15695 Tasting Notes
Sipdown (2589)!
A very anti-climactic sipdown, but I’m afraid that was entirely my fault. I thought I had let the water in my kettle get up to temp before pouring, but apparently not because I found out only after removing the strainer that I’d been steeping the very last of this tea leaf in lukewarm water for the last five minutes. Womp womp. I drank the cup to not be wasteful, but it was like drinking room temp water with a hint or a whisper of spearmint and orange. Almost like a flat La Croix.
On top of the ripe pineapple and distinct smoke notes I thought the cinnamon in this blend especially came out to play in this cup. As a hot tea it was good, though it felt more like some sort of throat soother type of vibe that I could see, maybe, a pirate drinking on their ship on a cold night at sea. Sort of a tropical hot toddy, if you will. I let the latter half of the mug cool and drank it chilled, and I liked that a lot too – it was a little more of a tiki/cocktail sort of vibe but with the smoky edge.
Iced!
I don’t usually mess around with flavoured drink syrups – not because I’m against them or anything though, as I have been known to use the odd flavoured agave or honey in my tea. I just find they’re relatively inaccessible to me as I’d have to buy a whole giant bottle which is a lot for something I really just want to experiment around with or that I don’t consistently find myself craving…
And I say that because, well, I made this tea with a few pumps of Torani’s “Sweet Heat” syrup. Starbucks recently released a line of “Spicy Lemonade Refreshers” (which are REALLY interesting, though hella sweet and spicier than you’d think) so someone brought this bottle of syrup into the office because they were inspired by the whole sweet heat/swicy trend and we’ve just been mucking around with it the last few days. Honestly, though, it was pretty delicious. Definitely makes Mango Fruit Punch even sweeter than it already is, so this is not something I’d recommend if you don’t have a big sweet tooth. However, the sweet juicy mango and distinct chili heat in the aftertaste go together REALLY well. Like a Mexican spicy mango candy!
I’ve tried all three Starbucks drinks now, and this was definitely better. The Starbucks drinks were soooo cloying (even sweeter than this) while being hot enough to actually give me a little bit of a stomach ache by the time I finished the full grande cup. Like, I’d for sure make this again if it wasn’t so annoying to need to buy the whole big syrup bottle.
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!
Enjoyed this session with this afternoon with some freshly sliced orange. You would think the orange would overpower this beautiful golden bud-heavy black tea, but weirdly what ends up happening is that the mouthfeel of the tea becomes incredibly buttery and smooth. It’s tasting notes lean predominantly in the more rich and decadent camp with flavours like dark chocolate, carob, malt, and freshly baked bread. So with the smooth and creamy mouthfeel and pops of juicy orange this pairing is almost like the tea session version of a Terry’s Chocolate Orange. Less sweet though, annnddd still pretty orange heavy.
I don’t want to jinx it, but it really is starting to feel like the weather has stabilized enough to be back to regular outdoor tea sessions again. Definitely excited to be back to that practice – it always makes me feel so grounded and at peace.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5_Uq2Uus1Z/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MY9fGsHetc
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!
This organic Kenyan grown tea is so rich and full bodied, but also quite sweet and smooth with prominent notes of stewed or brandied red fruits and citrus that feature alongside flavours of malt and molasses and a hint of spices like allspice, ginger, and nutmeg in the undertones. In the past, I’ve compared this tea to fruit cake (but, like, GOOD fruit cake) but today the prominent molasses and spice notes are making me think a little bit more of gingerbread and mincemeat. Regardless, it seems like this is a tea that definitely elicits fond memories of holiday baking. Is that perhaps a little weird for what is the heart of Spring!? Maybe just a little. However, it’s a delicious tea and easily one of the most complex African black teas I’ve tasted!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6B840CxaMz/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw-AQZo_R5s
I brewed this tea grandpa-style while enjoying the fresh air and surrounding signs of Spring. This tea is so rich and full bodied with velvety smooth notes of dark chocolate truffles and roasted barley with deep, dark fruity undertones of sweet red wines and black cherry and a finish that hints of leather and charred peanuts. With this brewing style there’s less naunce and some of the more delicate floral aromatics are lost, but the flavours that remain feel so much more intense. I especially love the contrast of such a fudgey and slightly bitter cocoa note with those lush red fruit and liqueur elements – it tastes expensive, if that makes any sense at all!? Definitely one of the first teas from The Tea Practitioner that I would recommend to someone else – these little mini coins/bings/cakes can do no wrong!
Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6EyWoZOs58/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYqPaBQP9m0
Gongfu!
Even though this tea isn’t actually smoked or alcohol-infused, I can’t even begin to explain how excited I got when I smelled the dry leaf of this tea sample. True to name, it does have a natural smoky edge (which comes even more alive once infused) with an oaky undertone that really evokes the nose of a good whisky. Steeped up it’s pretty smooth with whisps of smoke, Bourbon Vanilla, and peat moss with a finish of oak and cooling camphor. Soft at first, but with a presence that builds into something quite powerful feeling by the mid-session. It sneaks up on you, though. Basically, it’s sneaky and slick but in a good type of way. Definitely very, very accurately named and soooo up my alley!!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6HftVeuPth/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uugDpWJ7big
This was my first tea this morning. I usually don’t choose to begin my day with something caffeine free, but I just woke up with such a particular craving for this tea. It wasn’t just that I wanted a jammy, tart strawberry note (which this tea delivers on), but that I wanted that flavoured tinged with the herbaceous, pine-y and savory note of rosemary that’s in this blend. It was very satisfying, and I only realized after finishing the mug that I drank several teas this week with a prominent rosemary note. Very weird and particular as far as subconscious ingredient cravings go.
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.
I don’t like this quite as much as Parlour Room Blend, but it’s still really delicious and very up my alley. Smokey with a little bit of a brisk bite to it, but also sweet and lush with silky notes of vanilla and a hint of citrusy fruit from the bergamot oil inclusion. I’ve had smoked Earl Grey blends before (though I wouldn’t call this an EG) and not loved them – it’s just a little too much going on all at once and the notes get competitive. However, the bergamot inclusion works here to add complexity and brighten the top notes. Maybe because it’s a lighter touch.
Really enjoyed this cup of tea that I made earlier in the week – the vanilla note is very authentic and aromatic but still has a bit of an indulgence to it. With the other spices and flavourings in the blend I feel like I get the best of both worlds with the mix of “true vanilla” (which is less sweet/creamy and more floral and fruity) and a more custard-like vanilla cream flavour. Sometimes it was a little like eggnog, because of the way the spices would interact with it. Very complex for a tea with a name like “Cake Batter Breakfast” that you’d expect to be just pure, unhinged dessert.
