Pumpkin Chai

Pumpkin Chai from DavidsTea

Ingredients: Black tea, cinnamon, cloves, lemon peel, squash, carrot, caramel bits, pumpkin candies, natural and artificial flavouring
 

Pretty pretty new cup

Ah, yes. The much anticipated PUMPKIN CHAI that every DT fan has been raving about since the announcement of the fall collection. The internet got me incredibly excited about this tea... And when I opened the bag and stuck my nose in there... WOW! This tea smells fucking amazing. I've had this twice now and each time I brewed it for five minutes and six minutes. It's a good time. But the annoying thing is that each time this tea has tasted different... And not like the way it smells.
The first time I got a nice chunk of squash, and so WOW, it tasted exactly like pumpkin pie filling and I really liked it, it's like autumn was having a party in my mouth. The second time, I must not have gotten any squash because it was much more sweet and almost artificial tasting... the best way I can described it is like tasting the aroma of a fancy pumpkin or apple cinnamon candle (just not waxy), it isn't bad, much better if you make sure you get a piece of squash - yumyum. Just not what I was expecting... But my mum really loved it!

Next I will be trying it brewed extra strong as the DavidsTea Ultimate Pumpkin Chai recipe! I think it will be much better this way... Here we go!

Ultimate Pumpkin Chai recipe from DavidsTea

I am a huge fan of the Starbucks Chai-tea latte, so I was excited to make this....

I used three perfect spoonfuls in one cup of boiled water and let it sit for longer than six minutes, yadda yadda....
Blahhh... I can see how it would be a delightful drink, but I would reduce the amount of milk by a 1/4 cup (I reeaallly don't like that weird taste hot milk gets). Even with two and a HALF teaspoons of brown sugar and a pinch of nutmeg. Or maybe use some cream because 1% milk... eh.

This is a treat that needs tweeking for every individual. But it isn't gross, so, if you have the patience... DO IT!

I prefer it on its own.
But you'll have to decide for yourself.

Happy Steeping!

~K

Sorry this was SO long. And so many pictures.

Mom's Apple Pie

Mom's Apple Pie by DavidsTea

Ooo the first of my Fall tea reviews!

How exciting! You're getting a review as I drink it for the first time! You lucky ducklings. Mom's Apple Pie...

When you open the bag, it literally smells exactly like an apple pie cooking in the oven. As it steeps, you get an entire room lightly smelling of baking apple pie!
Ingredients wise, it's very simple. green tea, apple pieces, cinnamon, natural and artificial flavoring.


It's a very gentle tea, I put 1 tbsp to a pot, and steeped it for the 3-4 minutes, next time I'll add more leaves, but keep the steeping time the same.

It tastes quite nice. Bright, warm. It tastes a little like apple pie...
Picture you had a bite of apple pie, swallowed, then washed it down with a gulp of green tea. That after flavor of apple pie is essentially what it tastes like.
Letting it cool a bit helped bring out some of the flavors, so I really recommend NOT drinking it piping hot. You end up losing a lot of the flavor that way.
The cooler mine got, the better it tasted. Just above warm was the best. So it was still hot, but just barely. I doubt that makes much sense but...fuck it.

It's dark out, I had to take a picture inside

It is ranked medium caffeine by DavidsTea, so probably not the best to have before bed, especially if you're sensitive to caffeine, but I don't have to wake up early tomorrow, so screw it. In fact, I think I'll make myself some more in the morning!

UPDATE:
I made a stronger pot in the morning, with 2 tbsp of Mom's Apple Pie, and it was not as good as the 1 tbsp. I steeped it for exactly 3 minutes, and it still turned a kinda bitter. It was the right strength just...bitter. Maybe 1.5 tbsp would work?

I'm not really sure if I would restock this one come end of Autumn. It being very finicky makes it less apPEELing. (Get it, a-PEEL-ing, like when peel and apple? >_> shhhh my pun isn't lame at all... ) No, but in all seriousness (tea is srs business), I decided not to restock this tea. It just doesn't do enough for me

Overall I rank it as good when it's quite mild, but when it gets stronger, it isn't so good. Even when steeped for the minimum time it says on the pouch.
If you like teas that are milder, you'll love this one. It shines when it is brewed to be mild; the balance of apple and green tea is great. But, as a person who loves a much stronger tea, it just isn't for me.
Or, if you like teas on the more tart or bitter side AND strong teas, you may like this tea. Still, no guarantees.

I gave the rest of my pouch to my green tea loving co-worker, and her and her husband absolutely love it!

Skål, and happy steeping everyone!

-L

IF YOU HAVE ANY TEA YOU WOULD LIKE REVIEWED, LEAVE A COMMENT AND WE WILL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.

" There is something in the nature of tea...

" There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life. "

~Lin Yutang

Dragonwell

Dragonwell from DavidsTea

Green tea from West Lake Region, Hangzhou area, Zhejiang province, China.

On Monday my younger brother -who is the best, ever!- surprised me with the Just the Leaf collection from DavidsTea. A collection of eight straight teas -of which I only had one- with about two perfect spoonfuls per container.  The teas they have selected for this collection are: Japanese Sencha, Dragonwell, Orange Pekoe, Quangzhao Milk Oolong (the one I have), Kenyan Tinderet, Nepal Black, Assam Banaspaty, and White Peony.
Collections are a lovely way of getting to try a bunch without breaking the bank. $20 for two cups worth of each tea compared to the $68 it would cost to buy 50grams of each when you may not be sure if you will enjoy them. It's great!

So, obviously, I had trouble choosing.... Laura ended up choosing for me, and thought I should keep with the Dragon theme. (I suppose it isn't really a theme... but whatever!) So, here it is.

 I steeped a perfect spoonful (I always use a perfect spoonful; I LOVE this spoon) for about 3-4 minutes. Yes, inacurate guess. I was running around like a psycho looking for my stupid camera, which I couldn't find and had to use my phone. But this 3-4 minute range was perfect!

Very familiar flavour. For one, it tastes exactly like rose congou green without all the rose gunk in it. Second, this amazing little sushi place right around the corner always has this tea ready -hot or cold- for patrons to fill their cups again and again and again! So, naturally, all I could think about was sushi while drinking this, even though I usually don't drink the tea when I'm there.

Super simple tea. Grassy aroma with a smidge of seaweed (and I mean smidge; it does not smell like dead fish or anything). I closed my eyes and as I sipped, I imagined myself sitting on the grass on a wash summer's day as said grass is mowed around me. And the second infusion (which was only for about 30 seconds) tasted even better, adds a bit of sweetness.
 
I wouldn't recommend this to those who like their teas on the sweeter side. Well, of course i recommend trying everything. So, order the smallest amount possible, or go to your local DavidsTea and buy a brewed cup to go first. Try, try! Or get this collection, it makes a great gift, even if it is just for yourself - we all need a treat now and again ;) .



That's all for now.

Happy Steeping!
~K


P.S     Unfortunately, I mmaayyy be allergic to this tea. As I broke out in a nasty rash that itches like hell on my legs when I first tried the rose congou green that never really went away. Then, ten minutes or so after drinking half of my cup of Dragonwell, it came back with a vengeance.
I will be testing this theory this weekend and update on it. Being allergic to tea would be a terrible tragedy.

Kiwi's Big Adventure!

Kiwi's Big Adventure!


First, check out it's page by clicking the link. It is honestly what ultimately made me buy it.

It's smells almost like apples; tart and sweet. The smell isn't quite as strong after it's steeped.
I used 1 tablespoon for one pot of tea. Any more and I personally find it too strong, also, if you steep it for more than about 3 minutes (4 minutes, tops), it can turn very bitter.

It has green tea, apple, kiwi, lemongrass, lemon peel, and artificial flavoring. You can almost taste the apple more so than the kiwi, which is a little disappointing. When I bought it I was really hoping for more of the kiwi to come through. It is still a nice tea, but not quite what I expected.
It has a tart, green apple, flavor to it. The real green apple, not green apple candies.

If you do not like tart things, you will not like this tea.

It looks a little like pee to me

If you are able to go to a store and smell it, you'll get a general idea of what it tastes like. I can honestly say, it tastes like it smells, just a little milder.

I'm torn on whether to get more after this runs out. Part of me does, part of me doesn't. If I do, I won't get more than 50g at a time because tit does take a while for me to go through it. You need so little of it to make a pot, and I need to be in just the right mood for it.
I did really enjoy it when it was hot out. Even as a hot tea, it does have a refreshing quality to it.

If you like or love green teas, you will like this.

If you drink this expecting a super fruity tea, you'll be disappointed.

So if you are buying blind (no smelling, no pre-tasting), then just keep that in mind.

shhh, my room is messy

WAIT

I just tried it as a tea pop. Again with ginger ale.

It tastes pretty damn nice. Ginger ale with an extra kick.  The ginger ale does out power a lot of the tartness of the tea, and leaves behind a very mild apple/kiwi-ish flavor. It would taste even better with some booze in it...maybe a peach schnapps?

Either way, quite enjoyable.

Skål, and happy steeping everyone!

-Laura

IF YOU HAVE ANY TEA YOU WOULD LIKE REVIEWED, LEAVE A COMMENT AND WE WILL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.

Dragon Pearls

Dragon Pearls
From DavidsTea

Chinese green tea from Zhejiang Province, scented with jasmine flowers.

Yup, that's all it is! Beautiful green tea! No added stuffs. Ooooo

Cute little tea pot.

This is probably my favourite tea (so far anyway... dun dun duunnnn). It was also the first tea that I ever bought from DavidsTea several years ago for my mum as a birthday present and she insisted I share a cup with her. It has stuck with me ever since, even though (gasp, a but is coming) it's pretty damn expensive. ($27 for 100 grams - HOLY SHIT) booo

Now, I love green tea. I think I get it from my dad (I totally do). Seriously, he named our dog after his favourite tea; Jasmine (I shit you not!). And this reminds me so much of his special stash of tea. So, whenever I drink it I get a little sad, but also a lot happy - so please forgive my blathering. Here's to you, daddy. Skål!

Ahem!! As I was saying.... I love green tea. But, that bitterness that can cling to your tongue if you don't brew it just right can kill it for me. It takes a LOT to get that nasty-ness from this tea, but still... FOLLOW THE DIRECTONS FOR THIS TEA. If you're one of those strong green tea weirdos that I just can't, for the life of me, understand... still try four minutes first (of the recommended 3-4). Don't ruin a good (and expensive) thing. I used my awesomely adorable cast iron teapot that I got from my boyfriend's dad for Christmas a few years back to steep, it did a lovely job! I love green tea steeped in cast iron, it just...works!

The tree in the background makes it look darker than it really is.

Don't let the lightness of the tea deceive you, it still has flavour. And it is a GREAT flavour! The green with the sneaky hint of jasmine blossoms (not crazy powerful like Silk Dragon). It's simple, so simple... but heavenly. I would say this is the perfect any-time tea, but -again- it's just too damn expensive, so it's more of an indulgence for me. But if you can afford it... I hate you, Mr/Ms/Mrs Moneybags, you just go away.....

Anyways! Love this tea. Love love love it


INDULGE! do eet... dooo eeet

 
Happy Steeping!

-K

Original Sacher Tee

This tea may be one of the few teas that I'm reviewing that isn't DavidsTea!

This tea is straight from Vienna, Austria! Sadly, I wasn't the one to bring it home, my mother was. She went on a Europe trip with my Dad and they stayed there for a little.

This tea comes from the legendary Sacher (pronounced: Soccer) Hotel in Vienna. More Sacher History HERE

The tea itself is a mix of Earl Grey, Darjeeling teas,  and jasmine blossoms.

My mother and I made a pot of it to enjoy together. In the Davids filter thing, we put TWO HEAPING TEASPOONS of the loose leaf, then steeped it with boiling water for about 3-4 minutes.







It's shitty weather again, so the pictures are, again, inside. The ram is there because I felt like it.
I AM MATURE. I DRINK TEA. SHUT UP.









I first tried a cup black, and then a cup with some skim milk. I did prefer it black. To me, the milk brought out more of the Earl Grey, which then overpowered the other flavors/scents.
It has a distinct Earl Grey flavor, definitely the star of this rodeo. But, there is still the undertones of the jasmine and the Darjeeling aroma.

I haven't had much experience with Darjeeling, it's actually only from reading Wiki that I was able to place the taste/scent of the Darjeeling to the Darjeeling.

Overall, a nice tea. And, if you find Earl Grey too strong, it would be perfect for you. Just keep in mind, adding milk may make the Earl Grey more prominent, because it overpowers the gentler flavors.

Skål and happy drinking!

-Laura


IF YOU HAVE ANY TEA YOU WOULD LIKE REVIEWED, LEAVE A COMMENT AND WE WILL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.

Got Tea Stains?

We all have them on our tea cups, pots (and their lids), and the infusers. Sometimes, even the counters.

The dishwasher won't take them off (and the counter won't fit in there), and if their stubborn enough, nor will just dish soap.
But never fear, I have found a way.

Yes. Resolve. It will clean anything that is tea stained.

Before:

After:

For the filter, I filled a small bowl with 1/2 scoop of Resolve and some hot water, inside the filter, I put the other half and let it soak in the bowl. It soaked for about 5 minutes, then I gave it a good scrub with the little pellet things IN the resolve with my fingers. Wham bam thank you ma'am all clean!

For the tea pot lid, I put a scoop in the indent in the middle with some hot water, grabbed an old toothbrush, and gave it a nice brushing.

Then, because you DON'T want to risk eating any of the Resolve, stick it in the dishwasher. Mine are chilling there right now, getting a good scrub.

Happy cleaning!

-L

EDIT:

Some people do say to embrace your staines and only wash with hot water, but I find too much stain leave things a little bitter.

Meet Yoshi

This is Yoshi, my one-year-old  peachfaced lovebird.

Yoshi LOVES  tea

Long Life Oolong

Long Life Oolong from DavidsTea
(Look at that huge-ass piece of apricot! YUM!)

Ingredients: Organic Shui Xian oolong tea, peach pieces, apricot pieces, almond slices, orange peel, safflower petals, natural and artificial flavouring.

I like taking my own pictures of the teas so you can see what a totally random spoonful can get you from a tin. So far, I am incredibly impressed with what I get!   Anyway. On to the review!!

I was really excited about this tea, mostly because of the peaches. I have a soft spot for peaches and nectarines (I blame Labyrinth and the sexy sexy David Bowie - if you don't know what I'm talking about, SHAME!)

I don't know how to describe the smell of oolong without making it sound gross, but an earthy almost milky scent is the best I can do, and it IS lovely. And with the peaches and apricots, mmm! Actually it reminds me slightly of just plain popcorn in smell. It's unique and annoying the hell out of me that I can't explain it. I know this... just... shut up.

Ew, inside picture due to nasty weather change.

Very subtle flavour. Nice and delicate. Tastes exactly the way that it smells, so that's a bonus for all of you in-store shoppers! I brewed it for seven minutes when it was directed 4-7, so if you like a really potent tea, I would recommend more time and a little more than the perfect spoonful from DavidsTea (I LOVE this measuring spoon, it's actually perfect). Seven minutes was good enough for me, but for you lovers of ass-kickingly strong tea, maybe try 9-10 minutes! Even though I got an incredible amount of fruit in my spoonful, all I can really taste is the oolong and the almond, the peach/apricot is just too subtle when I was hoping for so much more.

This would be fantastic cold with a muddled slice of peach! And with pop. Honestly, guys, I'm fucking addicted to adding pop to home made iced teas. It's delicious. TRY IT! DO IT NOW!

In all, this is a good tea. I quite like it for something delicate on the palate. It's a must have -or at least try- for oolong lovers.
But it needs more peach!! Get on this, DT. If you are going to put flavouring in the tea, then make it taste more like fucking peaches! Peaches are amazing. Add more peaches. That would be perfect. I like this tea, now make me LOVE it.

Now let's Magic Dance!



Happy Steeping,

-K



IF YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC TEA THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE REVIEWED JUST COMMENT AND WE WILL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” 

― C.S. Lewis

Books: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Running Free by Larry Semchuck

Creme Brulee

Picture taken from DavidsTea

This has to be one of my favorite teas. It has become a standby that I find very soothing, on top of being tasty!

It's Rooibos tea, and it's organic! It has organic red and green rooibos, safflowers, calendula marigold, and some natural flavoring. It's also caffeine free! Safe to have before bed. :)
It has a very smooth, caramel-y taste, while staying nice and light. Honestly, it follows the description on DavidsTea to the T.
It doesn't really smell LIKE creme brulee, but it is more like caramel sauce; relaxing and soothing either way!

It's nice to have with some cookies, or pie. Some sort of dessert, whichever you happen to like most.

My beautiful pot o'tea

I personally will make myself a pot cup if I'm having a nice relaxing candle lit bubble bath.

When making a pot, I put about a tablespoon or two in the Perfect Infuser, boil my water until the kettle start to scream  bloody murder (I cut it off before people suspect that it's a person, instead of the kettle!), and let it steep for...5-7 minutes? I'm not sure, to be honest. The amazing smell distracts me.

Without milk

Beautiful, isn't it?

Sorry no outside picture today! It's all cloudy and gross. MORE FUCKING RAIN. But...perfect day for a mug of creme brulee! Did you see what I did there? I rhymed...YOU BETTER LAUGH.

The slightly blurry with milk picture

I normally don't drink any of my teas with a dairy milk, or nondairy milk. But for you, dear readers, I'll give it a go.

I'm using skim milk, because that's what I like to drink.

Surprisingly, I like it.
Not as much as without, but it's still pretty good. If I used a cream, or even 2% milk, it may taste better than with skim. But, alas, we'll never know.



Skål!

-Laura

~~~~~~~~~~~

dun dun duuuunnnn
DOUBLE REVIEW!!

I am totally guilty of getting Laura to buy this, and she has become quite addicted. ooops?Nah. It's pretty obvious WHY.

Okay, honestly? What gets me about this tea? The SMELL!! Wow!
Creme brulee? Okay, you got us. no. It smells nothing like creme brulee (to me anyways), but it is amazing. Like... butterscotch pudding. Or those amazing little caramel cubes (best. Hallowe'en candy. ever!!) Just, MMmmmMMMmmm.

Excuse me *sniff sniff snnniiffffffff* Ahh...!
Oh, yeah. And it TASTES good, too!

To prove how yummy this is... My bird, Yoshi, the tea loving lovebird, had no interest in the Rose Congou Green. But he could smell this one and WHOOSH, he's on my hand trying to dunk his face into my steaming hot Creme Brulee! (More of Yoshi to come!)

I. Love. Rooibos.
So, naturally, I really like this tea. Very similar to Birthday Cake (will review soon) in many ways, but not as crazy sweet. This one tastes so much more naturally sweet. It just wraps you up in a blanket of dark caramel warmth. Perfect for a rainy day, like today.

This is definitely up there with my favourites - which I can't really put in any particular order or even just flat out say what they are, really... Creme Brulee rocks, though! Yum yum


-K

IF YOU HAVE ANY TEA YOU WOULD LIKE REVIEWED, LEAVE A COMMENT AND WE WILL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.

Welcome to...UPDATED

Picture copyright of DavidsTea. We used it because we're specifically reviewing the DavidsTea Fall Tea collection.

This is the updated version...

Autumn is my (Laura's) favorite season. The best weather (not too hot, not too cold), awesome color changes. Awesome teas.
Just awesome.

So we've decided to hold out posting the reviews for the Autumn teas until September 22, 2013.

-L & K