, teacups and yunomi cups, yixing pots, and all the other bits and bobbles that come with that form of tea practice. I still constantly find myself adding to my mug collection, though now it’s largely handcrafted and one of a kind pieces from the small potters and ceramicists I follow here on instagram…

So, I’ve decided I want to turn the spotlight to some of my favourite mugs from my collection throughout the month of October. I’ll be sharing one a day on my stories, and because everything needs a catchy name, I’m calling it my #mugtober challenge. At the same time another insta tea friend is running her own tea challenge this month under the hashtag #octoberteas2024. I figured I’d double down and combine the two, so a mug and a tea based on the theme each day. Mug might be hard, but I’m committed to trying my best!! Wish me luck!

Today’s theme was Spiced/Chai, so I’m kicking things off with the recently returned Horchata Chai in this cinnamon brown mug with the appropriately (for DT) aqua/teal accents. This might be my favourite Chai that I’ve developed for DT. It’s very cozy with really rich notes of sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and of course rice along with warming cinnamon and ginger. Very much like the Agua Fresca it’s inspired by, just a bit spicier. So good with a splash of milk or as a full out latté. Hot or iced!

PS. I’m going to not so secretly push myself with an extra third challenge this month – no repeating tea companies…)

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DAmGT2WSBM7/?img_index=1

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_NNjIj2Gbw

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.

It’s back, baby!

We just brought this tea back as part of our Fall Collection and I’m super excited because this is one of my favourite chai blends that I’ve gotten to develop. I just restocked my own personal tin, and when I was doing that I needed to make myself up a mug – of course!

Very sweet, but I personally find that a good horchata is usually also quite sweet. The sweetness mostly comes in the way of the very thick, rich and creamy vanilla and condensed milk type flavour with that lovely and cozy note of cinnamon, hint of spicy ginger and the signature starchy rice undertone. It’s delicious and nostalgic tasting, even if you aren’t particularly versed in horchata. Very hyped this one is back!

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.

This tea soft launched earlier in the month as part of a mini collection inspired by different global flavours/terroirs – it was accompanied by Cherry Blossom Matcha and Mint Everest, which had previously first been teased in the Around The World advent.

I first started working on this tea about a year and a half ago. It’s not the first time that DT has done a horchata flavour – a few years back, when I was in store, we had a really excellent tea called Horchacha. I wanted to kind of reimagine that blend since, in the years since, Horchata has become a lot more mainstream/commercially recognized. This time around, we dropped the stevia and gave this blend a spicy Chai twist to play off the cinnamon notes already in Horchata. There’s still that very rich, creamy and thick taste that one should except from a Horchata. This is in part because of the coconut milk powder (which also makes for a richer mouthfeel), in part because of the use of flavouring, and in part because of the addition of white rice which does add a subtle starchiness. Ultimately, within that strong overarching sense of creaminess, you taste a mix of coconut, rice, and vanilla.

In regards to that “Chai twist” – I personally find the cardamom stronger than the ginger but I’ve heard coworkers say the reverse too, so I think maybe personal spice preference could play an effect in how you perceive that balance. Regardless, adding those extra spices does add more depth and layers of flavour to the blend (and breaks up some of the sweetness) without necessarily adding heat.

The base mix was fun too – we went with roasted mate for caffeine, body, and to give some darker “low” notes to the blend from the roast to help balance the sweetness and more aromatic top notes. The addition of rooibos was important too; it also adds body but kept the roasted mate from overtaking some of the more subtle flavours within the profile or getting too tannic/bitter.

Ultimately, it’s a sweet tea but I think a delicious one! I think a lot of people think of Chai as a more autumnal drink and this would, of course, be perfect as a cozy fall or winter beverage. However, Horchata is usually consumed cold and this tea REALLY shines as an iced latte so I’m glad it released a little earlier in the year so that as it warms up people will (hopefully) take advantage of enjoying it as a refreshing tea to cool down with in the summer. I recommend making it with coconut milk or, to be more authentic, rice milk!

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.

Day 22 of the DavidsTea herbal advent calendar. Because of the valerian, it took me a while to get around to this one – both because I don’t like the taste of valerian and because I could only have it at bedtime. But it’s not at all what I expected! I can’t taste the valerian at all. Rather, it tastes like creamy caramel apple – somehow light and airy, though the flavors aren’t weak or faint. Just a pleasant surprise all around.

Day 21 of the DavidsTea herbal advent calendar. I am not a huge fan of this one. I guess the name is because of the butterfly pea flower making it purplish-blue? It is that pretty color, and if I recall correctly this was initially released a few years ago when butterfly pea flower was very trendy. Which is fine and fun. But the flavor is a little eh. First off, it varies depending on what pieces from the blend you can actually get into the steeper. So the first time I made this, I got a strong berry flavor. But the second time, because I didn’t get a berry into the steeper, the brew tasted more of coconut than berry. The result is that it doesn’t feel super balanced or particularly interesting, more just gimmicky. It’s ok enough that I’ll finish off the little sample, but I have no desire to ever drink it again.

This is very mildly spiced and desserty. I never find myself picking this one over other teas, partially because it has a small amount of white tea, so it’s a little caffeinated. I either want no caffeine or plenty, not this weird small amount. The flavoring is a little fruity, but also too artificial. The coconut comes through in a desserty way. This tea isn’t bad, but it’s sort of fake and strange.

This was definitely a win for me, it’s bold and herbaceous with a hint of spice on the back end. I think it’s perfect for non-drinkers like me that still wanna be included in the party.