sundaysipping Send Message

I had this as an after dinner tea — partly because it’s a leftover from the Sweet Indulgence sampler I ordered last year and I don’t want it going bad, partly to make room in my tea cupboard. I over-ordered from the Teavana and DAVIDsTEA end of year sales, got tea for Christmas and, well … my tiny kitchen has tins and bags everywhere. It would be nice to cook without having to move tea out of the way every time I have to take something out. For that matter, it would be nice to make tea without having to move tea tins out of the way of my kettle.

Anyway. This was a sample I didn’t have a whole lot of interest in. It’s fruity, but the smell doesn’t leave much of an impression on me. Steeped, however, it’s wonderful. The liquor is a pretty pink and it tastes like dusky fruit, enough to get the point across while still remaining subtle. I absolutely love it!

I got a sample of this in my recent order from Teavana (yay, 75% off sale!). The sample had some of their German rock sugar in it.

The first brew of this tea is wonderful with the added sugar — sweet but still hot/spicy from the ginger. I absolutely love it. It doesn’t really stand up to a resteep, however. I left my infuser in the cup for almost 10 minutes before I got anywhere near the color of the first infusion. Without the sugar, it’s lacking tastewise.

Might be a good breakfast tea, but I feel guilty buying tea I won’t get multiple steeps out of.

Dry, this smells super fruity. Steeped, it lives up to its name – mangoes! Sweet, juicy mangoes!

I’m disappointed to have used up the last of this – another desserty wonder that lives up to its name. Bravo!

Dry, this smelled like the Moscato I have – light, fruity, oh so delicious. Steeped … it tasted like a pastry with no fruit, just dough. Very bready. Not bad but unexpected.

Finally finished this one. I’ve been having it as a morning tea with sweet cream coffee creamer to kill the bitterness. It’s surprisingly smooth with the creamer, and I find myself really enjoying it as a tea I don’t have to think much about while I’m waking up.

Unfortunately, I got a taste of the creamer without the tea this morning. It’s syrupy sugary, which is barely noticeable in the tea.

I’m glad this one is finished up.

I got this as a sample last time I was at a DAVIDsTEA. I’ve tried it plain, with clover honey, and with raw sugar. Tastewise, it’s nicely fruity. The Smell of the dry leaves is reminiscent of the artificial orange flavor used in cheap Candy. I don’t mind the taste of the tea, but it’s not tasty enough to re-purchase.

I bought some triple sweet cream coffee creamer while I was grocery shopping the other day with the intent to use it to make this tea taste better.

I made some this morning in the new tea canteen I got as an early Christmas present from DAVIDsTEA. With creamer, it’s nice and sweet — chocolate coconut and light on both flavors. I’d up the rating for the version with creamer to about a 50 — something I should have no trouble finishing now. Still really disappointed that this was so terrible straight.

My fiance loved the smell of this one. He asked if he could eat the dry leaves for breakfast due to their sweet, chocolatey goodness.

I, on the other hand, should probably abandon hope in chocolate teas.

The steeped tea is still sweet chocolate. It tastes bland — no chocolate, no sweetness, just tea. The aftertaste is a less-aggressive licorice than what I’ve had in Yogi’s Throat Coat, but no less strange. I feel like this would be a great tea for a sore throat … but I’m not loving it outside that context. The taste gets more licoricey as it cools.

Not my cup of tea.

This is my current favorite from the Winter Collection. All the comments about it being a really heavy tea that you don’t get a whole lot of “bang for your buck” with are accurate. In the 25g pouch I got from DAVIDsTEA, there’s enough for maybe three cups of tea.

The taste of the brewed tea is all apple cider spices. I can’t taste any fruit in this, but the spices are nicely blended and not overwhelming. I can see this being great blended with a tea with a stronger apple taste.

Resteep — 8 minutes, boiling water, 4tsp per 16oz: This resteeps really nicely! The spicy flavor didn’t degrade at all and it’s still nicely balanced. Yum!

This is the Winter Collection tea I was most looking forward to, and I wasn’t wowed by it. I was expecting much more of a creamy, sweet taste from the white chocolate. The smell was sweet mint, the taste of the brewed tea was overwhelmingly mint. The mouthfeel was creamy from the chocolate, but mostly cold mint. Only towards the end of the cup did the heat from the peppercorns come through.

Not a bad tea, more one I’m on the fence about. I’m not in love with it, but I don’t hate it either. Really wishing this would be the herbal to end all herbals; looks like that title still goes to Pistachio Cream for me. :-/