16384 Tasting Notes
From my mom’s vacation trip/haul!
I actually requested she grab this one; not because I necessarily though I’d personally love it but because it was definitely one of the more unique flavour options available and I figured that if I didn’t love it then it was something I could easily share at work with coworkers.
- Cold Brew
- Honestly thought I’d strongly hate this one
- It’s got POTENT lavender and bergamot notes, for sure
- However there’s also a citrus quality (seperate from the bergamot) that’s quite lovely
- And it’s fairly sweet overall too, which seems to brighten the trio of flavours
- And kind of makes it feel separate from/distinct from a typical Earl Grey
- Or just another super floral, perfumey blend
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHfye8cUtZ8&index=5&list=LL1M1wDjmJD4SJr_CwzXAGuQ
July’s TOTM!
So, when I found out this one was gonna by July’s TOTM I was kind of not super excited about it; I’m not a big green tea fan or a chamomile fan and there are a lot of other blends that I would have preferred be reintroduced into the collection. However, that said I also DIDN’T REMEMBER having tried it previously. My automatic assumption was that I had likely skipped this one when it first came out because I knew there were ingredients I would have disliked.
Well – I JUST saw on Steepster that wasn’t the case. Apparently, I made this one cold brewed; it just obviously didn’t make any kind of lasting impression on me. So, here are my notes from this more recent iced cup that I drank:
- Heavy on the coconut
- With sweet, refreshing pineapple and mango notes
- Tropical, in a sweet and playful way
- I WANT to love this one, and I get awfully close to it…
- However, the finish reminds me a bit of shampoo
- And the chamomile feels strongly out of place
- No intense green tea notes, though! That’s a win.
Now, having just reread my original note I find a few things kind of interesting: similarly, I felt the chamomile was painfully out of place both times but differently I definitely noticed more of the pineapple/mango last time and less coconut. This time around, this was mostly coconut with a very small amount of pineapple. That, to me, is interesting. It makes me wonder if there was a formula change, my palate has changer or if the ratio of ingredients scooped these two times was just drastically different.
I imagine more tasting will be involved if I’m to get down to the bottom of these differences…
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 regarding the teas, and not the company’s.
Iced.
Kind of jammy strawberry notes, and for once I thought I could distinctly taste the pineapple too but mostly REALLY strong nutty flavours. Anytime I share this one with anyone I always try and get them to guess the flavours blindly first, and they always fail/are really confused. However as soon as they know what it’s supposed to be that’s all they can taste – and usually they’re surprised there’s no actual peanut in the tea because that peanut butter flavour is SO distinct. I can’t blame them; I’m still somewhat in disbelief they can get it to taste so accurate using mostly almond.
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa4D4-dDx6w&index=1&list=LL1M1wDjmJD4SJr_CwzXAGuQ
Iced, with the smallest smidgen of honey to brighten it up a bit.
This was REALLY good iced; it almost entirely tasted like really ripe, sweet strawberries but there was a pinch of something more tropical in the undertones. More pineapple than papaya, I’d say – there was a juiciness that I just don’t associate with papaya typically. Touches of grassyness in the finish; nothing too strong though.
Overall, I found this one REALLY refreshing and perfect for a hot summer day.
Sipdown (246)!
Honestly? I’m kind of surprised just how many cups I managed to stretch this tea out into…
Plus, it actually grew on me A LOT since having it in my stash. I’m not a ginger tea person, but this one was actually really smooth with light, almost honeyed/candied ginger notes and both malt and cocoa from the black base. It worked well for me! I mean, I wouldn’t want to order any/stock up on it or anything but it wasn’t bad at all.
So, I’m sipping on this one right now with a splash of Butter Pecan creamer in it. It’s smooth, rich and full bodied with brilliant malt notes and sweet, nuttyness from the creamer but admittedly my mind is basically anywhere BUT on the tea right now…
Wise Steepster folk, I need life advice – if anyone has some to offer.
So, there’s this guy I’m seeing but not seeing. We’re not really officially together; but we have been on a significant amount of dates and that’s 100% the direction things are moving. The point isn’t really the status of our non-relationship, though. The point is that recently, and I mean really recently his apartment complex caught fire. It sounds like the entire building is going to be condemned and the majority of the stuff in the basement is going to be totally lost. While it wasn’t his suite itself that caught fire it was the one RIGHT next to his in that basement area (they share a wall; it was very close) so more likely than not he’s lost absolutely everything except what he was wearing and what he had at his office at work/his mother’s house. Of course they’re not completely sure of that yet; they haven’t been allowed back in the building yet to survey the damage…
Even though we’re not technically in a relationship; he’s kept me in the loop thus far about the whole situation and I was one of the first people he messaged immediately after he found out a few days ago. So, I know based on that he wants me involved to at least a degree…
I want to help; but here’s where I need help – I have NO CLUE what I can do for him in this situation. I can empathize ‘til the cows come home, but bottom line is that my pity it going to do nothing for him. I did buy his a Nordic Mug and a tin of his favourite tea for his mother’s house, where he’s currently staying, because I had to do SOMETHING and I thought a kind gesture like that and a piece of normalcy throughout all of it might be helpful? His parents are setting him up with fresh clothing (because his will likely all be smoke damaged) and his immediate housing needs are taken care of so that’s one less thing I could do for him. I just…
I’m at a loss for words. So any advice would be helpful. I want to do something for him, I just don’t know what would actually be helpful and what goes beyond being reasonable for someone who hasn’t known him for the world’s longest period of time or as well as the majority of people in his life. I’m not family, and I don’t know him like his close circle of friends do…
I’m other, in this situation.
Hmm. Perhaps a giftcard in a sum you are comfortable with for toiletries or other essentials? ie. things that he might use or miss.
I second the cards but I think your personal moral support will be a goof thing. Sooner or later he will be at a loss as everything sets in. That is where your shoulder will mean a lot.
Iced Latte.
- Much softer on the spices overall; still lots of ginger
- Coconut came through more as well
- Sweeter, buttery mouthfeel with some creamy butterscotch notes
- Had moments with fleeting rootbeer like flavours as well
Definitely liked it a LOT more prepared this way than I did when I tried it hot, and straight. The first tasting it didn’t remind me of what I imagine butterbeer to be at all; but this time it was much closer. Still not totally on the mark, mind you – there’s a little too much spice for it to be a perfect recreation for me.
Evening cuppa.
It’s been a long time since I last had a tea with pandan in it, and prior to that tea I don’t think I’d ever tried anything with pandan so it’s a flavour I have a very limited familiarity with. That said, this does have a faint sense of familiarity to it.
It’s a soft, delicate flavour with a very smooth, silky mouthfeel. There’s an overall grassyness that’s sweet and refreshing, I think probably partly from the green tea base and partly from the pandan? Like in the company’s description, this does have a sticky rice sort of flavour to it but it’s also not quite that simple. It’s got a bit of a vanilla kind of flavour to it, but also not vanilla? It’s like some sort of sweet confection or bread too. Citrusy finish; but very light and refreshing without any acidity to it.
I really, really like it! It’s incredibly peaceful and relaxing, and I appreciate that it has this beautiful, subtle flavour to it that separates it from the typical green tea.
Drank this one last night as a sort of before bed cuppa.
Usually this is light, and buttery but last night it was really heavy on the apple with a surprising punch of tartness? Like, very green apple/Granny Smith heavy with only a bit of butteryness in the finish. Super weird, for what this tea normally is.
Still pretty tasty, 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 regarding the teas, and not the company’s.
