16603 Tasting Notes
The last of these “RL” cold brews that I picked up from T&T.
Honestly, this was maybe my favourite. It was very smooth and nutty with notes of golden grains, a little bit of honey, and just a little bit of roast and minerality. It’s really a shame that I enjoyed it so much, because I actually only drank about a third of it before leaving it in the back of an Uber. Womp womp.
Very, very lightly flavoured but despite the fact it’s sort of lacking in both the strawberry and banana notes and anything that would make me think of a smoothie… I still sort of like it!? I mean, it’s smooth and that delicate albeit generic fruit note is kind of relaxing as a late night option to sip on when you’re just feeling something a little more gentle. And the rooibos that makes up the base is very nice!
The last couple of weeks I’ve been on a bit of a Bubly kick. First with the pineapple flavour, and then with the apple. Most recently I got a case of the raspberry, but unfortunately that sort of ended the obsession since I really don’t love the flavour…
I’ve been struggling with how to use up the remainder of the case, so as to not be wasteful, and I had the idea of trying one of these SuperBelly stick packs mixed in a can to make a sparkling version. Honestly, I’m going to call it a mixed success because it DEFINITELY improved the flavour of the Bubly but on the other hand it was less enjoyable than just drinking the SuperBelly on its own. So, probably not a good strategy to use up the rest of the pack going forward since these SuperBelly stick packs are expensive.
If anyone has ideas on how to finish off the Bubly I’m down to try different things though!
Cold Brew!
I’ve had the flu the last couple of days, so haven’t been drinking a lot of tea since my tummy is so sensitive right now (just water, really) but I had a bit of a craving for this tea so I figured I’d test my luck. I drank this ice cold straight out of the fridge, and it was so delicious. It definitely didn’t do anything to help my stomach, but it also didn’t do anything to make it feel worse either. Plus, I was in one of those moments where I felt like I was just on fire so having something so cool and refreshing to drink was actually soothing in that way too!
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.
Flavors: Candy, Raspberry, Tart, Yogurt
Gongfu!
This is my favourite of Hojicha Co’s offerings, and it’s perfect for a brisk late-Autumn afternoon. Deeply toasty and mineral tasting, with a notes of charred peanuts and hazelnut, espresso beans, barley, roasted dandelion root, burnt sugar, and just a little bit of bitter, earthy cacao peppered throughout. Not a ton of rested value here, so definitely a session on the shorter side. However that small handful of steeps you do get are wonderfully delicious and rich!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DCuhTDky_AT/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orjmWv5ReRw&ab_channel=TheBottlemenVEVO
Whisked this up as an eggnog latte that I paired with a batch of freshly baked Quebec blueberry scones topped with marscapone and fresh berries. The scones are warm, buttery and very flaky and obviously go quite well with the smooth, complimenting blueberry flavour of the matcha latté, which is very much channeling a “berries and cream” kind of vibes when whisked up this way! It’s making for a pretty relaxing mid-afternoon tea break as the weekend winds down!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DCw-P_KyHLg/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueGlMl97fy0&ab_channel=TaliaRaeVEVO
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.
Don’t let the cute name of this tea fool you; though it does make for a sweeter cuppa it’s also very full bodied and packs quite an intense punch of flavour. The initial notes were very chocolate-y with a pastry element to them. What started as warm, buttery chocolatines quickly became dense, heavy and super decadent – much more like a molten lava cake. The finish is rich and slightly saline, with very evocative notes of salted toffee or butterscotch. Throughout there are undertones of malt and dark breads with just a hint of plum and leather. Though it’s obviously quite different than a typical English, Irish or otherwise similar breakfast blend it did make for a really nice alternative to start off the week!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DCz1vbfSghb/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBfmMACvjjw&ab_channel=JAWNYVEVO
Gongfu Sipdown (2671)!
I got this tea ages and ages ago, but it ended up forgotten about way at the bottom of a sample drawer. Since first getting this tea, I’ve learned that it’s just not a style I really have a preference for. There’s a light toasty nuttiness to most of the infusions and a fairly potent and present jammy apricot note that hovers near the front end of the sip before dipping into a more grassy, floral and woody mid-sip. It’s a touch coarse, but not undrinkably so. All of the tasting notes are ones I enjoy individually, and in particular the stonefruit notes are a highlight of this tea. However, I’ve just learned about myself that I prefer the two more extreme ends of the oolong spectrum: very light, fresh and floral low oxidation productions or dark, dense and heavily oxidized or roasted ones. The middle ground, while nice to visit, isn’t where I want to spend most of my time.
Maybe that’s why this sample sat so long before being sipped down today. In fact, I think I may have even gotten this tea sample before moving to Montreal, so, when I say ages ago, I mean it. Still ended up a not half-bad session, though! These cakes do have a lot of life shoved in them, so they’re great for a longer session or one shared with tea friends.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DC16Yfppnx7/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cccB8ULwmeI&ab_channel=FutureIslands
Gongfu!
The end of the month snuck up on me so quickly this year, and it’s wild to think that in less than a week advent season will start, and ,with it, my yearly tradition of live blogging Adventageddon. So, I’m sneaking in some sessions now while I have the time! This was a very interesting black tea; it’s sun-dried so it has some more savory and refined characteristics and less upfront sweetness. Still very brisk and full-bodied with top notes that make me think of the dried apricots that my grandma kept in her pantry as a “sweet treat”. They weren’t really all that sweet, but there’s still something mighty nostalgic about that taste to me. The body of the sip is dark and woody with a bit of a molasses note and some walnut with plenty of warming spices. Even if the stonefruit isn’t so much a bright and jammy flavour, it contrasts well with the other spice cake-like flavours. The finish is the most savory, but tinged with lingering sweetness. Miso caramel comes to mind – heavy on the brothy, umami notes though.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DC4unvtyHn0/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yxxTKt7txA&ab_channel=BloodWizard-Topic
I always struggle to describe the flavour of this blend because it’s weirdly quite ethereal despite having clear sweet and spicy notes. But this mug made me think of sugar cookies with a touch of cozy clove. I love clove so selfishly I’d always like just a bit more of it, but I know most people don’t agree with me.
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.
