Exotica

New(ish) tea alert!? Also, cold brew!

So, earlier in the week DT brought back a bunch of old retired/seasonal fruity teas to the website! These guys are limited edition and, while everything is online exclusive right now because of the store closures, these all would have been online exclusive even if the stores weren’t closed. The range in which they go back is pretty drastic, so I think there’s something for the new DT customer as well as the longtime one! This is, I think, the oldest tea that was brought back – so old, in fact, that I remember it from when I FIRST started shopping with DT about eight years ago. I only ever had it once, and it was long enough ago that it actually predates my having a Steepster account so I never even logged it here!

I’m definitely not going to write a note for all of the returning teas – but I will include a list in this tasting note of everything that returned, and some of the returning ones I also picked up for myself so notes might pop up for fresh batches of those teas eventually. I also already had a bunch of them still in my cupboard from before they were retired so there are a couple that I just never stopped writing about…

So, here’s the list:

Exotica
Kiwi’s Big Adventure
Lime Gelato
Berries & Cream Matcha
Fantasy Island
Strawberry Lemonade
Bear Trap
Goji Pop
Tropicalia
Magic Dragon
Pink Lemonade
White Nectarine
Copabanana
Green and Fruity
Blackberry Blizzard
Green Seduction

I nabbed enough of this tea to make a cold brew (which is how I’m drinking it now), and to try it hot at a later date. I don’t have a strong memory of it from before, but the note that does stick in my memory is that it was super lemongrass forward and since lemongrass typically isn’t my thing (especially lately) I didn’t want to have too much to sip through…

Sure enough, there is A LOT of lemongrass going on in this brew but it’s definitely not the only thing I’m getting. This is a surprisingly nuanced and layered herbal tea; it has that lemony note but it’s also very “pina colada” in its tropical fruit and coconut notes. It bounces playfully between that tiki drink kind of profile and a fruitier chai profile that feels very rooted in Thai inspiration. I had also forgotten how forward that cardamom flavour is, though! It’s kind of a refreshing break from this massive array of very juicy fruity teas, though I think it would probably taste nicer hot.

I find this a very refreshing change of pace from the type of herbal teas that so often seem to be released now; I don’t know that it’s exactly working for me but I commend it for taking that different approach. I wonder if this is the type of thing that would even be released now, if it were brand new? It feels so decidedly “old school” DAVIDsTEA, and while I’m sure long time fans will love it I can’t imagine how anyone who’s only experienced DT in the last year to two years will receive 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.

Not a fan.

Im so sad this was discontinued. It was quite possibly my all time favorite tea. Its not something I would ever have imagined I would like, but I ended up loving. The mix of lemongrass and peppercorns, with the slight sweetness of pineapple pieces just works so well. Its like an herbal chai, without any of the typical chai elements! There was something very soothing about the smell and taste of this tea that was so unique and unlike any other tea I’ve ever tried. Most of the workers at different locations always reminisce fondly of it too, so I really am surprised it was discontinued since it seemed well liked!

This is my favourite tea from DAVIDsTEA – ever. If I could make this into a perfume/scent for my body, I would. If I could buy a shampoo or body wash that smelled like this – would.

I love the spice of the peppercorns, and the smoothness of the coconut and lemongrass. They announced they were retiring it 1 month after I had discovered the company. I ran and bought 250g which I am hoarding. I emailed them to express my disappointment and received a “better stock up then” email. Grr…

Once a week I enjoy this tea – hot or iced, weather depending. It’s the perfect hot tea for a rainy day or the perfect iced tea after a long run.

Tonight I served it hot – brewed a whole pot for myself and will spend the next few hours sipping and reading online.

Thank you, Kittylovestea, for a sample of this :)!

This tea tastes of lemongrass with a hint of spice. It has just the right mixture and I like it :). It’s one of those teas I was thinking about trying but never got around to, and now it’s gone. Booo….

From the EU TTB – Round 3

Final cup of the evening yesterday. This is an interesting blend; a sort of tropical chai. I rather like chai, so I decided it couldn’t hurt to give it a go. Warming is good on a cold night, and the tropical element might remind me of summer even though that is now a distant memory. I used 1 tsp of leaf, and gave it 4.5 minutes in boiling water. The resulting liquor is a pale-ish yellow, and smells deliciously of cardamom and lemon.

To taste, the main flavour is decidedly lemongrass. That surprised me a little, as I thought the selection of (rather strong) spices might have overpowered grassy, hay-like lemongrass completely. Not so. The flavour is actually quite gentle, and the sweet, lightly citrus flavour of the lemongrass is a significant player here. After the initial herbal of the lemongrass comes caradmon, a tiny bit of clove, and a warming hit of pepper. Finally, in the aftertaste, this one takes on a creaminess that I can only assume is the coconut, although I can’t really taste coconut as such. Neither can I taste pineapple, which makes me a little sad.

Drinking this one is putting me in mind of Thai food, which is pretty much always a good thing in my book. I wish I could taste more fruit, but the lemongrass/chai/cream combination is a pleasant one. It’s an interesting herbal, but I have to admit to feeling a touch underwhelmed. I’d built myself up for tropical amazingness, and it didn’t really quite deliver. It’s not a bad tea, though, and I’ve rated it accordingly.

I love cardamon and have been trying out several herbals that contain it. This one is okay. It’s not great but it also isn’t bad. You don’t really taste much more than spiciness (from the cloves, cinnamon and peppercorns) with some hints of sweetness. I was hoping for something more lemony but it’ll do.

This is a very mild flavored tea. There are muted flavors of lemon and a little warmth from the spices. It is not my favorite tea, but I think it would be an enjoyable tea for when I am a bit under the weather.

This one has so mkany flavours in it that I’m honestly not quite sure what to make of it. I don’t think I steeped it long enough, as the flavour was a bit more milder than what I was expecting. I wished it had more pineapple, though! I love pineapple-infused teas.

This tea is alright, but don’t buy 100g like I did. I have had half of that in the year I’ve had it. I feel like I could have got something that I really did enjoy more. I will give it the credit for being spicy yet I find sometimes it is tart, due to the lemongrass. Okay, maybe not the worst tea, but not worthy of 100g.