Sweet Apple Cider

This one is a backlog note from who knows when, because I seem to only reach for this one when I’m about to go to bed…

I’ve tried this tisane both as a hot brew, and as a cold brew mixed with tonic water to try to recreate the effect of sparkling apple cider. It’s definitely sweet and apple-flavored, and I would call the cider experiment a success. But seeing the ingredients has me wondering whether that apple flavor I’m tasting is natural. Left to my own devices, I can’t really tell, and it’s unfortunate to think all the apple pieces in the mix might not be contributing much. It’s still tasty, but I would be more impressed with a blend that could use all-natural ingredients to produce a similar flavor.

GCTTB

This tea smelled so good dry and even better brewed up. I was really looking forward to tasting it. However the taste did not live up to how it smelled. It certainly didn’t taste like apple cider to me. I just couldn’t get it down.

I really enjoyed this tea more than I expected to. There are a lot of teas that are “apple cider” flavored, but they usually are sweeter or have more cinnamon flavoring to them.

Despite this having the word “sweet” in the title it’s not super sweet. I feel like there is a tart-crispness to this tea that is missing from a lot of the other apple cider teas that I have had. It’s very light, but it still manages to taste like a good, fresh cup of New England cider.

I don’t know why I haven’t reviewed this tea yet, considering it is from the fall 2014 collection, but better late than never? This one definitely lives up to the ‘sweet’ part in the name, so avoid this one if you like your apple cider more tart and/or with some spice. I usually combine this one with Yes We Cran to make an apple/cranberry blend, and I think I might try mixing this with Cinnamon Rooibos next. I’m still not sure if I like this one better on its own or as a mix.

This REALLY does taste like apple cider! What’s nice about this version though is its not crazy sweet like the really thing. Don’t get me wrong though, this is very fruity and sweet for a tea-just not as sweet as ’real" apple cider.

However, I’m drinking the last bit I have of it right now and I won’t be replacing it for a while because I’m getting out of sweet tasting teas (i.e. fruit blends, ones with candy bits in it, etc) and into more “earthy” herbal teas (i.e. ones that have peppermint, lemongrass, chamomile, etc). Maybe its because I’m out of my teen years and trying to eat more healthy in general, but I haven’t been craving too much sweet stuff in general lately. I like a latte once and a while, but for the most part I’ve been liking my plainer teas lately.

While I’m disappointed with many of Davids teas, this one is one of my favorites. I’m a coffee lover, so I’m always looking for teas with strong flavors.

I brewed it really strong (2 tablespoons per cup of hot water), and it was like drinking apple cider (but without the calories from the sugar).

Wish I had bought more of this before it left us for the season!

DAVIDsTEA sample – this tea is just ok to me. I’m not the biggest herbal tea fan anyway, but this has an artificial aftertaste to it. You can definitely taste the apple.

Hmm, I have such mixed feelings about this tea… Generally, I like my apple teas to have some spice in them (especially in a cider-inspired tea like this one), and I tend to prefer an apple note that tastes “red” or “yellow”— mellow sweet, instead of sour-sweet like a green apple. But I knew going in that this tea would have no spice, and I could tell from my first sniff of the dry leaf that the apple was the candy green kind. So it’s not going to be my ideal apple cider tea, but I’m okay with that.

That said, I’m not quite sure what to think of the flavor. It’s very strong and sweet (and artificial, but I don’t necessarily mind that). The apple note is prominent, which is nice. There’s also some creamy vanilla here, which I find odd for a cider tea. But I’ll go with it! Overall, I’m finding this tea “okay.” It’s not bad, or undrinkable by any means. But it’s not my favorite kind of apple tea, so it’s hard to get excited about it.

That said, I tried a little experiment last night, and blended some of this with Teavana’s Spiced Apple Cider rooibos (which doesn’t have nearly enough apple and WAY too much cinnamon), and it was pretty awesome. Maybe even close to my ideal apple cider tea! So at least I’ve found a good use for the rest of this.

I get the cream and vanilla notes before apple whenever I smell this tea. I enjoy this tea, and think it’s a nice evening beverage when it’s cold outside.

I wish it was a tea that included cinnamon, so I always add some. I’ve been drinking this as a latte recently to cut down on a bit of the sweetness. However, I do like it plain, so I’ll probably go back to that. I’ll be sad when I finish the last of my supply, so I am hoping it’s brought back in the future. (However, if DT puts it on their web special, I’m not purchasing 250g worth. It’s just a little too sweet for me the longer I drink it).

I would recommend this tea, unless you prefer apple teas to be a bit more tart. It’s easy to add the cinnamon for spice and cut a little of the sweetness. I have added tart in the flavours section, because it is there as an afternote/taste.

I was so excited when I got the sample of this tea. I had read mixed reviews so I never bought it. I can definitely taste the apple note as much as I smelled it, but their is something about it that just isn’t quite right when the tea. I’m not sure if it’s the artificial flavor or what, but I never taste the funny flavor, I smell it. It kind of reminds me of a green apple jolly rancher. I do wish I had at least sprang for 50 grams of this. While it’s not the best I’ve ever had I wouldn’t have minded having few more cups…