Cold Brew!
So, I think DT has actually been carrying this one for all three+ years I’ve been really into tea, but to be perfectly honest I’d never really considered even trying it up until last week when the associate pulled the tin down for someone else to smell and I caught a whiff…
Funny story about them pulling the tin down; the lid was so warped that it took like two solid minutes for him to pry it off and then like another three minutes after measuring the leaf out to jam the fucker back on. Apparently it’s the acidity of this blend that causes that which is something I’d never even thought about; but if that’s true it’s a little freaky to think it has that much effect on the material used in the big wall tins.
This was good; I actually think it had a really, really lovely balance between the natural flavours of the oolong and then the added ingredients. And, it was a balance I honestly wasn’t expecting so it was even more appreciated. The base itself was nice and vegetal/grassy with slight buttery undertones and then a really pleasant floral, almost lily like, quality that seemed to blossom up from a subtle background note alongside the added jasmine in the blend until it was about as prominent as the citrus in the blend. I definitely have a preference for darker roasted oolongs, but these qualities in greener oolong are all ones I really appreciate.
The added flavours were interesting in how the interacted with the natural notes. I’d say at the top of each sip was the bright, brilliant citrus notes: a mix of lemonade and freshly squeezed, unsweetened orange juice. By some miracle this manages to be a blend with an impactful, full bodied flavour but that still feels really nuanced and delicate and these fruit notes are the best example of that. Alongside that brilliant fruity note was the vegetal/grassy combination of flavours from the base, and personally I think the almost ’sharp; quality of those notes really well suited the acidity of the citrus.
The mid sip and bottom of the sip was more where the floral notes rested; a combination of lily and soft, natural tasting jasmine. Starting off as a very subtle background flavor both of these notes rose to a more developed floral note in the aftertaste that lingered lightly and pleasantly.
Personally, I REALLY liked this blend. It’s the best offering I’ve had from DAVIDsTEA in recent memory – and I look forward to playing around with the rest of the small sample I picked up. If nothing else, it’s just a shame that I waited three years to try it.
My friend loves this tea. She got super into it a while back and kept talking about it so I tried it. It was nice despite these not being flavors I like all that much.