116 Tasting Notes

97
drank Santa's Secret by DAVIDsTEA
116 tasting notes

I got this tea as a Christmas present from a family member who knew of my love of loose leaf teas. I’d seen it before on DT’s site but I have this thing against sprinkles (not really sure why, especially since one of my favorite teas (pumpkin chai) has them) and so hadn’t looked at it all that seriously. One sip of this though and I was in heaven.

When dry this tea smells absolutely wonderful. Minty, with a bit of a chocolate undertone from the black tea, and sweet (though the sweet can be a bit overpowering though if it’s not something you’re in the mood for.) Now I like mint teas but quite often you can get a very “harsh” mint that has a lot of bite to the aroma and the taste, this one smells smooth, almost creamy in a way.

Once steeped this tea gives a clear, deep red-brown liquor whose aroma showcases that lovely smooth mint scent found in the dry tea. The dark notes from the black tea still (to me) smell a bit like chocolate but it’s not as noticeable as it is in the dry tea. And be forewarned, the sprinkles don’t always melt completely in the first steeping, so you’ll most likely have some leftovers in your tea ball.

The flavor of this one though… just YUM! A rich mouth-feel that isn’t too heavy leads you into a sweet mint experience. The creaminess found in the dry tea translates well into the flavor profile which helps to round out and balance this lovely tea. And the Chinese black tea that this is based on provides the perfect backdrop, not too powerful but yet deep enough to lift the mint up to new refreshing heights (and no bitterness, even with multiple steepings.)

All-in-all this tea has become one of my go-to favorites; great for those times when you’re looking to de-stress but aren’t looking for something with much in the way of spice.

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 5 min, 30 sec

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80

A long time ago someone told me that if I wanted to try the “good stuff” I should get some quality Gunpowder. I had only just begun my non-grocery store tea journey and was at a loss as to what this “Gunpowder” tea really was but I managed to find some in a reasonably short amount of time by visiting a tea vendor at one of our local farmers markets. Both the visit and the tea were an interesting experience!

Dry this tea has a distinct smoky scent which mixes in well with the main aroma of hay cut on a warm afternoon. There’s also a hint of spice in there which gives it a well-rounded profile. Be warned however that this tea will expand greatly when steeped, the small balls that it is rolled into are very deceptive and make it easy to accidentally add to much tea to your cup.

And don’t steep it too long, it can get very bitter very quickly; I tend to only steep mine 3-4 minutes for the first steeping. Once steeped the aroma loses some of the smokiness that was prevalent in the dry tea and the dark “spice” notes become more noticeable. The liquor is a rich clear gold-yellow and has an interesting mouth-feel, warm and rich but light at the same time. The flavor reflects the aroma, light and hay-like with touches of smoke and a good bite at the end. It also holds up very well to multiple re-steepings, which for me makes it a great tea to have available for those days when I just have to have tea on hand all day. (This is good thing since when I start drinking this tea I find it very hard to put it down for long! :D)

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 30 sec

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74

I got this tea as a sample from David’s Tea back in Spring; it sounded quite interesting so I’ve been saving it for a “rainy” day ever since. Course I’m one of those people who has a habit of saving single servings of tea for that “perfect” day and then never actually steeping them but today… today is definitely a good day for this one.

Dry this tea is quite chunky from the hunks of chocolate and small pieces of cinnamon stick. There was a definite scent of chocolate that came as soon as the bag was opened and the coconut was also present, just underneath the hint of cinnamon. There was however a slightly odd high note in the aroma that I couldn’t place, not off-putting but just… odd.

Steeped the liquor is a light brown, a bit on the murky side with all of the debris floating around (bits of cinnamon and the remainder of the dissolved chocolate). Scent-wise the chocolate loses out to the cinnamon and the coconut takes on a bit of a “roasted” scent. Intellectually I know the vanilla is in there too but I have a really hard time picking it out.

I ended up having to steep this one for quite some time to get the full flavor effect, coconut and cinnamon were the first (somewhat) weak flavors that I noticed prior to the extra-long steep. Fast forward a few more minutes and the flavor became much more robust with a nice warm hit of chocolate to mellow out the cinnamon. The coconut helps to round out the flavor profile, but I still have a hard time finding the vanilla in it. The black tea this is based on is also quite nice as it stood up well to the additional flavors and didn’t get overly bitter with the extra-long steep.

Overall, this is quite a nice smooth tea, the flavors are subtle in the end but all the better for it I think. It’s just too bad that David’s Tea is discontinuing this one for now… hopefully it will be back soon.

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 8 min or more

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76
drank Chai Guarana by DAVIDsTEA
116 tasting notes

I’ve never tried guarana before so I was a bit hesitant in trying this tea at first but after the first few sips it started to grow on me.

Dry this tea has a definite spicy scent, with lots of cinnamon and ginger. Add in the small hit of sweet licorice as an undertone from the anise seeds, and it becomes a compelling scent that begged me to smell it just one more time.

Brewed it gives a mildly cloudy medium-dark liquor, that has a pronounced black licorice and cinnamon scent to it. The flavor of this reflects it’s smell as the licorice flavor comes through quite strongly with just enough cinnamon and ginger to give it more than that one note. It’s mouth feel is in the middle range for me, lighter than I was expecting given the dark liquor, but not overly rich, with a pleasant tingle left over from the spice. Unfortunately there is one detriment for me, a rather bitter aftertaste that leaves my mouth feeling quite dry. A splash of milk and a touch of raw sugar helps to even this out but it’s still not as nice of a finish as I would like.

Overall a good tea for those days when you need a bit of a “pick-me-up” and are in the mood for something with a bit of cream and sugar but not a must have for me. Well, at least not yet… ;)

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 7 min, 0 sec

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95

I love chai teas, but this has got to be one of my favorites. And the best part? It’s caffeine free so I can have this right before bed if I want! It’s also great for those chilly mornings when you need something to brighten up your day. (Like today, when you really start to notice that it’s almost fall, well at least where I live :D)

Dry this tea definitely smells of cinnamon with a hint of clove coming through. This is a bag that you might not want to leave open for long though as the scent of cinnamon can really take over a room (great if you like cinnamon, not so great if your family isn’t as much of a fan.)

Like most red rooibos blends this tea gives a beautiful red-brown liquor that is very distinctive and the aroma of cinnamon is very soothing. Oh and the taste of this one… Yum. The rooibos gives a wonderful flavor to base this chai on, building it with just enough cinnamon to leave a pleasant tingle in your mouth, while the clove to gives it a nice round flavor. The citrus just kind of peaks out at you every once and a while, a nice way to brighten up this tea. Overall it’s got a very smooth mouthfeel, rich and almost creamy without being overly heavy. As the tea cools off a touch the honey really starts to come out too, which gives a nice finish in conjunction with the cinnamon.

What a wonderful way to start the day!

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 8 min or more

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79

I’ve been wanting to try this tea for quite some time, but when I noticed that it was on DT’s “Last Chance” sale I just had to jump in with both feet and I wasn’t disappointed.

The dry tea is quite different from any other that I’ve dealt with up to now as the cocoa powder (though a great addition to this tea) can get everywhere if you’re not careful. Overall it has a very strong chocolatey scent with a definite yerba mate twist to it.

Brewed this tea shows off a very rich but murky brown, the chocolate aroma carries over well and you can start to smell the cinnamon mixed in with it. Given all of this I was expecting a very rich and heavy mouth-feel, but my first sip surprised me by how light it was. Though the chocolate flavor is a bit subtle for me (I’m a closet chocoholic) the taste was well balanced and with just a little bit of cinnamon lingering at the end. It also stands up well with additional sweetening, if that’s what you’re in the mood for. But if your sweet-tooth is taking a break then the carob and chocolate chips are just enough to keep things interesting. :)

This is definitely a great tea to have on hand for those times that you’re looking for that hot chocolate taste but without the heaviness that hot chocolate will often bring.

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 8 min or more

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Bio

Ever since I discovered the wide world that is loose-leaf teas, I haven’t been able to go back. It doesn’t seem to matter what type it is or if it’s “straight” or “flavored” tea is my thing. It’s actually quite funny as I’m surrounded by coffee lovers who just can’t quite grasp why, to me, tea is better than coffee. :D (which considering it’s less-than a 5 minute walk to each of 2 separate Tim Horton’s, a Starbucks AND a Second Cup… that’s saying something!)

On the whole I tend to prefer my tea strong and “au natural” with no sweeteners, milk or other additions, but like most everyone there’s always exceptions to the rule… just not many of them.

Aside from tea I love reading (especially if there is a fireplace or campfire involved), camping/hiking, horseback riding and Healing Touch (similar to Reiki). Oh and computers and board games (euro style, is there anything else? ;)) and… and… chuckles OK so I have a large variety of interests.

Location

Canada

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