Evol Ving Ness Send Message

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drank Mulled Wine by DAVIDsTEA
1403 tasting notes

Despite my complaints about DT’s generous and frequent use of stevia and so on, one thing that I really like is that I am able to buy 10 grams of any tea. Another thing that worked for me is that there was a DT’s shop in every single direction, in each regular stomping ground, from where I live.

COVId changed that. All DT’s shops closed and the one that remains is in a large shopping mall that I avoid like the plague. So my casual drop-ins for tastings and random small and big purchases have ended, at least for now. Who knows what the future holds for DT’s reopenings?

I still have a number of these 10 gram bags hanging around from various splurges. Given that often DT’s uses massive amounts of fruit and such additives with little leaf, 10 grams is a good amount to try something out.

So I used the full 10 grams in this cup. The leaf was full of fruit and spice, not much tea.

But wow! Really nice! Exactly like gluhwein—is that the spelling?

Tons of fruit spice and the flavour of a rich full-bodied red. I was pleasantly surprised. This one absolutely is a winner. Resteeps were good too.

Two things though. 10 grams is a lot for a decent cup of tea. Am I really going to buy 50 (expensive) grams when it only makes five cups? Madness.

And my pattern of picking up small amounts and leaving them hanging around means that, by the time I try it and like it, the tea has long ago been taken off DT’s wall board and been retired. I don’t know whether this one is still available. If so, I might pick up a bit from time to time.

It is delicious even though it confuses the taste buds, switching my tea to spiced wine. The execution of this one was excellent.
5 comments
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ashmanra
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Wow! I had no idea you could buy 10 grams at a time! That would be so tempting…

Evol Ving Ness
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It really was. Every time a new set of teas would come out, I’d pass by and pick up some of the more tempting ones. And some extra something or other because there I was.

tea-sipper
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I envision the 10gram samples hanging off spinning racks in every Davids store…. but probably not. haha (never had a Davids around here…)

Evol Ving Ness
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They do/did have premeasured packaged teas for sale in maybe 25 gram and larger sizes, but they have a wall with all their tins with a part that you could sniff the leaf. They also have/had three premade teas daily that you could sample. But you can/could buy any amount of leaf by weight. 10 grams minimum.

Evol Ving Ness
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As in, minimum because usually their leaf is heavy.

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Comments

ashmanra
Delete

Wow! I had no idea you could buy 10 grams at a time! That would be so tempting…

Evol Ving Ness
Delete

It really was. Every time a new set of teas would come out, I’d pass by and pick up some of the more tempting ones. And some extra something or other because there I was.

tea-sipper
Delete

I envision the 10gram samples hanging off spinning racks in every Davids store…. but probably not. haha (never had a Davids around here…)

Evol Ving Ness
Delete

They do/did have premeasured packaged teas for sale in maybe 25 gram and larger sizes, but they have a wall with all their tins with a part that you could sniff the leaf. They also have/had three premade teas daily that you could sample. But you can/could buy any amount of leaf by weight. 10 grams minimum.

Evol Ving Ness
Delete

As in, minimum because usually their leaf is heavy.

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Bio

A monk sips morning tea

A monk sips morning tea,
it’s quiet,
the chrysanthemum’s flowering.

- Basho

(1644-1694)

Note to self—-you do not actually need any more tea.

My real tea obsession began in February 2015.

Not, sadly, when I had been living and working in China, though I very much enjoyed sampling a variety of teas during my travels there as well. No, no, that would have been far too sensible.

I am a reformed coffee drinker. I still enjoy a long double espresso with a good quantity or milk or cream from time to time, but for now, tea is my thing. All day.

*note—this is way out of date, so if we are doing a swap and you are checking to see what I like and dislike, mostly never mind what you find below. One of these days, I will update this. In the meantime, check what I’ve been drinking and use your own judgement. I like all the teas. Well, I am open to trying all the teas.

I tend to drink black, green, or oolong tea in the morning to early afternoon. Rooibos or
Honeybush or herbal in the evening. And perhaps some sort of sleepy-type tea in the wee hours.

This year, I’ve been discovering flavoured teas, so it may look like that is all I drink although that would provide a false impression.

Not a big fan of chocolate or mint in teas, but I will try them and, from time to time, have been pleasantly surprised. Also, usually I dislike a prominent cinnamon flavour, if untempered with other things, in teas. Again, I say usually, because there are exceptions.

Also, please note that haven’t quite gotten into the habit of updating my tea cupboard on Steepster, and it is unlikely that I will do this on any kind of regular basis.

I drink my tea black and unsweetened. If there comes a rare moment that I add something to it, I will mention it.

Finally, while I thank large and successful tea companies for tantalizing and beckoning me to the world of tea, I prefer to support independent ventures with real people, real enthusiasm and commitment, and real dreams.

Currently, I am researching monthly tea subscriptions. Perhaps it will keep me out of tea shops.

And here is Shae’s rating scale— which I am using with permission, of course— which more or less describes the way I have been rating teas. I am going to make more of an effort to stay very close to these parameters now.

Rating Scale

1-20: By far, one of the worst teas I’ve tasted. I most certainly will not finish my cup and will likely “gift” the rest to my sweet husband who almost always enjoys the teas I dislike (and vice versa).

21-40: This tea is not good but if I mix it with another tea or find another steeping method I might be able to finish it.

41-60: This one is just okay. I might drink it again if someone were to give it to me, but I probably won’t be buying more for myself.

61-75: This is a consistently good tea. It’s reliable but not necessarily special.

76-90: This one is a notch above the rest and I would gladly enjoy a cup of it any day of the week. I’ll likely be keeping this in my cupboard, but it isn’t one of my all-time favorites.

91-95: One small change and this tea would be perfect. I’ll definitely have a stash of this in my kitchen if you come over for tea.

96-100: No words can describe this tea. It’s an experience, an aha moment. Closed eyes, wide smile, encompassing warmth. Absolutely incredible. Perfect.

Location

Mostly, but not always, Toronto, Canada.

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