180 Tasting Notes
Pretty! The dry leaf is beautiful – medium-sized black leaves with bold, sparkly gold sugar balls. The aroma of the dry tea is splendid as well – lots of cinnamon and warm cloves.
The steeped tea is a real treat to behold – a gold shimmer is clearly visible across the surface of the liquid. It’s almost too pretty to drink. Almost. The steeped smell is just like the dry aroma, maybe slightly milder, but not much. Very enticing. The cinnamon is most prominent.
Taste: Definitely picking up lots of warm cinnamon, and the black tea base is wonderful. No bitterness or astringency at all. The cloves and spices are mild enough to not overpower the tea leaves, yet they provide a warmth to the cup that makes for a comforting morning drink. Plus, there’s just enough sweetness from the gold sugar pieces to offset any dryness or sharpness that may come from cinnamon. I’m really enjoying this one.
Preparation
I was in the mood for a mild chai, and this certainly hit the spot. It’s a mix of Irish Breakfast and Masala Chai, and that’s pretty much exactly what it tastes like.
The dry leaf is gorgeous; it’s full of bright red peppercorns, and absolutely nothing makes me happier than that in a chai tea. Steeped, this smells divinely spiced. Mostly cardamom and cinnamon, with the ginger taking a backseat. It’s still there, just not as “in your face” as I often find ginger to be.
Taste is mildly spiced, with cardamom being the most prominent flavor to me. The Irish Breakfast is definitely noticeable – you aren’t going to mistake this one for a pure chai, that’s for sure. But that’s perfectly ok with me, since it’s not supposed to be one! The end of the sip is where you can detect the pepper, sitting nicely with a teeny bit of pleasant astringency from the tea leaves. (I think this is the first time I’ve ever put “pleasant” and “astringent” in the same sentence, but for some reason, it works for this blend.) I think this will make a great wake-up tea to have with breakfast.
Preparation
A very delicious, very mild tea. Tastes like vanilla rooibus with a light kiss of orange. Had a cup before bed last night, and it was a sweet send-off to dreamland. I’ll have to add more to this review when I have some during daylight hours, and can remember more about it.
So, I’m undecided on this tea. After having (and loving) Blueberry Jam from DavidsTea, I was expecting a big burst of blueberry flavor from this one, but that’s not quite what I’m getting. Maybe I steeped it too long, but the only flavors I can taste are black tea and a little something that’s vaguely tangy (that would be the “cream cheese,” I’d assume). It smells like blueberry, but I’m just not tasting it.
I didn’t notice any blueberries in my leaves though, so I think I’ll try digging a little deeper into the packet to see if I can unearth any before my next cup.
ETA: Hmm… On my second cup now (steeped 2min, had a blueberry in the leaves, added a piece of rock sugar), and while it’s better, I’m still not totally wowed. Going to walk away from this one for now and try again next week to see if I can get a different result.
Preparation
It’s funny that so many people mention mint as being the prominent flavor here, when, to me, it was all lemongrass. I guess different people really do pick-up on different tastes.
The taste (to me) was very good for a nighttime herbal – a soothing, lemony chamomile with a minty aftertaste. After every swallow, I’d be hit with a bit of mint that I never could detect during the sip. In my head, each sip played out like this: “Wowza, that’s some lemon. Mmm, herbal goodness. Whoa, where’d that’d mint come from?”
But I didn’t try this one for taste; I got it for its promise of relaxation and sleep. I finished off my cup while simultaneously cradling the mug for warmth and breathing in the herbal aromas. My limbs grew tired and my eyelids heavy. I wondered, “Is this the placebo effect or is it really working? Who cares, I’m off to bed!”
Tried another cup the following night. Again, I noticed lemon at first, followed by crisp mint. Still seemed to be relaxing, but not quite the same effect I had with the first cup. Oh well, it’s still a great cup to unwind with before bed.
Not overly impressed with this one. It tastes like a cinnamon-flavored black tea. A good cinnamon-flavored black, mind you, but that’s really all I taste. I was hoping for oatmeal cookie goodness, but I’m not picking up much other than cinnamon.
Preparation
Had a to-go cup of this at the DavidsTea in Chelsea this weekend, so I didn’t get to sniff the dry leaf. It tasted amazing though.
Didn’t get any salt, per se, but I could definitely taste the caramel. This tea was smooth, creamy and a tiny bit malty. Just overall yumminess. The caramel was strongest at the end of each sip; in fact it lingered after the sip was complete. A lingering flavor of delicious creamy caramel. I think the aftertaste was the best part, by far.
Mmmm, I love this one, too!