251 Tasting Notes
Dry: Lovely black tea blended with what appears to be toffee bits and tiny slices of shredded coconut. Smells like a salty confection. I’m not sure that I would say caramel if I sniffed without reading the bag, but something sweet and dessert-y for sure.
Steeped: Cloudy brown liquor. The steeped aroma is more like what I would think of for salted caramel. Warm, gooey, and rich topped with a sprinkle of sea salt. Mmmm!
Taste: This one did not has not wowed me yet. I think I will need to play with the amount of tea (maybe overleaf more next time?). I also want to try it with either a touch of agave or brown sugar to bring out the flavor more. Brewed as recommended, I am only tasting a decent black tea base with a hint of something sweet. Slightly drying on the tongue, but no bitterness noted. Nothing that would make me think salted caramel for sure. As it cools, it is a bit more dessert in the flavor profile, but still not really what I would have expected. Better luck next time hopefully!
Preparation
Dry: Tightly rolled dark olive colored leaves with lighter stems peeking out here and there. Smells fresh, a bit buttery, and vegetal without being grassy or hay-like.
Steeped: Pale clear light olive liquor. The leaves unfurl while brewing and show how large and lovely they are. Like with most quality oolongs, make sure there is plenty of room in the infuser before steeping. Smells just like the dry scent with a creamy aroma noted once brewed.
Taste: I’ve never had other flavored or unflavored milk oolongs to compare to, but I have been enjoying this tea. It is vegetal, buttery, every so slightly floral, and smooth. I am not getting milk taste per-se, but an overall creaminess to the feel on the palate. It is a rich and pleasurable oolong to sip and I am glad I purchased a larger size tin to enjoy it all the longer.
Preparation
Dry: Bright green flat leaves/buds, quite large. Measuring this one would probably be best by weight if you want to be exact, but it seems pretty forgiving as far as green teas go. Smells fresh and crisp from the bag with almost a spicy or sparkling note.
Steeped: Pretty pale green clear liquor. Rich buttery spinach aroma; I am excited about this one!
Taste: This one does not skimp on flavor at all. Rich is the word I would go with for aroma and taste both. It is vegetal, buttery, and a bit nutty with a thick and smooth feel to the tea itself on the tongue. I agree with another review that it is almost like the water from water chestnuts meets a quality green tea. I am enjoying this one quite a bit and it is holding up nicely to multiple steeps of 1m, 2m, and 3m. Lovely tea and organic, too!
Preparation
Dry: Mixed white tea and several different bits blended together. Looks like toffee pieces and cocoa perhaps? Smells like raw chocolate chip cookie dough and I was excited to try this one. Probably a good thing, since I lost my mind and bought 100g without sampling it first!
Steeped: Cloudy amber liquor with a slight slick across the top. Not the prettiest tea to look at, but it sure smells like cookie dough! Yum!
Taste: This one is pretty spot on for flavor and aroma, if you were baking cookies with coconut in them. At least that is what I am getting along with walnuts, cocoa, and those magical cookie dough bakery notes. Overall, I still really enjoy it as a dessert tea. I usually like my tea unsweetened, but this one ramps up a little bit over-leafed with a dash of milk and sweetener. I am not sure if it is going away for good or just seasonally, but it is perfect to enjoy for the upcoming holidays, too.
Preparation
There is a change in the air this morning. The sunlight filtering in seems a little bit different somehow; a varied angle or brightness perhaps? It is cooler out with a gentle breeze. Is autumn coming already? I can’t wait!
This tea accompanies the weather perfectly. Sweet vanilla and smooth oolong wrap me up in cozy comfort. I have been rationing it because I love it so much. I need to go ahead and buy a larger quantity so that I know it is always there for me on these lovely Sunday mornings.
Preparation
I’ve been drinking a lot of this classic over the past month and I have to say that the more I have it, the more I like it. I just bumped the score up a bit to reflect this. It is never bitter, though it is a hearty breakfast blend. It can also take a bit of forgetfulness with kettle times, and I’ve found that this one really shines with a touch of light agave and a dash of milk. It holds up to multiple steeps no problem and I haven’t found a better one yet for the price. This tea generally blends well with other David’s flavored blacks and is overall becoming the household go-to English Breakfast.
Preparation
Oh, this is so easy and delicious. My husband keeps asking me when we are going “to order the giant-sized bag” of caramel matchaccino. Apparently we need to stockpile it in the kitchen somewhere. To be fair, it really is quite an experience and easily substitutes for a much higher calorie sweet treat. I haven’t reviewed the others yet, but the french vanilla and cheesecake matchas from Red Leaf were lovely as well. I need to get caught up on tasting notes!
Dry: Lovely large rolled dry leaves, grass-green in color with a few faded pieces. No broken tea or stems noted. Smells light and fresh with a slight spice note.
Steeped: Olive green clear liquor. Very subtle aroma, faint scent of fresh greens with a hint of sweet.
Taste: Mild is the word I would use to describe this one. If you do not like strong or complex green teas, this one would be a good option to try. Soft spinach with hint of sweet and a hint of spice. No bitterness or bite noted. Smooth and mellow, a nice experience but nothing that really grabs and holds my interest beyond enjoying a simple and pleasant experience. Holds up to a couple more steeps and I am glad I tried it.
Preparation
Dry: Light, feathery long leaves, buds, and stems. I was intrigued from the scent of the dry tea. It smells subtle, sweet, and ever so slightly green and dewy without any heavy vegetal notes. It is not a stretch to imagine that this tea is grown in the clouds and mist of the mountains.
Steeped: This brews into an exceptionally pale yellow clear liquor. The scent from the infuser is more green than the dry leaf with an almost nutty aroma.
Taste: This is where this tea really shines for me. I was very pleasantly surprised by the flavor, which has nice depth and character. This is not a heavy buttery vegetable tea, but rather light and airy, naturally sweet, with soft hay and floral notes. I am not getting anything fruity, roasted, or nutty from the taste, but I am also not getting any bitterness whatsoever. This is holding up nicely to short steeps of 1 min, 2 min, and 3 min- just lovely!
I am really enjoying all of the Teavivre greens, but this one might need to become a staple in my home at some point.
Preparation
Let me preface this that I am giving a numerical rating based on what I believe the quality of the tea is, not my personal preference. I don’t generally like jasmine or strong floral teas at all, but this one really is very, very good if you like jasmine tea.
Dry: Lovely silver-tipped buds rolled into tight pearls, creating an interesting variegated pattern. The scent is bright, sweet jasmine. It smells like I am holding the blossoms right up to my nose.
Steeped: Pale yellow clear liquor. The pearls unfurl in the infuser like flower buds opening, lovely to watch. This smells heavenly as it is steeping. Pure, sweet jasmine wafting delicately across the kitchen to tickle my nose! This scent could be bottled and worn as a perfume, not artificial at all.
Taste: This tea is sweet and very fragrant. I do not care for jasmine tea, but even I have to appreciate how potent and real the taste and aroma is. The tea leaves and the tea taste/smell are exactly what they are supposed to be. No bitterness whatsoever and it held up to three steeps. I followed the instructions on the Teavivre site and did 1 min, 2 min, and 3 min. I think it would have been noticeably weaker for a fourth steep, but since you don’t need many pearls for the brewing itself then you still get a good value. I really wished I loved jasmine tea. If I did, this would be the one I would order again and again.
I often find that I need to overleaf with David’s tea, as well as add in cream and sugar to coax out as much flavor as possible. I’m not surprised that this tea is also underwhelming.