116 Tasting Notes
Waking up to blowing snow and a wind chill of -26C (-15F for those of you in the US) really makes me want to turn right around and crawl back into bed; instead here I am at work, with ice cubes for hands and toes (despite being wrapped in a warm blanket). I definitely need some tea!
I was going to go for one of few mate’s that I keep in stock in my cupboard (I seriously needed a bit of a caffeine pick-me-up) but in the hunt for just the right one I ran across my bag of Sugar & Spice tea which started calling “Pick me! Pick me!” So that’s what I’m having instead. Warm, spicy (but not tingly) and soothing this one hit the spot. I’m going to have to pick up some more of this for my cupboard… I’ve only got enough to brew another 2 cups!
Preparation
I was never a big fan of gingerbread growing up… but at some point my palate expanded and gingerbread became a favorite of mine during winter. So when I saw this one come out from DT’s this “holiday” season (seriously it’s only November people! Granted I saw Christmas decorations in Costco back in July/August but really!! Sorry the commercialization of holidays, Christmas in particular is a bit of a soapbox topic for me… ) … Anyways, when I saw this one come out I just had to try it.
I definitely get “gingerbread” when I smell the dry version of this tea. As some others have noted it does (somewhat) resemble DT’s Red Velvet Cake in smell but only in the sense that I get a “cake” scent out of the flavorings, rather than anything else. The ginger is more subtle then I was expecting as well but there are enough high notes from the pineapple and sweet ones from the currants and honeybush that they could be breaking up the spice of the ginger.
Steeped the infusion comes out clear and red (though not as red as I’m used to seeing from a rooibos, though I’m sure that is influenced by the amount of green rooibos in the blend.) The ginger scent becomes even more subtle at this point and I start to get some of those darker molasses notes that DT promised. I’m still not sure about the inclusion of the green rooibos, I’m getting some definite grassy notes underneath it all that just don’t mesh well with the rest of the scent profile.
As for the flavor of the tea… yes it’s definitely gingerbread but I was really hoping for more ginger, it’s a bit… well, bland compared to my expectations. Otherwise it hits all the right notes, there’s just enough hits from the pineapple to brighten things up; the currents and honeybush mix well to give a lovely sweet tea that needs no additives; and the safflower enhances the bit of spice from the ginger and cinnamon. I do wish though that they had gone with a straight red rooibos blend rather than mixing in the green… there’s still those grassy notes that don’t quite fit for me.
Overall quite a nice tea, different from other rooibos blends that I’ve had so far. I just wish there was a touch more ginger in it.
Preparation
So if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times, I love chocolate… I also love chai teas. Chocolate & Chai… Hmm… throw in a bit of chili heat and I think I might be in love yet again. This is another tea from DT’s that disappeared before I had the chance to try it and now that it’s back I immediately got some to sample.
Dry this tea looks amazing, the bright pops of color from the chili, red peppercorns and lily petals contrast nicely with the black tea and chocolate. The aroma contains definite chocolate notes, with some earthy undertones from the black tea. The chili is present but fairly subtle in its scent profile, it doesn’t scream heat to me in this form so I’ll have to see how that translates in the fully brewed version.
Steeped this tea comes out a clear medium brown; there’s a touch of a film on the top but given the oils present in the chilies and the chocolate I’m not that surprised. The scent profile has changed some… the chocolate notes have deepened but the lily petals start to shine which helps to brighten up the whole thing. Still not much in the way of “heat” but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The flavor of this tea is… surprising. The chocolate notes are definitely present, and I can catch some higher notes from the lily petals but the spice is quite mellow. It’s certainly there but more as a sensation than a flavor; every once and a while I’ll get a few up-front hits of the chilies or the peppercorn but for the most part, for me, the heat is coming out as a mild tingle that starts mid-swallow. I kept coming back for another sip, just to try and figure it out, the flavor/sensation combination was quite compelling, and the ingredients worked together to create a robust mouth-feel that while hot, wasn’t overly heavy.
What a wonderful tea to have on a cold winters day!
Preparation
I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a huge fan of hazelnut on its own but chocolate usually makes everything better so I thought I would give this a shot. (Plus my partner loves nutella so I figured maybe this would be the perfect tea to try at home.)
Dry this tea smells of hazelnut, with a bit of cocoa and some sweetness from the licorice. I don’t really get many notes from the oolong tea and there’s an odd (and somewhat off-putting) acidic scent to it. And the oolong leaves themselves aren’t how I’m used to seeing them, quite broken up and almost hidden in the mixture.
Steeped it comes out a rich brown; and while the hazelnut scent is still there the chocolate notes become darker and a bit muted while the licorice starts to show more prominence. Still no “sight” of the oolong… :(
As for the taste; I’m really, really disappointed. The chocolate is there as is the hazelnut but the mixture of the two is very off-putting… Maybe it’s the licorice that is interfering as it is a very noticeable flavor that I really don’t enjoy in this tea. I will say that there is a very nice creaminess to the liquor which gives a pleasant mouth-feel, but I still can’t find the oolong notes, nor really the black tea either.
Overall this was a complete failure in my books, in fact it’s probably the worst one I’ve ever tried from DT’s, which is unfortunate as I love the idea. But who knows… maybe my partner will like it! :)
Preparation
I love this tea. It’s creamy, dark and warm but at the same time the mint is so refreshing and leaves a pleasant tingle. Just YUM! I’m very glad they keep bringing it back.
Has anyone tried this years version yet? Are there any differences compared to previous blendings? I was really disappointed in how they had changed the Pumpkin Chai… :(
Having just returned from the sunny South (20-24C FTW!) to the snowy North (-10C anyone? :P) I really needed some tea to warm me up, so this morning I went looking through my cupboard for something with a bit of spice… In the end it came down to Sweet Ginger Heat, Sugar & Spice or this tea; a few sniffs later I figured I’d give this one another shot and see if it would grow on me a bit more.
Warm, a touch spicy with a hint of sweet and that interesting mix of flavors… yep it’s grown on me! :) I still keep expecting a fuller mouth-feel when I’m drinking but aside from that (and that bit of dryness at the end) it really is quite nice.
This tea was the first one that I ever tried from DT’s… I had only just been getting into loose leaf teas at the time and while walking the mall I noticed a new store; a tea shop, excellent! And even better they had some free samples, this was one of them. I loved that first sip so much that I immediately got some, and then some other teas just to try!
Red rooibos teas are actually a favorite of mine, caffeine free and with a lovely flavor profile it’s a tea that I can enjoy late into the night without worrying about it keeping me up, but this one is one of the stars of my cabinet. It smells exactly like its namesake; the tartness of the orange helps to break up the sweetness from the currents and vanilla. And through it all the various flower petals bring just enough of a floral scent to actually make you think you’re standing in a grove of blooming trees.
When steeped you get a clear red liquor which smells of orange and vanilla. I do loose a bit of the “blossom” scent, it’s still there but as more of an undertone compared to how the dry tea smells. The best part though is at no point does the orange smell artificial (I had way to many artificial orange drinks growing up… yuck!) You also get a few more notes from the rooibos at this point as well, which is nice as it does get a bit overpowered in the dry tea.
And the flavor, it just bursts in your mouth. A refreshing combination of orange and floral notes, with just enough sweetness from the currants and vanilla to cut what could otherwise be quite a tart drink. The mouth feel is smooth and moderately light but creamy in the way that a lot of red rooibos blends can be. But what’s amazing to me though is how well this combination complements the red rooibos rather than it just being the base, it entwines throughout the flavor profile enhancing the overall experience quite nicely
I love this tea and I always make sure to have a good quantity of this one in my cupboard it’s become a favorite not only for myself but my friends and family. Oh and it’s great iced too!
Preparation
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again I love chocolate; it’s the main reason that I wanted to try out DT’s chocolate tea gift pack but there were a few teas in the pack that I just wasn’t sure about for one reason or another and this one was one of them. Black tea, excellent! Chocolate, oh yeah! Strawberry, even better! Red rose petals, gre… wait what?? Now don’t get me wrong I love the flower and it can have a great smell but I’ve always struggled with rose petals (even more so than rose hips) the, sometimes overwhelmingly, powerful aroma and scent typically doesn’t work for me in teas. But I thought I’d give it a try anyways… and was I surprised.
The scent of the dry tea was my first shock; the chocolate and the strawberry really shone through with just hints of the black tea peeking out. But the rose petals… now those really threw me for a loop, they added a whole other level to the scent profile that I had to take a step back and give my head a shake to get rid of some of my preconceived notions. Not too flowery but just enough to compliment the strawberry, they just changed the whole tea to something completely different.
Brewed the liquid comes out a deep yet clear red-brown. The fruity/flowery aroma is toned down some, but deeper and richer at the same time. I get more notes from the tea at this point and they combine nicely with the chocolate scent to field some nice dark notes. Just make sure you leave it lots of room to expand :)
Flavor wise this tea hits all the right spots… chocolate dipped strawberries are elevated by the earthy notes from the black tea. The rose petals come in at the end, bringing in some highlights to what is overall a moderately dark mouthful. And though the scent does have quite a bit of sweet to it there isn’t much sweetness in the flavor profile, just enough to complement the overall flavor of the tea. The only downside is that it can leave a bit of a funny aftertaste. Oh and careful, when over steeped it also can be quite bitter.
Preparation
I often have no clue what tea I’m going to be drinking on any given morning… Unless there’s something I’ve been craving I just start digging through my cupboard and smelling the teas (I don’t bother looking at the labels I do it all based on smell, “Hmm… maybe this one”; “Oh definitely not that!”)
This morning I opened this one up and immediately knew I had to have a cup (or two or three.) It’s been a pretty stressful weekend for me (between multiple Thanksgiving dinners, being ill and a few other odds and ends), and this was the perfect way to relax and get back into my work day.
