40 Tasting Notes
This tea has a lot going on – and sometimes that just doesn’t work; it can be too much. Looking at the ingredients list for this one, you’d think, “It’ll either fly or it won’t.”
Baby, it flies! Citrusy, fruity, mildly minty, and even flowery, this tea is a real blend of everything you’d imagine a beautiful evening in the garden to be. You know, if it were idyllic when you were out there. It’s very, very well-balanced.
My rating for this doesn’t fly the highest, however, simply because I’m not hugely into fruity teas, and out of all its elements, I would describe this one as predominantly fruity. It’s gorgeous hot or iced, but it’s not among my top faves – if fruity was my thing, however, I think it would be!
You want a sweet tea? I WILL GIVE YOU A SWEET TEA! Here it is; Oh Canada! Nothing could be sweeter than this cheery blend of toffee, caramel, maple syrup, more stuff that aren’t necessarily sweet, and a garnish of cute, colourful maple candies to top it off, how can you go wrong?! Of course, if you dislike sweet teas, this is a very sweet tea, but wow, is it ever fun!
I find this tea particularly wonderful for autumn (maybe it’s the little maple leaves, makes me see the changing leaves outside!) alongside David’s Tea’s Pumpkin Chai, but whereas P-Chai brings me to a mellow, calm, warm place, Oh Canada takes me on a sweet, bubbly ride through the orange-and-yellow forests!
Also, this cheers me up immensely when I have a cold; it’s absolutely a comfort tea, and while I wouldn’t have it every day, it’s still an absolute joy to have on hand!
I feel I should also add that this is one of the very, very few Rooibos teas I will drink regularly – generally I prefer a strong black tea that will pair well with (too much) milk without getting drowned out. But Oh Canada! stands on its own two feet, even paired with milk, and still pulls through more than admirably. I’m not sure I’ve found a lot of Rooibos blends that can say that, at least not ones I love this much. It’s a great bonus to a lovely tea.
But this tea is really THIN to me. Watery, almost a bit fruity (which has no place here in a creme brulée tea, in my opinion) to me. I don’t find the scent particularly “outrageously tempting” – I find it weak. I hoped when I bought it that it would translate stronger into a brewed cup, but for me it just doesn’t stand on its own. Thin, watery, kind of sweet, but it doesn’t taste like creme brulée and it doesn’t have the textures reminiscent of it, either. I’d add milk to help give it a more robust texture – but with the flavour already coing across as thin, well, it’d be essentially knocked right out. Just a miss for me.
I can’t really describe this tea too well. It’s rich, dark, earthy, and very unique. There’s also a spiciness to it that I can’t compare with anything else; it’s something of a base note for me, and dissimilar to most spicy teas. It tickles my throat gently, just hinting at its presence among all the other very complex flavours.
Personally I prefer lighter, sweeter teas, but occasionally I find this perks me up in the winter time, with its very woodsy feel – reminds me of damp autumn days, but other times I find it’s just too rich for me, and I don’t want to have to finish my cup. I think this may be one of those very, very rare brews where I appreciate less to more; one small-medium cup is preferable to a large thermos.
If you like a complex, earthy, deep flavoured tea, this one will likely be a hit; my partner drank it for much of the semester when we first purchased it – and I think it only fell by the wayside because he transitions between tea and coffee on a regular basis.
Oh my gosh, who would have though THIS could happen? This tea is TOO SWEET for me!
I typically love Cream of Earl Grey teas – I love Earl Grey so much, and adding that punch of sweetness just makes it heavenly for me. I try any Cream of Earl Grey or Lady Grey tea I can get my paws on, and I love them all – bagged or otherwise, I am indifferent, appreciating each one’s subtle differences.
But this is not a sweet punch, it is a sugary take-down! I can’t even believe how sweet this is – I bought it on the pure trust in my love for DAVIDs TEA doing great sweet dessert teas regularly and nailing them, and the fact that I already know I love Earl Grey cream/vanilla teas. But it turns out that this one was not to be!
I personally do not taste much of the Earl Grey in there; somehow it’s just too sweet. Like almost syrupy-sweet. My recommendation would be to check out The Earl’s Garden at David’s Tea and compare the two before you buy – who knows, you may like both, or you may discover you would prefer one above the other. But this one surprised me.
(Edit: Nowadays there’s also The Earl’s Valentine to consider and compare against, at least in the early springtime. Definitely worth comparing them, although I can’t say I’ve found my perfect sweet Earl Grey with DT as of yet.)
I really, really enjoy this tea; the scent is, I think, headier than the brew, so I suggest an uber long steep for myself. But I’m also pretty much a master of not minding an excessive steep.
I love to painstakingly take the little marshmallows out of my tea ball before I brew, and toss them in just with the water to make sure they have their full impact – nothing more tragic than steeping this tea and emptying out your leaves afterwards and seeing little marshmallows that haven’t fully dissolved into your tea!
The texture of this tea is great, and I blame that partially on those little mallows, and I find it brings out the graham cracker texture and taste subtly but well. I don’t really find the chocolate that strong in this, which I find nice, but I can also imagine it’s disappointing for many people.
For myself, I say steep it to high heaven, add milk for a creamier experience, and if you’re feeling fun, creative, and silly – throw in your own full sized marshmallows! It’s nice! And it looks so cute and playful to have marshmallows for your tea; I’d definitely suggest doing it like that if you’re having a get together in the cooler months to warm everyone up – and their spirits! _
Preparation
Well, this one is a conundrum; reading everyone else’s reviews makes me feel like I’m not insane, at least – I cannot taste the lavender.
I got this tea as a Christmas gift from a tea friend who knows I love lavender, but I’ve put off trying to make a pot because, well, I just can’t smell it. You look at it and you can see it’s in there, but the soft (not heavy for once!) scent of coconut is there instead.
Eventually my partner ended up making a pot randomly one day, though, and I asked for a sip to try. I had a really sore throat and usually sweet teas make it worse, but I had no idea what to expect. Well, it was like a soothing touch to my sore throat – lightly sweet, but not overpoweringly so. The lavender has a soothing, calming effect, I believe, but it’s not the reason to buy this tea on its own, I believe. I don’t think I’d have bought this for myself to begin with, but now I’m eyeing it as the levels in my can slowly decline and I wonder, “Oh man, how soon will I have to replace this?!”
Definitely one for me that will probably serve me VERY well come the winter months and cold/flu season hits. It’s soothing, sweet, but light and still hold an element of fruitiness with its coconut touches!
Ooh, wow. I was a little hesitant to try this tea because of the fruity elements. I mean, I DO enjoy that, but with Earl Grey…? I wasn’t sure I needed to mess with something I love so much. (Even though I love Earl Grey Cream teas!) In any case, as it was a gift, I let it sit around for a while before eventually giving it a go… And… Wow…!
The fruitiness comes across more as a flowery note – like the name suggests! It’s definitely a sweeter Earl Grey, but with a softness to it I wasn’t expecting; the fruits were much more subtle than I anticipated! Definitely a wonderful and light variation on an old classic that should really be tried before being looked over!
One of my all-time favourite teas! Now that Teaopia has been bought by Teavana, I wonder if they can replace it?
Every time I smell this tea I can’t turn it down; it smells like heaven and fluffy almond cookies! I wish the cherry would come through a little stronger, but even so, as it is, it is absolutely wonderful.
It also makes an absolutely beautiful latté – if you like a very sweet tea, as well, a shot of vanilla will take this concoction to new heights!
Either way – this blend is perfect on chilly autumn or winter days! A sweet pick me up! (Too bad Teavanna never did anything with it.)
Flavors: Almond, Cherry
Every time I had this tea in-store I found it bitter, but when I made it at home, it was PERFECT. Instead of being bitter with a flowery aftertaste, it was just flowery and sweet. I absolutely love this one when it’s brewed right (or wrong…?) but when it goes wrong, it’s kind of painful. Glad I took a chance on the aftertaste I loved, since now I’m enjoying it with every sip in the privacy of my home!
