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This has soooo much toasted rice in it that it really takes over the flavor. That leaves space for just the slightest touch of grassy umami to come through. It’s toasty and it’s comforting and it’s light and it’s good. Always forget how much I enjoy a cup of genmaicha until I have it.

Iced Latte Sipdown (261)

With caramel syrup and whipped cream, this latte was absolutely amazing. So. Good. Sometimes I feel the plain tea doesn’t match its description but made this way it’s just perfect. I’ll be debuting this in the Fall just to have an iced latte like this a few more times.

This an exciting one because it’s my 5000th tasting note!

When I realized last night I was at 4999, I reached out to my tea twin Roswell Strange to ask what tea she thought I should have for this special occasion. She pointed out Lime Gelato by DAVIDsTEA was the first tea I ever wrote a tasting note for but I don’t have that. I also don’t have Birthday Cake by DAVIDsTEA, which was the whole reason I got into tea in the first place. It’s why I went to the store. Queen of Tarts by DAVIDsTEA was the first tea I actually tried from my first haul but that’s not in my cupboard either. What is in my cupboard is this tea, my recently purchased bag of Glitter & Gold.

The OG Glitter & Gold blend was the first tea I really fell in love with. It’s the first one I bought 100 grams of because I enjoyed it so much…back when the only way I knew how to make tea was western style and brewing it hot in a non-variable temperature kettle. So, I thought what better way to celebrate this momentous occasion than with the new version of an old favourite? Not to mention, the sparkle aspect of this tea just screams celebration!

I got to making the tea and the first thing I noticed was no shiny balls. That’s what gave the tea sparkle in the past but this new version had sparkly and non-sparkly stars…so there was hope for that fun glitter effect. Alas, the new version doesn’t quite have the same sparkle the OG blend had, even after I added 3 more sparkly stars to the cups.

The lack of sparkle was disappointing but I suppose taste is what matters. It’s interesting revisiting something I loved when I just started my tea journey since I know my tastes have changed. Plus, I have tried so many blends that things that seemed amazing back then pale in comparison to some of the things I’ve tried along the way. Plus, while this is Glitter & Gold, it’s not my Glitter & Gold. All of this is to say that this is not a favourite anymore. Personally, I think the changes DAVIDsTEA made are mostly to blame because where this gets me most is in the slightly oily mouthfeel which I think is coming from the stars. There is also a stronger citrus quality than I recall and I could be wrong but feel that might be oily too. The older Glitter & Gold blend I remember being cleaner with sugar and clove and a hint of orange. Granted, it may be more of a fond memory than an accurate recall but this seems lower quality in a way and just a touch more artificial.

All in all, this rating is getting dropped from the 95 of yesteryear because whether it’s my tastes or the blend, this is not the tea it once was for me. With that said, I think it was a fun tea to revisit for a significant tasting note. In fact, after all that discussing with Roswell Strange, I almost stupidly saved a placeholder note for the Wild Honey Matcha smoothie I drank this morning to keep my counts accurate. Instead, I’m glad I waited for a bit of an experience.

Iced Tea/Cold Brew Sipdown (262)

I made this in my iced tea press yesterday afternoon and then didn’t end up drinking it. My sister threw it in the fridge and it sat there until I grabbed it tonight.

My tastebuds must have been having a day off because this tasted like an overly sweet caramel popcorn…with candied mango. I was not a fan but also I think something went wrong.

Finishing up the cold brew of this which I’ve been having throughout the day. It’s definitely better this way because while it’s still sweet, it doesn’t seem out of place here.

Last night I had a bad fight with my sister. We worked it out this morning but neither of us really slept more than a few hours last night. That made work and concentration difficult so I sought out caffeine and this tea called to me as an iced latte. It was good, as usual, but I’m nearing the end of my bag :(

This is better cold brewed. The blackberry leaf isn’t as cloying which allows the nice passion fruit flavor to come out.