New Tasting Notes
Iced Latte!
I finished off the mini tin of this from a previous year’s advent, though I still have my larger tin to work through now. The orange continues to feel out of place to me, but I did really like the nutmeg and clove notes in this iced latte and I felt like I was getting more of that sweet, clean earthiness of the carrot alongside those cozier spice notes – so it felt much closer to a proper carrot cake flavour to me than it has the last couple times I’ve whisked this one up.
Iced!
This was a company that was very interesting to me at the Toronto Tea Festival this year because I’ve had agarwood scented oolongs before, but never the agarwood leaf itself either straight (which is one of the tisanes I bought) or in a blend like this one.
I found it quite interesting sipping on this because it’s obviously quite sweet and tropical tasting from the fruits in the blend. Sort of a bit of a more generic or safe/commercial kind of way with sweet candied mango notes over taking the slight twang of the passionfruit. However, it was also quite herbal and earthy with a bit of a smokiness to it as well. I had to make the comparison because I feel like it will come off negatively, but the taste did remind me a lot of the SMELL of cannabis. Like when you walk past someone on the streets and immediately know they’re high/have been smoking. I kind of liked it though! It was like a little bit of good funk that sort of offset the sweeter and more syrupy notes of the fruit.
Definitely very, very curious to try the straight agarwood leaf now though!
Hot cuppa from earlier in the week. It was a pleasant mug though I found the yuzu notes just a little bit on the lighter side, with more of the peppery and pithy elements of the citrus coming out over the brightness/sweetness. Strong notes of fennel, clove, and ginger as well with an earthier backend of the sip following the more brisk and licorice-y body.
I’ve said it before, but this is basically just a jammy and red fruit tasting rooibos blend. Isn’t that kind of what you want, though? It’s a smooth and agreeable red fruit flavour that does emulate the taste of the jam part of a jammy dodger or thumbprint sort of cookie. I enjoyed my mug of it from earlier in the week!
I had a hot mug of this when I got home from work on Thursday night, and it was very nice! I still sort of think this tea is at its most “boba” when you’re drinking it cold and with some type of milk/cream situation but I quite enjoyed the bold, briskness of the malty black tea and the sweetness of the raisin and brown sugar notes that seemed to find their way into the mix. Less a “boba tea” profile and more just a really, really nice and flavoured breakfast-style of black tea. But, well, at 6PM…
I had to hop back and forth between our two offices a few times this week, and this was one of the teas I sipped on the short walk on one of those days. Let me tell you, I was so thankful for a hot cup of tea because even though it’s only maybe 15 minutes between the two locations it was soooo windy and cold. And no one is salting their sidewalks this year, so you have to walk so much more slowly and more careful to not slide around…
The tea was fresh and minty with strong notes of fennel, fresh apple, and just a hint of mango wrapped up in the sweet and cooling embrace of the peppermint. When I left one office my travel mug was piping hot and by the time I reached my destination it was already cold. Winter is wild like that sometimes!
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.
Gongfu!
I’ve really enjoyed the fireweed I’ve tried from Thés du Nord in past years at the Toronto and Montreal tea festivals (the black tea style is my fave), so when I saw this three year aged version of their original oolong-style my curiosity was piqued – ESPECIALLY when I smelled it because, wow, let me tell you it smelled funnnnkkkyyyy, and y’all know I love a funky tea. Also, just have to acknowledge just how much the twisted dry leaf of this special boreal herb really does look like camellia sinensis at a glance. The steeped look gives it away a bit, but the processing/shaping technique is impressive regardless.
Steeped up, this is just as funky and fun as I wanted it to be! So, so fruity on the nose with notes of apple cider vinegar and red dates. The taste immediately made me think of another weird and fermented tea that I love, which is goisicha. It has that same sort of pickled plum, apple cider vinegar, and yeasted bread sort of tang to it but super doubled down on with notes of honey mustard, mustard greens, and even kimchi. Really, REALLY mustard-y though. I got about three flavour-packed steeps, which was such a bold way to start off the day, even with this being a caffeine-free tea/tisane. I do highly this this would be a really polarizing tea, but there’s simply no denying what a distinct experience it is, and personally, it’s something I would definitely recommend everyone try at least once.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFtIIuEyvL6/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGfFmAkNxig&ab_channel=EasyHoney-Topic
Gongfu!
This is one of the teas that I picked up from Toronto Tea Festival this past weekend, and I’m so glad I did because it’s one of the better milk oolongs that I’ve tried in quite a while. Very soft, silky mouthfeel with rich but not heavy or too aggressive notes of fresh cream, butter, coconut oil, and a really fragrant bouquet of florals like orchid, lily, and lilac. It brewed for quite some time before finally tapping out, with a very consistent profile across infusions. Definitely a warm and cozy way to start the day!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFwAAIiyi_G/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MNfKh9EXlQ&ab_channel=PeterMcPoland
Grandpa Style!
I can’t help but get caught up in the beautiful soft caramel colour of the fuzzy leaves that make up this uniquely pressed tea that sits somewhere in the no man’s land between white and black teas. Today, I’m struggling to describe the flavour as anything more than just comforting. Almost like a liquid version of the maillard effect where the soup is “brown” tasting in an almost equally sweet and savory way, with a more medium-ish bodied liquor was a touch of upfront astringency before finishing smooth and coating on the throat. Butterscotch and broth. Caramelized olive brine. So weird. So good.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFyWPedSB3v/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4m3xmFKxwo&ab_channel=CardinalBloom-Topic
This smelled like apple oatmeal while it steeped. I’m drinking it cold, and I’m happy to say it’s super good! The flavor is so juicy and fresh. It’s not tart, just smooth. I only bought the half ounce size, but I’ll have to get more next time. It’s my favorite tea I’ve tried from Savoy so far! The second time I had it, it was super appley, and I love the green rooibos base.
Last tea sample from LP order. Unlike the young LBZ from NS, this one is actually quite nice! Has an interesting sweet note that is similar to brown sugar or caramel.
Mild astringent note in some of the mid-early infusions, but fades quickly. Not as much cha qi as some other reviewers have noted, but that’s fine with me :). Glad to try this one and see that XZH has some good teas that I can get behind.
Flavors: Astringent, Brown Sugar, Caramel, Fruity, Sweet
Grassy flavor, and astringent. Perhaps I need to brew at a lower temperature or less time?
Aroma is grassy with white flowers, although by the 4th infusion it’s more … autumn leaves, perhaps.
Infusion 1: 85C, 60s
Infusion 2: 85C, 10s
Infusion 3: 95C, 10s
Infusion 4: 80C, 12s
Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Bitter, Floral, Grass
Preparation
(spring 2024) I like the peachy flavor, but I wish there were more of it, relative to bitterness. Maybe I need to adjust brew time / quantity.
Infusion 1: 85C, 180s
Infusion 2: 85C, 40s
Infusion 3: 90C 90s
Infusion 4: 100C 120s
Flavors: Brass, Lily, Mango, Peach
Preparation
Ok, and the earthy aroma is nice, but not much flavor. Perhaps I need to use more leaves, or steep differently.
Infusion 1: 95C, 30s
Infusion 2: 98C, 20s
Infusion 3: 98C, 20s
Flavors: Bitter, Earth, Tannin
Preparation
(Spring 2024) This is a nice black tea with a lovely, almost glazed carrot flavor. Most flavor was gone by third infusion, though. Perhaps next time I’ll use more leaves: I could use more flavor / complexity.
Infusion 1: 50s
Infusion 2: 20s
Infusion 3: 20s
Flavors: Carrot, Malt, Roast Nuts, Tannin
Preparation
I’m kind of warming up to this one…our office feels like a rainforest in the mornings and a glacier by mid-afternoon, and a caffeine-free warmer-upper is welcome. Mostly rooibos and cinnamon (the “granny’s spice cabinet” kind, not the red hot candy kind) with a little natural sweetness from both ingredients.
My fist tea purchase of the year. Hopefully one of my only tea purchases this year. I found it at bulk barn of all places!
I really like the chamomile/spearmint combo. This has a nice dried herb (like the smell of dried sage and sweetgrass leaves) and slightly sweet finish. The blackberry leaves give a bit of natural sweetness. The chamomile is very present and I enjoy the flavour of it. I kind of like that chamomile has an almost nectar or honey flavour happening in it but also a bit like mango or pineapple.
I really can’t make out any vanilla at all, but I still enjoy it like the plain Sleepytime blend.
Flavors: Chamomile, Herbs, Nectar, Spearmint
Preparation
This is a decently strong plain Orange Pekoe type tea. Nothing too remarkable – some slightly bitter notes and a bit tannic. It brewed fairly strong. I enjoyed it with a dash of oat creamer. It seems fairly full-bodied but I would have liked some subtle smooth malty notes or even a bit creamy. Overall, not bad for a very old tea bag I needed to use up.
Flavors: Tannin
