New Tasting Notes
One of the many matchas I incorporated into my morning routine this past week. It had the deepest green colour of everything I drank, and I remember thinking while sipping on it how fitting “emerald” was for the name. Taste wise, it’s not as nuanced as some of the other straight matchas that I had but the tasting notes that are present are ones I really, really enjoy. In particular it’s VERY creamy with a rather milky profile that comes off as smooth a velvety. Nice and naturally sweet, as well.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DM3XbFkSH1h/?img_index=1 (4th Pic)
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOt4kyZmuqI&ab_channel=KoteriVEVO
Iced Latte Sipdown (2990)!
Did it feel weird to pull out the last bit of my eggnog flavoured matcha during what is, essentially, my summer vacation!? Yes, for sure. It has been so hot this past week. However, I got a bunch of Portuguese egg tarts in my grocery delivery box and I just knew this would pair great with them.
It absolutely did, too! Super rich and custard-y tasting with a vanilla creaminess and then subtle notes of spices like nutmeg that broke up some of the decadence while marrying with the buttery, flaky pie crust notes. It was an indulgent breakfast, but such a damn good one! Pretty perfect way to finally finish off this matcha.
Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DM3XbFkSH1h/?img_index=1 (3rd Pic)
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZPjsghAAlE&ab_channel=Maz-Topic
Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.
Of the eight different matchas I had this past week, this was the most mellow and delicate tasting with smooth, silky floral notes alongside a dewy, light and fresh green finish. Virtually no bitterness or astringency. Very, very easy going and light feeling! Also, such an absolutely intensely vibrant and beautiful microfoam when all whisked up. Definitely a favourite in my stash.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DM3XbFkSH1h/?img_index=1 (2nd Pic)
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEJ_9veuPXI&ab_channel=jbrekkieVEVO
I’ve been on vacation for about a week and a half now, and one of the things I ended up doing a few days in was beginning my morning each day with a different matcha. It ended up becoming a really nice little routine.
I drank this plain and hot because I can’t quite bring myself to take matcha this pricey and make it into a latte. This was a particularly nutty tasting bowl of matcha with some upfront umami savory notes before finishing with a more buttery note of toasted macadamia nuts. So smooth, and just a gorgeous colour too.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DM3XbFkSH1h/?img_index=1 (First Pic)
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp4MfzobwWw&ab_channel=SauceOnly
The two friends I visited this past week are also huge T&T shoppers, and we often compare and share different purchases with each other. This time around, they gave me some “instant tea” packets they’d bought during their last trip. One was a Thai Iced Tea mix that I’ve yet to try, and the other was these instant Royal Milk Tea stick packs imported from I believe Japan…
They’re honestly HUGE looking. Like, easily three times the size of most of the stick pack products I own (tea or otherwise). So I kind of didn’t believe him when my friend said he found them very weak tasting and recommended I used two for a drink. Well, I shook up one of the packs into a bottle of water yesterday. Visually, it looked like milk tea with that distinct creamy brown colour. Not watery or thin in appearance. Well, taste wise, it was in fact shockingly light given just how much powder had gone into the beverage. Creamy in taste but not in mouthfeel, with a subtle malty and raisin-y sort of flavour.
I probably should have trusted my friend and doubled up the dosing, because it was very, very mid tasting. Just lacking richness, really. But now I know for next time!
One of the teas I brought back from Germany!
I’ve been waiting to try this tea because I wanted to share it with my friend and her partner since they are probably the biggest consumers of milk oolong that I know. They both really enjoy it (flavoured and unflavoured), but he is especially into it and has an ongoing ranking list of the best/worst milk oolong he’s tried.
So, we made a few cups to sip on while catching up and I think we all actually felt kind of the same about it. Very smooth, a little buttery and particularly floral with undertones of sweet pea blossoms, lilacs, and pandan. We thought it was good, but not the best we’ve tried either. Ended up pretty solidly in the middle of the ranking, which I think is pretty fair all things considered.
I spent Friday afternoon hanging out with a friend, her partner, and their ridiculously adorable two month old. I always bring tea whenever I visit since they’re both tea drinkers, but this time around I was a bit more strategic with what I brought since they’ve been really trying to control their caffeine intake a lot more. Understandable.
This is by far one of my favourite teas I’ve discovered this year, and caffeine free because it’s a tisane – so I was excited to bring it for them to try. Thankfully, they also adored it. I knew for sure that her partner would because he’s a huge fan of marzipan and this tea does taste SO MUCH like sweet, nutty marzipan.
We drank it after lunch, and it was just a very perfect digestif.
I’m not feeling sick, but last night I made a very large mug of this tea because I’d basically spent the day snacking on sweet things and was feeling a little sugar overloaded. So, I thought the intense, crisp peppermint and eucalyptus was serve as a sort of “reset” from all that sweetness while also being really soothing and comforting. And it was! I drank this while watching some anime, and it was just cozy. The steam coming off the mug was particularly wonderful, and just inhaling that while I watched my show was phenomenal.
Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.
Gongfu Sipdown (2991)!
This is one of those rock oolongs where you can really taste the fire on the leaves right from the first steep. It’s notably astringent, but in a welcome way where that touch of texture adds complexity to each sip. Really roasty, mineral rich notes of charcoal and leather tempered by the warming spice and woodier cinnamon notes it’s named after. Definitely deepens over time with the lush, dense sweetness of orchids, osmanthus, and plums pushing up from the undertones into the mid-sip to dance alongside the spice, grilled peanuts, and barley. At times, there’s a bit of a herbaceous finish that teases cannabis, as if smelling someone smoke a joint from across the street. Even though I drank it very early this morning, the energy this tea carried is that of a laaaatteeee summer evening spent walking the streets after a really lively BBQ or bonfire and a few drinks. Warm and glowy, where you know in the moment that you’re going to look back fondly on this moment in a few years’ time.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DM1AITOSwdg/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DERhmibDUFs&ab_channel=RUDECATVEVO
Dang this is another winner for sure! Super unique for a high mountain oolong. Very floral but in a way that is different to any tea I’ve had. I’m so bad with flower smells, but seems like gardenia maybe? Just a (uneducated) guess.
No bitterness, astringency, sweetness. Very smooth. Velvety smell with thick mouthfeel. Good longevity at 7-8+ infusions.
Harvest: May 16, 2025
Cultivar: Qingxin
Location: Tsui Feng, Lishan
Elevation: 1900 m
Flavors: Butter, Cream, Floral, Smooth
Part of a Taylors of Harrogate sampler I bought, mostly out of interest in the fruit infusions.
This is a bit odd. The idea of mango and cardamom sounds good, but somehow this ends up tasting oddly herbaceous and savory, like mango and sage? Not sure what is combining to make that flavor, but I’m not a fan ha ha. Will definitely put the rest of these in the rehoming box.
Flavors: Dry Grass, Fruity, Herbaceous, Mango, Sage, Savory
Preparation
Impulse purchase! So for some reason I was on Amazon, looking at Taylors of Harrogate fruit infusions (I don’t recall why), and saw that Osulloc was having a sale. So I ended up grabbing one of their teabag samplers, and also a set of these cold brew sachets, because why not?
The package claims you only need to steep this for 2-3 minutes, but I’m calling bullshit. I found I had to steep it for a few hours to get any real flavor out of it. Which honestly is fine for me, I’m not a person who needs an “on-the-go” iced tea solution.
Anyway, it’s pleasant. The peach flavor is nice, not too strong or artificial. I do find the actual tea taste to be lacking a bit, it tastes more like a tea flavored water than actual tea. I was a bit nervous when I saw sugar in the ingredients, but the sweetness isn’t really noticeable either.
Nice and refreshing, if a bit light. I think I’ll try steeping it overnight, which is what I normally do for cold brew. Might be worth trying a hot steep as well. Excited to try the honey pear and muscat flavors!
Flavors: Honey, Light, Peach, Stonefruit, Sweet, Watery
Preparation
8.13 grams for this mini on my kitchen scale.
1st steep – 1.5 minutes in 16 oz water at 200°
Beautiful. A lot of these tea minis I’ve tried have had a relatively weak first steep, even after 1.5 minutes at 200°. Not this one. First steep has elderflower florals, apricot and green grape fruitiness, and a nice citrus rind type of bitterness. But all in balance. Not overly bitter, not overly sweet, and the florals pop out most. I like the way this is going so far. The tea is incredibly smooth and there is a lot of complexity – I can tell there are all kinds of other flavors beneath the surface. For some reason it gives me a “jungly” vibe.
2nd steep – 2 minutes @ 195°
Hello. Almost a totally different tea here. That citrus bitterness has been dialed up quite a bit, and now it is very much in the foreground. Reminds me of the “Gas” mini I tried last week, but instead of aspirin more like chewing on a grapefruit rind. Unlike Gas, I can still feel the presence of the charming tea from the first steep in the background, and I feel still more of the “jungly” effect. The tea leaves are beautiful and quite large.
3rd steep – 3 minutes @195°
That citrus rind is retreating a bit, but still very strong. Feels like I’m swinging on vines in a jungle, and tasting the vines, too. Jungle-forest notes of trees and vines and moss, etc. Not just forest, but clearly evocative of a hot, humid, jungle-like environment. I get “tea high” pretty frequently, but not so much that I write about it. This tea is making me feel a strong tea high.
4th steep – 195° for not sure how long – tea timer mishap, and I guess it was at least a few minutes
Going back to “normal” bitterness territory for a more balanced raw pu-erh experience, I think. Still jungly, still some fruit. I haven’t really noticed much in the way of florals after the first steep, but plenty of other things going on to make me happy. This tea takes you on a good adventure! Definitely shines in the areas in which my first Gas experience failed me. Comparing to Gas because perhaps it is a similar tea experience, as both Gas and Astro Kittens are advertised as ultra-bitter teas.
At $5.10 per mini, this is pretty far out of my budget for a daily tea. Wouldn’t drink it daily, though, even if I could afford to do so. I’ve got a wifey and three boys to take care of, so need to keep my tea budget in check. This is more like a once in a while type of tea, and a good one to pick when you are ready for a little adventure.
Preparation
Picked this one up recently, along with the Pineapple Oolong. I love their fruity oolongs so was excited to see these limited offerings!
This is delightful – sweet and juicy lychee on a fresh, floral baozhong base. It’s very similar to their Ripe Mango Oolong, just with lychee in place of the mango. Naturally, the lychee and the oolong are a perfect match, since both have gentle floral notes.
This seems like it would be amazing iced, I might have to try cold steeping it soon. Excited to try the pineapple too!
Flavors: Floral, Fruity, Green, Juicy, Lychee, Mineral, Nectar, Silky, Smooth, Spring Water, Sweet
Preparation
Brewed cold in ~350 mL water
A delicious muscat flavour paired with citrus and green tea flavour
The second steep has more nuance – less grape and more other fruits. Still a nice grassy matcha and sencha undertone but with less obvious muscatel grape
Flavors: Citrus, Fruity, Grapes, Green, Muscatel
