New holiday teas continue!
This is an online exclusive tea this year and it’s actually not up on the website yet, but it’s included in the 24 Days of Tea advent calendar this year and I know several people have already broken into their advents to try it so I’m getting my review up now rather than wait for the website to update.
This might be my second favourite of the holiday teas this year – I’m definitely sad that my two favourites are more exclusive/hard to access teas from this year’s collection. I think the reason this is online only is because we really liked the tea, but weren’t sure whether the Satsuma in it was a flavour a lot of people would connect with or already have familiarity to. So because the customer base is a bit more niche it’ll just live online – but if it does well or is well received then there’s always a chance it’ll be released in stores in the future. I’m hoping people will like it!
Interestingly, there is no spice in Satsuma Spice Cake – not in the ingredients or in the flavouring. I think that does already, immediately, mean that this tea fails the “name accuracy” test – but even still I love the blend. It’s quite a nice satsuma/orange/citrus type of flavour – it reminds me a lot of Walnut Orange Scone, which had that candied orange peel/zest type of note, but I do find this a bit sweeter/juicier and a tiny touch tart. Very similar vibes, though. I’m hoping that my thoughts on this tea don’t go the way of Walnut Orange Scone, which was initially my favourite from that collection. I like WOS a lot at first, but got sick of it really quickly.
Apart from that lovely sweet orange note, I also find this has a touch of a caramel note but almost more caramelized sugar/orange caramel type of vibe. Long time Steepster folk might remember Della Terra’s Orange Brulee oolong blend – and the caramel note I get here reminds me strongly of the caramel/orange kind of duo flavour of Orange Brulee.
Like a few other people I’ve seen, I do get a sweet nuttiness also – but there’s literally no ingredient here that should cause that flavour. Not even in the flavourings. It might be placebo, since I do get reminded of WOS which obviously had a nutty component. I wonder if it’s also something from the black tea itself!? Regardless, it’s weird but still nice.
The only other thing I can think to mention is that occasionally I do find the mouthfeel a bit oily – but that’s coming from the natural oils in the candied citrus peel, and it generally doesn’t detract from the tea for me. Much more pleasant than the oiliness of melted down chocolate, for example.
Good tea overall IMO though – I’ve already grabbed some for myself. I like that it’s a fun holiday kind of taste that can live year round (as opposed to, say, Candy Cane) that also seems to have a bit more elegance/sophistication to it.
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.