Glitter & Gold

I’m so relieved that this doesn’t taste like chai. I’ve tried to like chai. I’ve tried very hard. I just can’t do it! This is more like a vanilla/clove/orange. No cinnamon! :) Doesn’t need any sweetening in my opinion.

This is #6 in my DAVIDsTEA 24 Days of Tea advent calendar—and what a treat! It’s gorgeous dry, with the gold pearls and sugar crystals. But the best part is when you steep it. The gold pearls partially dissolve in the hot water (some of the filigree is left with the leaves)—and they give you a tea that actually glitters with a million dancing sparkles! I’ve never had so much fun watching my tea—the warm water swirls and shimmers in my mug. The cinnamon is veeeery subtle, but the tea has a nice flavor – mellow black tea with perfect sweetness; I taste the vanilla and clove more. Now, at the bottom of my almost-empty mug, along with small bit of tea leaves, there is a silver swirl of sparkles. This tea is bringing out the girl in me (shiny!)

I used my travel mug with loose leaf steeper this morning as I was running out the door for the bus, which means it probably steeped for 10 or so minutes. It didn’t turn bitter, and was such a pleasant surprise as I got to sip it in the cold outside!

When I tried it again tonight, I steeped for 7 minutes, and it turned out great once again.

It doesn’t seem to make a very strong second steep, and there are still sparkles, but less. But the first cup IS magical…I may need to get more of this. Of course, it’s perfect this time of year, with my Christmas tree lit and glowing across the room :)

(added dollop of honey, no milk)

This tea is an interesting one, because I swear to you, it is best served in a clear vessel. It will do fine in plain mugs as well taste-wise, don’t get me wrong, but it has a visual element to it. This is a tea that I will never ever ever drink out of an opaque travel mug, because I would miss the visual element, which is part of the enjoyment and wonder of the tea itself.

As it is, I would brew it in a clear teapot, like on should use for flowering teas, if I had one. As it is, I don’t, so I try to make the most of it in-cup as I can.

What makes this tea so special you ask? Well, the short version is that it sparkles. Tiny specks of glitter appear to be floating in the tea, making for a beautiful sight, especially when looked at directly under a source of light. Yes, this tea is absolutely perfect for those who like a little bling, those who enjoy a bit of magic and whimsy in their food and drink, and Twilight fans alike (but only perhaps if you’re Team Edward).

Myself? I fall closest to the whimsical side of things if had to choose. In any case, having the beautiful visual element makes my day.

That being said, on with the review.

Steeped: 1 tbsp in my 2-cup pot with freshly boiled water

First Cup: Brewed 5 minutes
This tea is very mild, with a vanilla aftertaste. The spices come through as well, for sure, but the overall flavour is very mild and light. I wonder if it might do well with a longer steep time. That being said, the visual experience is AMAZING!!! I love watching all the suspended sparkles in the tea.

Second cup: Brewed about 40 minutes. Milk added.
I tried a little bit clear before I poured the cup proper with milk… no real change in flavour strength.
Usually, when I make it with milk, the top still sparkles beautifully, but I can’t seem to make it do so this time. That being said, the milk goes quite well with the vanilla. The spices still seem underdeveloped, but I’m enjoying the sweetness of the tea as a whole.

Third cup: Resteep. Brewed for around 30 minutes.
There is a mild substance to the flavour… a sweet, vanilla, spiced somethingness. It’s still very weak, and I wish it was stronger, but it’s still good. Also, the tea is just as visually interesting as it was on the first cup. Seriously, I love these sparkles.

Fourth cup: Same resteep. Brewed for around an hour. Added milk.
The sweetness and slight spiced-ness are still coming through as I sip. I wish I’d left the milk out though I prefered it without milk, I think. Plus, it’s still not as sparkly with the milk as usually is still. Perhaps I put in less gold sugar balls somehow or something? That being said, I let the last half the cup cool while I ate lunch… the sweetness and slight mulled/spiced-ness was nice after my meal.

Overall impression: A little lighter in flavour than I like, but still quite nice. For those of you who have tried Bigalow’s Constant Comment before, it’s like that tea with vanilla and sparkles added to it. Seriously, though, I might have to pick up a large amount of this tea just to watch it glitter. I love it!

My rating: 83. A-. I may have rated it lower for taste alone, but the visual element is A+++++ so I have to balance them out a bit.

Day 6/24 of 24 days of tea

Sorry everyone- I fell behind logging for a few days. I’ll catch up today!

Unfortunately this is black tea which means I can’t really drink it. In order to do this tasting note I made a big mug of tea for my husband and took a little bit in a tea cup to try. Years ago I used to love this tea- the weaker black tea with the shimmer from the gold balls was so cute. Unfortunately it doesn’t shimmer nearly as much in the new formula, but it still tastes the same: slightly sweet, weaker black tea. Not bad if that’s your thing!

I don’t quite understand the concept of the tea – I guess it’s pretty because it does glitter once steeped and ready to drink, but that’s it. It’s quite sweet without any addition of sugar, and I could very just subtly taste a cinnamon taste, if any. I felt like I was just drinking a sugary tea. Not my favourite tea, this one was recommended by the girls at the DavidsTea store I frequent, they usually know what I like but this is a miss. :(

It’s like heaven in a cup!

This is my go-to tea. Love, love, love. It’s a staple in my home.

when i first found this tea i was overjoyed its so delicious and smooth nothiing like any other black tea i have had and its not bitter i infused a batch 4 times and was still strong fantastic tea for all day drinking

This tea is delicious and the gold and silver candies in it give it sparkles!
I first discovered it during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics when it was known as “Go For The Gold”. I like drinking it black, with almond milk, or almond milk and a little agave or honey.

This is slightly nerve-wracking. My first tasting note. I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing… Well, I don’t. But I decided to start with something I know and love, Glitter & Gold.

I spent a couple of minutes sniffing this tea as the water was about to boil, simply because it smells so incredibly lovely. The mix of vanilla and cinnamon make me wish this was a perfume I could splash on for a night out. Seriously, to die for. And then once it’s all steeped and done, it’s so pretty I feel bad drinking it! David’s Tea is right. It looks like a gorgeous starry night. Well either that, or a really cool lava lamp.

Okay, but now the important part: taste! I’ve been taking myself off of sweeteners, slowly but surely. So first, without honey, then with. Without, it’s a very light tea. It has sugar crystals and the sweetness is barely there, but lingers on my tongue after I’ve sipped. I really like the taste of cinnamon, but it’s very light with this tea – something that even cinnamon haters might enjoy. I’ll try tricking my mom into drinking this. I won’t tell her there’s cinnamon it in (she hates that cinnamon can be overpowering). Honestly, I like this just fine without honey. But let’s add a drop for kicks… There’s not much of a difference to be honest. The tea is naturally sweet so it doesn’t really need any honey. Hooray!

I love this tea. The combination of glitter, vanilla scent, light cinnamon taste and a touch of sugar do it for me.