17059 Tasting Notes
Made a hot cup of this for myself last night and it was just so wicked smooth but also crisp and juicy. Just a truly full f life and effervescent sweet apple flavour with a round mouthfeel and slightly creamy finish.
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.
One of several teas that I made pitchers of iced tea of for our coworker’s maternity leave party. This was the one that I poured a cup of for myself though. Punchy, sweet and juicy cherry notes with just a hint of fig. Like an adult cherry ice pop. Very delicious for a big pizza lunch.
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.
A very close friend and coworker had her last work day yesterday before going on maternity leave, so we did a bit of a party in the office for her. In addition to pitchers of iced tea that I’d steeped we also had cans of RTD available to drink with the pizza lunch. I, of course, had both iced tea and RTD. Actually, if I’m being honest, a few cans of the RTD. I was thirsty. I was very pleasantly surprised by just how incredibly this paired with the sundried tomato and goat cheese pizza I was munching on. Very delish!
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.
A late night cuppa that I pulled out because I wanted something relaxing, a little bit sweet, and kind of minty. Well, this incredibly lush and round feeling spearmint flavour of this blend checks off the last two criteria on that list while also masking the chamomile in the tea that takes care of the relaxing part. Very nice cuppa.
Gongfu Sipdown (2781)!
Though everything is still kind of brown and dead outside, this is the first weekend this year that’s been warm enough for a real, proper outdoor tea session – and I’m definitely not letting that go to waste! The tea is smooth, crisp and mellow with notes of sugar snap peas, cucumber skins, and fresh flowers like lilacs. Kind of perfect for this first Spring session in the park, and for the little burst of umami that these cherry tomatoes contribute in between the steeps. It’s like a liquid garden party, if you will. Definitely getting me really stoked for being able to enjoy my daily tea outdoors a little more consistently in the coming weeks!!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHjgnfeyEth/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edF7kuM57uI&ab_channel=Jaeger-Topic
Gongfu!
This was a gift shortly after I moved out to Montreal, and one of the older sheng pu’erh that I have in my stash. Twenty five years, in fact!! It’s highly aromatic with such an intensely deep, nuanced profile that I just fully melted right into from the first sips of the session. I get all sorts of earthy notes like petrichor, oak, decaying wood, rain-soaked soil, and earth caked garden beets as well as an almost numbing mix of spices like clove, allspice, vanilla with a punchy finish of camphor and sandalwood. However, absolute favourite notes of the session is this really fleshed out, anchoring flavour of antique, leather-bound books balanced out by whispy, fleeting tastes of smoke and incense. It makes me feel like I’ve retreated deep into some old parlor room or study on a dark, stormy day just lost in a good book!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHmKuzcy-9X/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1u_hL11auM&ab_channel=HozierVEVO
I find your notes on this sheng to be quite bewitching! You’ve transported me somewhere I can’t quite identify, but I sure like it! I feel like I could give a few turns to the bedknob and be taken from Miss Price’s stone abode off to an adventure on Portobello Road! Thanks for evoking childhood memories of Bedknobs and Broomsticks!
Gongfu!
Enjoyed this sheng in the cool, crisp outdoor air of the nearby park. This is, in my opinion, one of the better years of Bitterleaf’s zodiac sheng series. It brews up so incredibly smooth and sweet and has really come into its own with the brightly golden and syrupy notes of honey that define the session. It’s a little floral in its undertones, too, like the ethereal scent of a bouquet of wildflowers on a hot prairie afternoon. But the flowery notes are fleeting, and mostly I find myself captivated by a fruitier, peachy mid sip that leans into the honey notes as if being swaddled by them. Not too shabby of a way to jumpstart the day at all!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHorPzMSqy1/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fINC9xVmkmc&ab_channel=Go-Jo
Gongfu!
I think probably a more heavy-handed session than I’ve explored in the past, but I wanted thick, full-bodied and burly and I knew this tea would deliver and still be delicious if I pushed it in this way. It’s really an almost syrupy mouthfeel despite being quite brisk and malty, and not particularly sweet at all. Alongside the robust maltiness sits a comfortable balance of smoke, bitter dark chocolate, and pithy but aromatic notes of lemon peel – somewhere between freshly zested and a more dried down and leathery rind. It’s snappy, but grounding too. Every now and then a golden raisin note sneaks in, which does bring a touch of sweetness, but I’m mostly just really enjoying the trio of malt, cacao, and citrus.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHrXWjKSvnH/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gm2gu9i9ck&ab_channel=MDSHCoffeeHouse
Grandpa Style!
The more experimental charcoal roasted offerings from W2T have been really hit or miss for me, but in this case I really felt like I tasted each and every tasting note described by W2T: spiced plum, cinnamon, mulling spices. Especially the stonefruit and cinnamon notes, which were perfectly rich and cozy. I’d also add molasses, figs, dark exotic woods, and baker’s chocolate to the list of flavours. Teas with the combination of plum and cocoa notes have a special place in my heart, so this especially resonated. I also really appreciated how full bodied and thick the brew was, with an appropriately balanced tannic briskness. Just a really lovely tea that seemed to offer a little bit of everything in a really nice way.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHuBZxxyWh4/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A3OO3lsoio&ab_channel=maryinthejunkyard
