Summer iced tea!

First post in the new house! Yay!

So I made an iced tea concoction, and have been adding it to everything, including drinking it plain. All of them were great.







It was amazing to mix with Okanagan Peach Cider (yay booze and fizz!), to mix with water (perfectly flavored water, with no added sugar!).

Not to mention it smelled amazing! I'll be doing more specific ones on each of the teas involved, so no worries!

 -L

Mango Madness

This tea doesn't smell much like anything, honestly. I expected to be hit in the face by mangos, but it's kinda blah scent wise.

Honestly, taste wise this tea doesn't pack much of a punch either.

It's like if you put some lemon juice in a glass of water. And not even a lot of lemon juice. And I steeped this fucker strong. So, this tea isn't HORRIBLE, it just doesn't taste like much.

3/10, would not waste money on something that nearly tastes like nothing

-L

Queen of Tarts

This tea is a mate! Meaning, it's going to give me energy. Because fuck yeah stimulants in all natural forms.

I brewed this on the herbal temperature. Because why not am I right?

As for they taste...well...they didn't lie. It's pretty fucking tart. Like unless you specifically like tart things (You people who eat sour skittles as an example), you'll probably want something different. The flavors behind the tart are good, the tartness is just a major roadblock for me.

That being said, it's a very PRETTY tea. The tea itself is pink, and the leaf is pretty too
!

-L

Currant Affair

Okay so, to me, this tea smells a little gross.

And by gross I mean the currant scent mixed with the rooibos scent made a cat-piss-esque scent that is just driving me insane. So no matter what this tea tastes like, I'm just going to have a whole whopping memory of the scent.

And it does taste good. It tastes a lot like black currants, is nice and naturally sweet, and the cat piss smell is gradually going away.

So, if your nose isn't weird like mine, I'd say go for it! If it is, smell this tea before purchase.

-L

Raspberry Mojito

Apologies for my absence. I was recovering from some minor surgery, spending the last two weeks sleeping and recovering. Thank you for your patience.


Ingredients: Apples, raisins, hibiscus blossoms, carrot, beetroot, peppermint, lime, raspberries, rose petals, natural and artificial strawberry flavouring. 


I looooove mojitos.
And raspberries.

I was very excited to hear about this tea, and I am not disappointed.
I am having it iced.
But, if you like hot fruit teas, this would probably make for a nice twist to a hot peppermint tea.

Peppermint is definitely the most stand-out flavour in this tea, so you might want to have something to sweeten in up a bit if that isn't your thing. I tried adding some raspberry agave, which was excellent! But I like it on it's own as well.
But, while the mint flavour is strong, you can still taste the raspberry (and a little bit of that strawberry flavouring), plus the tiniest hint of lime. It could do with some more lime. ALWAYS MORE LIME

Today I am trying it made at DavidsTea, so the next time I make it I will be trying it a bit stronger.
Because I definitely bought myself some of this stuff, and will more than likely be going back for more.

Chris bought me a SodaStream as an early birthday present, so I can not wait to try this one as a pop.


I recommend that everyone at least pop in to their local DT when they are sampling it.
I am really enjoying it.


Happy Steeping,

~K

Blueberry Jam

So you guys know that blueberry tea I reviewed earlier? The one my brother got me? Blueberry Jam tastes basically just like that.
Like...no jokes it's basically the loose leaf version twin. And the blueberry tea is cheaper I do believe. Just some food for thought. Or...tea for thought I guess.

I steeped it as if it was a black tea, just for giggles.

Overall, it's a good tea I can't complain about it. But for sake of ease, I'll still with the stuff my brother got me - I can always order more of it online.

-L

Nepal Black Tea : Organic

Organic Black Tea from Nepal
DavidsTea

This is going to be a pretty short review.

This tea is an incredibly delicious black. I steeped it for four minutes, and it is the perfect amount of time.
Very similar to an English breakfast tea... it's rich in flavour, but not over-bearing, and really smooth.
This is a black that should be in everyone's cupboard.


DavidsTea is donating all profits from their Nepal Black to the Red Cross until May 4th.
So pleases hurry.

I have a co-worker who is currently trapped in Nepal after visiting with some family. They are all currently living in a tent,, as their home is no longer structurally sound. Her family is without a home, and she has no way of getting home to Canada.

There are hundreds of stories like this, and worse.


To Donate

Red Cross:
ALL ELIGIBLE DONATIONS MADE BY MAY 25 TOWARDS RELIEF EFFORTS IN NEPAL WILL BE MATCHED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA.

Grand Cru Matcha + The Matcha Shaker

Matcha green tea from Nichio, Japan

Grand Cru is strong and creamy, it's an excellent matcha.
I can definitely say that matcha is something to take on slowly, it's powerful green tea flavours can be a hard thing to handle for those new to tea.
Matcha lattes are a good way to start.


The matcha shaker.

This wonderful travel mug is worth the $35 price tag, in my opinion.
It not only comes with an agitator for the matcha, but also an attachment for steeping regular tea!
The top of the mug also comes with a mesh filter for any clumps that might remain, but I did not have any problems with that.

Remember to always press the pressure release button on top so when you screw off the lid you don't have a tea-splosion. 

Tea steeper - Filter lip - Matcha agitator

Matcha Latte!

Pure delicious matcha, to the line

This mug is absolutely fantastic!

but! It can be a little difficult to get your hands on. They are very popular, and it is incredibly obvious why.

They call it the matcha shaker... what they should have called it is The Perfect Tea Mug.

I also like that it is clear. I like travel mugs where I can see my tea.

I have gushed enough about this mug...

 

Happy Steeping... or shaking!

~K

Gold Rush

Ingredients: Organic: mulberries, coconut, white Silver Needle tea. With natural and organic flavouring

My brother has been trying to get me to try this tea for at least a year now. I haven't because 1. It has coconut, I am so sick a DT teas with coconut, and 2. It isn't very cheap

So, he gave me enough to make myself a cup so I could see why he likes it so much.


I am pleasantly surprised.

While I have never tried a mulberry before and never really heard anything about them besides that silly ice-cream truck song... I could not believe that they taste like!
Caramel!

This fruit and coconut tea tastes like a light and creamy caramel.
It's the weirdest thing... but I actually really enjoyed drinking this tea.
It's delicious! And organic!
Plus, it's a DT staple, so I don't see it going away any time soon.

I would recommend everyone give this tea a chance. Unless you're allergic to coconut, that is....



Happy Steeping,

~K

White Nectarine

Ingredients: Apricot, white tea, blackberry leaves, safflowers, natural nectarine flavouring.


Before I being, I would like to take a moment to bitch about something that DavidsTea has been doing quite often... LYING! Gr!
I am so sick of a tea being named a certain thing -this one for example, White Nectarine- and then that ingredient is only a flavouring and not the actual fruit -White Nectarine's featured fruit is apricots. WHAT?! 
Their Key Lime tea did the same thing, which made me so angry I still haven't tried it.
DavidsTea, please! Stop with the flavouring and just use the ACTUAL FRUIT.


Let's begin.

I love nectarines. I will choose them a thousand times over peaches, or nearly any other fruit for a snack. I suppose it is safe to say that they are my favourite fruit. But it was not only this that made me excited to try this tea, it was the smell! By the gods, does this tea every smell beautiful!
My brother was amazing and bought this for me because I was short on cash and was so in love with the smell.

Such a gorgeous and robust flavour. While it definitely tastes more of apricots than nectarines, it is love at first sip.
This just might be my new favourite fruit tea.

The blackberry leaves blend so nicely with the apricot, and while the white tea is slightly hidden in the background, it still adds to the flavour very nicely.
Incredibly smooth and fruity without being intrusive on the natural, leafy flavours.

Fantastic!!
Everyone, this tea. This tea!

Aaron!! You are the BEST!!


Happy Steeping,
Get your butts to DavidsTea and get yourself some of this beauty before it is all gone!

~K

Hot Lips

Okay, if you like cinnamon hearts, you will like Hot Lips from DavidsTea (I can't find it on the site, but I don't think it's been discontinued). To be fair, its description did basically say those very words.

I hate cinnamon hearts. They don't taste like cinnamon, they just taste a mixture of sweet and hot sauce to me. Which, is basically what this tea tasted like to me. Because I hate cinnamon hearts and it tastes like cinnamon heart flavored green tea.

This is hate-speech pure and simple. I can't even say ignorant hate speech because it warned me, for once the DavidsTea description was 100% bang on target.

I soothed my tea hankering with a special concoction I made, which is going to be next weeks review!

-L

Happy Kombucha

Happy Kombucha smells pretty fruity, just like in the description. It's also an oolong tea, which is a
bonus because you all know my love for oolongs.

This is a really nice tea! It's light and fruity and everything just blends together so pleasantly.

I do wish the flavor as a whole were a bit strong-the exact same taste, just more powerful.

And sorry for no pictures! I was doing taxes and making sure all my adulthood duties were done and I totally forgot!

Enjoy another London trip picture, and get this tea for yourself!

-Laura

Egg Nog Tea

Ingredients: Green rooibos, white chocolate chips, meringue powder, natural and artificial flavouring
 Contains: Milk, eggs, and soy.


First, my apologies for this being late, especially after my holiday hiatus.

I tried this tea for the first time at my best friend's house just before Christmas. She made it as a latte with eggnog, and it was pretty fantastic. Well, now I am trying it without anything added.
Unfortunately, I have left this a little late and this tea is nearly GONE. But! If you are feeling ballsy, or just have some disposable income, they are selling 250g for 40% off online, and I'm sure the DavidsTea stores may still have it in stock.


I steeped until the chocolate was melted, stirring twice during the process.
This tea smells excellent. Well, if you are a fan of eggnog, and if you know me, well! I LOVE eggnog.

It looks positively unappetising, with a strange, murky orange sort of colouring, but don't let that throw you off. It's simply the chocolate giving it that dirty-water sort of look.

High in spices, I can't say that I really tastes the chocolate (which there was a generous helping of), and it reminds me more of a weak chai that has had the smallest wisp of milk added to it.

It really isn't a terrible flavour at all, but I definitely prefer it as a latte. It certainly tastes like it was meant to be made with generous helpings of either milk or eggnog. In which case, I would recommend going about 50-50 or 25-75 in favour of milk product, and brewing the tea really strong.

I would have to say this one is up in the air for me.
It's an interesting treat around the holidays, and really great for those who can't have eggnog or find it too rich.



I hope that everyone had a lovely holiday.

Happy Steeping, and keep warm.

~K

Orzammar: Buttered Rum

From the era (which may still be continuing) of DAVIDSTEA IS OBSESSED WITH COCONUT, I bring you Buttered Rum!

The first in my Dragon Age: Origins themed reviews! In tribute to them, I have started the reviews 5 years and a day to the North American release date of DA: Origins.

Because in my playthrough I am a dwarf, it is fitting I start with Orzammar! Buttered Rum because rum is alcohol, and alcohol is very dwarven! With our drinking and hunger for power...save for my character, who is only hungry for one character...



Now onto the actual tea review.
This tea isn't BAD, I just wouldn't buy it again. Which is sad, because I'M A DWARF.

Alistair. Hungry for Alistair

It doesn't smell like buttered rum, first of all. It smell like a very tropical tea, which can be attributed to the coconut. Honestly, it's OVERWHELMING how much this tea smells like coconut before it's steeped, and even after it's steeped it smells a little overbearing. (Like bro, since when does plain rum make you think of sun tan oil?)
Some milk or cream helps tone it down, but it just makes it well, creamier. Which, thanks to the coconut, isn't the best option for everyone.

It basically tastes like black tea and coconut. Which, isn't BAD, it's kinda good. But, IT DOESN'T TASTE LIKE THE NAME AND THAT IS FRUSTRATING.

Forever kinda sick of coconut and in love with DA:Origins,

L

PS.
*This game came out 5 years ago, no spoiler warnings will be uttered

Berry Good

Berry good, is BERRY good! Hahaha. Ha...ha. Shut up it's funny to me.

Seriously, this is a nice tea so long as you steep it properly. For 30 seconds. Otherwise it tastes like salty fruit water and is amazingly disgusting.
When steeped for 30 seconds, it tastes like how it smells, but less sweet.

If you already own it, and haven't tried it, do so now. If you do own it and have been steeping it wrong, try it the correct way.

It's, overall and very amazing and delicious tea!

TOO BAD IT'S NOT (at least currently) IN THE DT ONLINE STORE.

WHY DO YOU GET RID OF THE REALLY AMAZING TEAS DT???? WHY

-Regretfully yours,

L

PS. I'm contemplating doing a video game themed tea. I just wouldn't know what that would even look or taste like.
Any ideas?

Cinnamon Heart

Cinnamon Heart, oh how amazing you smell...
Until you get steeped.

I love Autumn. I love the spices that get the most attention in Autumn. Spices like cinnamon.
But oh how did this Pu'erh let me down. It let me down so hard it hurt.

Let me state, I steeped this to HOW YOU'RE ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO STEEP PU'ERH, not how DT says to. Sorry bro, but you give shitty directions.




It smelled weird and tasted bitter and bland and NOTHING like those addictive and disgusting (yet great!) candy cinnamon hearts. Seriously though, I really would rather just put those in boiling water and strain it.

Like I have nothing else to say except that I really wanted to have a nice heartwarming tea, but NOPE it had to turn out like shit. I even added milk at one point, just to give them the benefit of the doubt. It still tasted like crap.

What a bummer

-L

Pom Springs

Ingredients: Apple, apple pomace, beet root, rosehip shells, green tea, hibiscus, sweet blackberry leaves, rhubarb, pomegranate pits, natural flavouring.


On my brother's advice, I decided to try this iced, as he informed me that it is way better this way. And that I should make it pretty strong. So I have done both.

I used two spoons in 20 oz of water and steeped for about 4 minutes. It has same incredible colour, and kind of looks like Koolaid.

I am not sure what I was expecting to taste, but I was pretty confused on my first few gulps. I couldn't put my finger on what it was supposed to taste like... Then I got it. Bubblegum. No joke, it tastes like Chiclets! Those little colourful Halloween gums in packs of two that you chew for two minutes before all the flavour is gone? Yeah, this is the tea form of that amazing childhood flavour.
If you really sit on it, you can really taste the pomegranate and apple, but my mind always falls back on Chiclets

Kids would go NUTS over this one! And you very well could, too! I think I would prefer it mixed with gingerale to make it a tea-pop, but it is still pretty interesting.


I definitely recommend giving this a try, even if you just order one iced from a DavidsTea store. It is an incredibly interesting flavour.


Happy Steeping,

~K

Organic Peppermint Amour

I honestly am pessimistic about this tea. Not because I think it will be bad, but because it is peppermint tea. And, I mean Peppermint Amour, really? Let's see if this peppermint tea makes me say "Oh mon cher, Je t'aime!"
Much wow. Very excite.

There really isn't anything that needs perfecting about peppermint tea.



I used half of the little sample container, which is about one full Perfect Spoonful. Keep in mind, that's about double that is in one regular tea bag. And still a little more than would be in two regular tea bags. So it better be fucking strong. I steeped it for like 5-7 minutes, because I like my peppermint to be strong like Xena. I was so obsessed with her as a kid I still don't know how I got away with watching her at like 8. Please come take me away on your horse I love you

AND NOW TO START DRINKING.

Well, it smells like run of the mill organic bagged peppermint tea. Aaaaaaand it's nothing special. It is basic peppermint tea. No love here, because it's almost 6 dollars for a 50g bag. And you can get easily pre-packaged bagged peppermint tea at the grocery store for cheaper.



The flavor is good, but it's just peppermint tea. No better than Tetley or Tazo. Save your money and time and space and get the bagged stuff.

 Much love mon cher!

-L

The Sweetheart Collection: Movie Night

Movie Night, by DavidsTea~!

So today I had some time alone (and it's dreary and raining and chilly out), so I decided to run myself a nice hot bath (with bubbles and essential oils, hair and face masks. And a mini-pedicure). I hella pampered myself.
With such pampering, means tea MUST be involved. It's basically a law.

Now, why did I pick Movie Night? Because I'm watching Five Nights at Freddy's by Markiplier. While in the bath. What can I say, I enjoy multitasking!


When I first opened my sampler (from the Sweetheart Collection), I smelled a mix of coconut oil, popcorn, and caramel. It made me think of a movie theater minus the stale sweat smell they get in the summer. Which is what I'm hoping was the reaction they wanted!

I steeped it for about 3-5 minutes while I got my bath all ready. I used the entire sampler for one pot (my 4 cup pot).

The downside was this tea doesn't taste like there is any tea. It tastes like plain popcorn water. On one hand, I'm happy it didn't taste exactly how it smelled because that would have been kinda gross, but on the other, at least that would have had more depth than if I had made some plain popcorn and steeped that.
Where was the sencha flavor?! WHERE????

It wasn't horrible or disgusting, I had two cups. It was just boring with a really overpowering scent. And I had peppermint oil in the bath water; so the pure fact that this scent cut through that is impressive.

Buy it, you may like it. But I really didn't.

-L


I've discovered that doing these blog posts does help with my mental health a fair bit. It's actually pretty awesome. So that means that I'll keep doing them as long as I have tea.

White Tiger

This tea is discontinued. So no matter what I think, I WON'T BE ABLE TO GET ANY MORE. DavidsTea has a thing against good white tea I guess

White Tiger by DavidsTea smells divine. Like holy shit. I stepped it for a few minutes, and used 1.5 scoops with the DT scoop. Because I'm hella predictable and hella lazy. I then let it sit until cool enough to drink...so like, 5 minutes?

And holy shit. I regret drinking this tea.

Because it is so. Fucking. Good. Holy shit. It's sweet and light and has a bit of a bite to it. It isn't as good as Sweet Strawberry, thankfully, but it is really really good.

Like ugh.



I just can't deal with THIS white tea being discontinued too! UUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH

Maddeningly yours,

L