16780 Tasting Notes
Gongfu!
It’s officially Shulloween, which means peak ripe pu’erh weather, and it’s a good thing too because I just grabbed SO MUCH new ripe pu’erh in my last order. Pretty Girls is always a gem when you brew it up, though! Thick as mud with a semi-sweet earthiness and, dare I say, bit of a buttery taste and texture. The real star is the dark and fruity undertones of raisins and jammy, cooked down black cherries. As far as shou goes, it’s very indulgent and great for looonnggg steeps stacked one on top of the other!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DBo1xCVyQyi/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwCiODcHafY
Grandpa Style!
It properly feels like Autumn in Montreal now – complete with fully colour changing leaves and cool, brisk weather. With that, it means the shou cravings are picking up significantly. Especially with it being Shulloween week! Had to break out this Halloween themed mini in particular. It’s slick and sweet with an almost chocolate and carob profile that is giving me plenty of warm fuzzies. The finish ends just a bit earthy with a cozy oat-like starchy quality that really compliments the more decadent leaning profile. In some ways, it’s sort of like liquefied chocolate chip cookies!!
Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DBrd8_iSQb-/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4na2opArGY
I had this a few nights back because, as excited as I’m getting for the holidays, it’s also nearly Halloween and I’m loving revisiting some of those teas right now too. This was a nice, rich mug with a beautiful warm purple cup colour. Definitely that sweet Jolly Rancher style of watermelon flavour which was exactly what I was craving with a richer feeling mouthfeel from the starchy sweet potato. So yummy!
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 feel like I’m in this super weird limbo right now of being really into Halloween season and wanting to revisit all my pumpkin and otherwise Halloween-y blends but also starting to feel REALLY hyped for the holidays.
At work we’re heavy in producing all of the winter teas right now, and this one just came back in stock. I remember in the tea lab the day we were QC tasting it the whole building smelled delightfully of mint chocolate, and when I got home I just made myself the BIGGEST mug of this. Super, super smooth notes of milk chocolate with coffee undertones and then that sweet minty finish. So happy with this blend. I think it nails that peppermint mocha vibe.
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.
Like Candy Cane Matcha… Gingerbread Matcha is back for the winter, and now newly organic!
This is super similar to the non-organic gingerbread matcha with that darker and more molasses-y spice note. I’ve always found it to be almost more clove heavy, and that holds true now. I will say, if anything, it’s maybe a smidge less sweet? Without having the two side by side I think it’s a darn good match. As super delicious as a latte, of course.
I’m excited to have it back, but to be totally honest my current obsession is definitely Candy Cane. Still plenty of time for me to flip back and forth between the two, though!
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.
Candy Cane Matcha is back for the year… but organic!
Generally speaking the organic reformulations of DT’s different matchas are pretty identical, but this one actually is just a smidge more different. To start, it’s vegan now! The previous version had milk powder in it which helped with creaminess, but that was a struggle for us to do in the same way as an organic blend so to still get that rich creamy flavour we dropped the milk powder and added in a white chocolate flavouring.
Honestly, I love the new organic version. More than the non-organic. In fact I have been on a serious Candy Cane Matcha kick the last week or so. Seriously. I think I’ve had a bowl of it in the morning or at work pretty much every day for the last week, usually as an iced latte. I almost never repeat the teas I’m drinking in the same week; sometimes not even in the same month or months. Plural! But I’m finding this year’s release, especially creamy and cooling, and it’s I guess tickling this deep, dark subconscious part of my brain that is ready for the holidays…
Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/DBg4P59JRQt/
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4Uj6QahC-8
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 tea alongside some absolutely monsterously large blueberries! I’ve really enjoyed other productions under the “Plum Beauty” banner (looking at you shou pu’erh and black tea versions), but the sheng pu’erh version hasn’t meshed with me quite as organically. However, this session really caught me off guard with just how much I enjoyed it. It’s softened and sweetened up considerably with some really intense and deliciously creamy honeycomb notes that had me churning through the steeps quite quickly. Also delightfully floral with lush, heady notes of magnolia blossoms and a round, plum-y finish. The years have definitely been very kind to this tea!!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DBcLF2BSbJr/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hldc-KjNB1w
Gongfu!
This tea is super full-bodied, aromatic, and syrupy with an overall profile that is as sweet as it is robust. There are a lot of tasting notes at play in this tea, such as freshly spun sugar, baked sweet potatoes, casacara, and cocoa, but none are quire as striking as the highly aromatic and palate enveloping flavour of cherry blossom that anchored the entire session. It was such a distinct note that I could have sword I was standing directly under a cherry blossom tree in peak season and not sitting on my bedroom floor brewing tea. Wow. Wow. Wow.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DBexiOCS_Bo/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6XJ90Wl7-g
A nice enough mug, though not an immediate favourite either. Definitely chalk some of that up to the green tea base, but also I think I found the raspberry note a little one dimensional. I know Anne doesn’t use hibiscus, but some more acidity probably would have helped here even if it was in the form of some apple for a gentle nudge of brightness. That, or more sweetness/creaminess. I think next time I have this I’m gonna try to remember a pinch of sweetener to see if that makes it pop a little more for me.
Whisked this up as a hot cashew milk latte with a little added in vanilla paste for extra richness. It was really quite delicious, even if it’s not the type of flavour profile that I personally gravitate towards as frequently. Very cozy and autumnal pumpkin spice mix with some standout notes of clove, cinnamon, and ginger. Love that you do get a bit of that authentic pumpkin taste too and it’s not all spice.
