26 Tasting Notes
Two weeks ago I got another 100g of this tea and this batch tastes even better than the first one!!! Unfortunately, when this batch is gone, it’s gone for good. Like their Himalayan Traveler’s tea, it’s no longer available on their site but thankfully they now carry another wonderful black tea: Nepal Black
Preparation
I just fell in love again…Wild Black Yunnan being my first love, now meet Nepal Black from David’s tea. It’s a totally satisfying black tea like Wild Black Yunnan but has an added sweet honey after taste that increases as the tea cools and has no bitterness whatsoever. Overall, this tea is simple yet amazing. A definite keeper until no longer available (and I hope that won’t happen, ever).
Preparation
Good stuff, isn’t it? One of the nicest black teas I’ve tried.
Nice meeting you Michelle! I hope they keep this tea for a long time since I’ve just learned that David’s Tea discontinued Himalayan Traveler’s tea… I’m so glad I just stocked up! Which tea shop do you prefer the most?
Hi, Luc.
My local indie shop, Britannia Teas and Gifts, is my favourite and has been for years … but I should point out that I now work there part-time.
For online, I really, really like Stash. I first started orderning from Stash back in 1991, when it was payments by cheque.
I’ve been an online customer of DavidsTea, too, and they carry some really interesting blends I can’t find anywhere else, and now, this Nepal Black from Jun Chiyabari. We have a new bricks and mortar DavidsTea in St John’s. Sorry to hear they’ve disco-ed the Himalayan. Is it just me, or is DavidsTea becoming more and more about the heavy flavours? That said, I do like some of their more out-there mixes, like Chicory Dickory Dock (chciory, almond, vanilla), Jumpy Monkey (mate, cloves, coffee beans and cocoa) and Super Chocolate (green tea, rooibos, bits of cocoa bean)… but I find myself getting very tea-nerdy these days and heading for the single-estate teas, for good jasmine and good oolong.
A friend is after me to go in on an order with Teaopia.
What’s your favourite shop?
Hey Michelle, sorry I took so long. I’ve always drank tea, even as a child and it was King Cole, of course. I started drinking loose-leaf tea when I accidentally discovered Teavana while I was in Tampa on vacation. I got suckered into buying their most expensive tea “Pheonix Mountain Dan Cong Oolong” but instantly feel in love with loose leaf tea. Teavana is still my top favourite store even though their teas are over-priced. Their Copper Knot & Nine Dragon Needle are simple and sublime amongst many other teas they sell.
I’ve tried Teaopia but will never re-ordered anything from them after. I found their teas to be bland, looked and tasted old (compared to the other teas I’ve had).
Metropolitan Teas have great teas, especially their English Blends. I do agree with you about David’s Tea getting into the flavours and I DO NOT like flavoured teas.. I’m a camellia sinensis purist. I’ll tolerate some “flavoured” teas but…
With Black Needle & Himalayan gone… the only other one I love is Wild Black Yunnan and if they get rid of that…. ugh.
By pure luck, I got my hands on high-grade Oolongs from Taiwan when my brother-in-law returned to his home country to visit family and OMG, I must say, they keep their best teas for themselves!!! The quality and freshness is unsurpassed by the franchise tea stores we have here.
Well I must go make more tea and visit Stash.Take care Michelle!
I wanted to get a Yixing teapot but got this tumbler instead. It’s pretty (I got the Oolong dragon one), portable and makes a big difference when brewing tea compared to in a non-yixing clay teapot. In this marriage of classic and modern, their love child the Yixing Traveler Tea Tumbler from Teavana is one of a kind and beautiful. I will be getting another one, or two, or three. Yes, it only holds 12oz but most Yixing teapots I’ve seen hold 6oz to 12oz anyway and you don’t have to worry about breaking this one. I love how Teavana have unique items like this tumbler and other great finds like their Alasdair Glass Tea Kettle.
This tea which is relatively inexpensive taste better than some other more expensive Yunnan teas that I’ve tried. It holds the typical Yunnan qualities, and then some, but without having to pay an elaborate price that some tea stores charge for this type of tea. Yunnan black teas are my preference and I keep this tea stocked at all times.
Preparation
This tea caught me off guard when I first tried it. I was simply not expecting such a great tasting blended tea! The black teas are from the Sri Lanka districts of Nuwara Eliya and Dimbula. They then add a Darjeeling and White Monkey Paw green tea to make this “black” tea very unique. Highly recommended and terribly inexpensive. A must try!
