Dessert by Deb

This tea is soo good! :) I want to try it on its own next time without milk or sugar!

I can definitely see why everyone rated this so highly! I love spicy chais; however, I was not sure how I would feel about this one since the ingredients seem so simple. Yet again, I am not sure what magic is going on here, but I have noticed Deb has this exceptional ability to make simple ingredients taste super extra, lol!

Smell: This smells SO good. The coconut and cardamon stand out the most to me. It smells very creamy, tropical, and almost like a holiday in a bag.
Prep: I added like 2 tablespoons, brewed it up into a concentrated tea, and added honey and milk
Taste: It has a predominantly roasted coconut taste with slightly warm, spicy notes. The most prominent note that I am tasting is, again, the cardamon. I believe this takes milk very well, as other users have said. This sure makes a darn good latte. I wish it was a tad bit spicer since the ginger and other notes are subdued.

Overall, I really liked this! I could see myself purchasing more of it.

I am going to increase my rating for this tea because I think Deb nailed the banana aspect of this tea without using natural or artificial flavourings, which seems difficult to do.

Also, this tea is bursting with bananas! Deb dispersed the banana chunks evenly throughout the blend. I can see why this one is out of stock now; I will have to repurchase it when I get the chance.

I still wish the maple/syrup notes were stronger, but it is an outstanding take on a banana tea.

I really like this tea. It smells and tastes like fresh bananas (which makes sense since there are no artificial or natural flavourings in it – just real bananas!).

However, the maple notes in this are still lacking. I think if Deb could up the maple notes, this tea would be perfect. But again, I think she used maple sparingly because most people I have met dislike things to be overly sweet. Maybe I can ask her to sneak in some extra maple for me the next time I order?

I just got this one today!!! I am so happy, lol.

I think out of Deb’s entire new collection, this was the one that I was the most excited about! I love how creative Deb is with her concepts. I mean, banana french toast as a tea? Yum! When I read the ingredients, I thought it would make an exceptional latte.

What a fun concept! :)

Smell: Like slightly ripened and sweet bananas! Not my favourite scent; however, at least I know the bananas used in it are natural, lol. :)
Prep: I added 3 tablespoons of tea to make a very concentrated brew and then added milk and sugar
Taste: I expected this to taste like bananas with strong maple notes. However, sadly, I am not sure if there was much maple in the batch that I got, or if there was not enough maple put in this blend. However, for me personally, the maple syrup note was lacking in this. It tastes like a black tea with a strong hint of banana; so Deb totally nailed the banana aspect of this tea! But I need more maple! >.< I think with even a tablespoon of maple syrup this tea would really capture the essence of what I surmise banana french toast would taste like.

However, I also think perhaps the maple note was subdued because Deb prefers to use sweet ingredients sparingly in her teas (which I like!) and also because the milk might have flattened it out; however, I did not think this would be a problem since Deb recommended making this as a latte.

I look forward to perhaps trying it on its own to see if the maple note shines more. But a tea like this I feel is best made as a latte!

I tend to prefer spicer, warmer tea notes. But I think if you like fruity, sweet lattes. This would be a good choice.

Sipdown! (32 | 105)

This is quite similar to the rooibos version, and I find them both a bit lacking.

It mostly just tastes like a plain peppermint tea. There’s very little black tea flavor even, and only a hint of creaminess and sweetness.

Not my favorite from Deb.

Another Deb tea! I’m so excited for the subscription… (mini dance)

This one is basically the same as her Mint Chip Cookie, but on a black base instead of a rooibos one. And just like that blend, it’s a bit underwhelming to me.

I do enjoy the mint, and the combination of peppermint and spearmint is a nice idea because the freshness of the spearmint really peps it up and tempers the herbal note of the peppermint. But because it’s not all spearmint, it doesn’t taste like chewing gum.

I’m never a fan of actual chocolate in tea, because the murkiness and oily surface is very unappetizing to me. I’m also not getting a ton of chocolate flavor given that this has both chocolate and cacao nibs in it. There is definitely some, but I want moar! There’s a little hint of creaminess from the vanilla, which I appreciate. I don’t get coconut.

I saw a recommendation from VariaTEA somewhere to try Mint Chip Cookie as an iced latte for a mint chip ice cream sort of feel, so maybe I’ll have to try that with this tea. I’ve been basically having a latte every day since getting a new milk frother… XD

2021 sipdown no. 21

This one is super tasty, but we both only got orange. No chocolate, no biscuit, sadly. I do enjoy an orange rooibos though, so that’s okay. I did think it was a bit odd, considering the sizable chocolate chunks, but alas!

This one tastes a little bit like Fauchon’s L’Automne with that real orange in there.

Thanks for sharing Cameron!

Sipdown! (48)

I sent samples of this to several people, so I only had a couple of servings to finish off. Not that I mind, I love sharing tea and I can easily buy more if I love it!

This has a lovely orange aroma and flavor. It’s amazing to me that the dried orange segments contribute so much flavor to the blend! So there’s a wonderful authentic orange note, along with some rich creaminess from the vanilla pieces. As for the ginger, I’m not getting much other than a light tingly sensation at the end of the sip.

Also, even though there’s maple and brown sugar here, it’s not very sweet at all, which is nice. The orange and vanilla already give it a sweet edge, so more sweetness isn’t really needed. The rooibos is also extremely mild.

I like it! I will say, I’m not really getting much ginger or shortbread here. Maybe a honeybush base would have made it a bit more cookie-ish, but I expect a shortbread to be quite buttery. But as a creamy orange rooibos tisane, it’s very pleasant! I can’t wait to try the other orange teas I have from Deb!

Latte Sipdown (308)

I do not love lavender and I am picky with earl grey. With that said, why did I buy this and think it would be amazing? I blame the “spiced” or the “muffin”. I genuinely don’t know.

Anyways, its an earl grey and to me that says “latte” so that’s what I did. Unfortunately, all that work and a cute new glitter mug and I don’t like it. It’s the lavender. It’s not for me. I want to like it but somehow the spices and earl grey and lavender combination are coming together to be even more soapy than just lavender. I should have known better haha.

2021 sipdown no. 14 (another share from Cameron) :)

Tiramisu is one of those desserts that I’ve perfected making, so I was so hopeful for this tea, but sadly it did not deliver.

The taste was mostly just coffee, which I do enjoy, but not tiramisu. If I really stretched, I would say there was some creaminess, but only because I was looking for it. It was enjoyable as a coffee tea, but not a tiramisu trifle.

Nonetheless, I’m thrilled to have been able to try it! Thanks Cameron!

2021 sipdown no. 12 (an awesome sample from Cameron)

This tastes a bit like a coconut macaroon, which is delightful! Though, not matching the tea name haha. I do appreciate that the rooibos falls to the background and some of the flavours come to the forefront.

I don’t get a lot of cinnamon, but Lexa said that was all she could taste and therefore she didn’t enjoy this one. I count this as a tasty tea, and I’m thrilled as my first Dessert by Deb tea.

I put the remainder of Lex’s cup in the fridge, and I found it tasted pretty much the same the next day, chilled.

Thanks for sharing Cameron!

Sipdown! (45)

Yay, drinking some Deb teas! She just released an amazing-looking Winter Brunch collection last night, and even though I am so tempted I’m not going to order anything… (sob)

I have like 20+ of her teas and haven’t even tried most of them yet! I did drop Sips by and sign up for her subscription instead, though, because I love her and want to give her my support. Plus all the tasty treats! ❤

Anyway! I was a bit worried while steeping this one because it smelled so strongly of bee pollen (which I didn’t even realize is in this blend), and I hate bee pollen… It smells/tastes almost fishy to me? Or like wet dog?

Happily, this mug is the same as the others and I can’t taste the bee pollen. Definitely captures the cinnamon bun part, with just a little bit of apple thrown in. I don’t really get caramel, but it is quite sweet. Really it’s too sweet for me, which is why I wouldn’t reorder this one. Plus I have some other yummy cinnamon and cinnamon apple teas!

This is one of a few opened Deb packets that I moved into my small packets section on the countertop. I have so many of her teas and I never drink them! So I figured I would fix that by moving some where I could easily see them.

I have mixed feelings about this one… I really like the flavors going on, it’s perfectly cinnamon bun with a hint of apple. I can just imagine the glorious apple cinnamon-filled spirals, fresh out of the oven… Yum.

But it’s also a bit too sweet for me. Almost all of Deb’s teas have maple crystals or brown sugar or both, but this one just has a little too much IMO. Maybe that’s because it helps to sell the idea of caramel?

Anyway, it’s delicious and I’ll have no trouble finishing off my 25g packet, but it’s not one I would reorder.

Sipdown! (21 | 94)

Like most of Deb’s other mint teas, this one is just okay for me.

I don’t get much matcha going on. There’s a bit too much mint for me, and I think I would prefer a bit of spearmint for a more refreshing flavor. The peppermint tends to get a bit too herbal-tasting, which takes away from the concept of mint meringues.

Anyway, it’s pleasant enough to drink, but it mostly tastes like peppermint leaf with a hint of coconut.

I’ve seen a lot of Dessert by Deb talk on Instagram lately, so I was inspired to drink some more of the many teas that I have from her. This one was a free sample that I chose, as I wasn’t as excited about it as some of the others so didn’t want to order a 25 gram packet.

It’s tasty though. Very simple, just a very light and sweet peppermint green tea with a little pop of coconut. I’m not really tasting the matcha much, just a generic green base.

I sort of get the inspiration, it is very light and the coconut give it a sense of airiness. I do find it odd that this is one of the few teas that doesn’t have any added sugar, given meringues are so sugary…

Sipdown (1291)!

Not a “true” sipdown per say, but I drank a cup of this an hour or so ago during a morning meeting and now I’m going to send the last cup of it off to someone else in a teaswap. So, kind of a sipdown! I’m counting it, though.

Thanks for sharing VariaTEA – this is definitely the kind of profile that would have pulled me in based on the name alone so not having to blind buy a larger bag ended up being a great thing for me. Overall, I actually enjoyed the tea and I do strongly agree that it tastes like a sweet and bready/pastry heavy “Cinnamon Bun” with just the right bit of apple notes as well. However, it’s not really caramel-like at all to me, and that’s disappointing because what I was most interested in was this idea of a “caramel apple” with cinnamon, as opposed to a cinnamon bun with a bit of apple and extra sweetness branded as ‘caramel’. There was also something about it that was a little bit oatmeal-like to me in terms of flavour as well, and I enjoyed that note and thought it worked really well with the cinnamon and the apple.

Overall, it’s a very enjoyable cinnamon bun/cinnamon apple oatmeal kind of profile. I just, once again, feel a little let down at the promise of a caramel profile that didn’t quite land and I wish there was just a bit more of a tart green apple (rather than the baked apple flavour present here) taste to the tea that would make the composition a little more dynamic.

Thankful to have tried it, but I definitely don’t need a bigger bag of it.

I can’t believe I never reviewed this, but I really enjoyed this blend. I can hardly taste the vegetal green tea taste. It mostly tastes like cinnamon, apples, and the coconut gives it an interesting mouthfeel. I wish the apple/cinnamon notes were stronger though!

It reminds me of the pumpkin pie tart tea Deb has. I quite enjoyed this one! :)

Sipdown! (11 | 227)

Mastress Alita’s Sipdown Challenge (September) – “A chocolate tea”

So I’m not sure whether I’ll be able to get actual sipdowns for every challenge this month, because I’ll be on vacation for two weeks. But I’m going to try anyway! :)

Anyway, this tea. I think this is from my very first Dessert by Deb order, the weekly promotion was for a free 75g bag of a chocolate tea and I chose this one. Ironically, it’s not really a chocolate tea to me? Mostly it just tastes like an orange rooibos, I don’t really taste the chocolate or cacao nibs or the black tea. That being said, it is enjoyable. I always like Deb’s orange teas because they’re flavored with actual orange slices, which give a lovely sweet and true orange flavor.

This is not a favorite for me though, I prefer her Orange Creamsicle Mousse and Blood Orange Cider blends.

So I chose this as my free 75g bag of chocolate tea during one of Deb’s weekly specials. I ended up opening it for a swap, and it smelled so good that I’ve been wanting to have some for a few days now. Well, tonight was the night!

This was a bit difficult to scoop out, as it’s a mix of many things and the orange pieces are quite large. Hopefully I got a good amount of the chocolate, cacao, and maple flakes. This is a blend of rooibos and black tea, but looked like mostly rooibos so that’s how I steeped it.

It smells like a delicious creamsicle… The taste isn’t quite as good as the smell, but still yummy. I love the orange flavor from the slices because it tastes so authentic, and it has a good balance of sweet and acidic. The chocolate is a bit more subdued than I would like, but who knows if I got a decent amount in my basket. There is something a bit cakey here, and I wonder if it’s the combination of the rooibos with the maple?

I quite like it! I’m always impressed by how much flavor Deb manages to get into these teas without adding flavoring. The orange here is particularly surprising to me, I wouldn’t think those orange pieces would contribute so much! This tea makes me think of a trifle with cake, cream, and orange, and a sprinkling of chocolate shards on top.

(P.S. – I looked up chocolate biscuit cake and OMG, it’s going on my list to make!)

Ou! I like this one quiet a bit. It smells like berries and cream. After steeping this tea, it smells like coconut with a hint of berry.

Most of Deb’s other green teas, except for Pumpkin Pie Tart and Deep Dish Apple Pie, have a prominent classic vegetal green tea taste. However, with this one, I can hardly taste the green tea. Instead, what I taste more is berries, hibiscus, and coconut.

With that being said, I am not sure if I get a strawberry flavour from this per se. It actually reminds me more of blueberries!

I am not sure if I will repurchase this one because Deb has some other yummy tea blends that I love. However, I am glad I got to try it! :)

I rarely have black teas without milk or sugar. So, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this one since I couldn’t add milk to it since it has lemon peel. However, even without milk or sugar, this tea is so flavourful and aromatic. I absolutely love all of Deb’s earl grey blends because the bergamot really stands out.

Wow, this is a good tea. Like other people, I love Deb’s earl grey blends! Whatever bergamot she is using is working; it really makes itself known. I think this would make a good latte, but it has lemon peel in it, so it might cause the milk to curdle! :(

But this is everything I would want in a more floral-forward EG. It smells like bergamot with a hint of citrus from the lemon grass and lemon peel. The smell also lingers in the cup after steeping.

I think I might have over leafed this one just a tad bit, I will under leaf it next time, lol! But it tasted a tad bit bitter (but this might be my fault); however, the floral and citrus notes came together beautifully! This was not tart at all either, but it had a nice, subtle citrus note which helped balance everything out.

I might reorder this. It was delicious. :)