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

Sleigh Ride

Ingredients:Apple, hibiscus blossoms, pineapple, papaya, beetroot, cinnamon, raisins, coconut, roasted almonds, popped rice, artificial flavouring


In the Christmas season, time to break out the festive teas!

Sleigh ride is a tea that has made a come-back for at least the last three years. So, it's reasurring that you don't have to worry about falling in love with this one -if you like it- and never being able to get your hot little hands on it ever again - as seems to be the way of DavidsTea.

I was expecting a sort of watered-down cider flavour, but with a six minute steep, I was pleasantly surprised.
While cider-like, it is incredibly full of flavour.

Apple is the most outstanding flavour of them all, the next being cinnamon. I would liken it very strongly to a hot apple cider - more so than DavidsTea's actually "apple cider" named tea!

Definitely the best (besides White Chocolate Frost) Christmas tea that I have tried from DavidsTea.


I recommend everyone have some of this tea in their home for the holidays.


Happy Steeping,

~K

Denerim: Gold Rush

SHOPS

Okay, so I'm using Gold Rush for Denerim! Why? Because despite all the poor (Like Alistair's jerkface moist, unpeeled hazelnut of a sister), it has SO MANY SHOPS.
I put it on this date because THIS IS THE LAST DRAGON AGE POST BEFORE CHRISTMAS. AND DENERIM IS THE LAST STOP BEFORE THE END OF THE GAME. WHOMP. Yes I left out Lothering. DUN KNOW DUN CARE. 

PERFECTION.

Let me just say, I'm writing this right after I finished beating the game and getting the ending I wanted. My Character (Aaliyah) and Alistair together for 5ever. I hope it's clear that this playthrough was played for the sole purpose of getting the ending I want. This ending. My little dwarven heart has been warmed all the way through.

This tea has coconut. I'm not super excited because it literally reeks of coconut. Yet it also has white tea and mulberries so I have some hope. I may just have to plug my nose as I do it.

And it's pretty gross. I can't even place anything besides coconut. But I'm really sick so this review kinda sucks on the whole taste part. Because my entire being reeks of menthol halls. So, I may just try this tea again later. Maybe.

I swear I'm not obsessed,

L

My text-tone isn't Alistair saying I'm beautiful nope not me I'm not obsessed I promise. Ok I lied I'm obsessed.

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

Jessie's Tea

Notice it looks different than the website

Let me start out with what I did to brew this tea. I feel kinda gross so this is going to be short and sweet.

Jessie's tea by DavidsTea

I used one scoop using David's Perfect Spoon. I set it to the "herbal" setting on my kettle (200F), steeped it for like...5 minutes, then let it sit for a few minutes under Stanley the tea cozy

More fucking coconut. DavidsTea, please calm your shit with the coconut.

This tea is okay. Just okay. It smells kinda funny. The mix of lavender and rooibos AND the coconut just smells funny. Not a BAD funny...just funny.

I dunno, it also tastes how it smells.

I don't like it enough to buy any more, but I do like it enough to have a glass.

Now, to wait for the renos to be over to make a good cuppa,

-L

Coconut Oolong

Coconut Oolong from DavidsTea

Ingredients: Pao Zhong oolong tea, coconut, artificial coconut flavouring.
(Can I just say how hilarious I find it that the label ACTUALLY says "contains coconut"?! NO SHIT, SHERLOCK!)
 
Oh, damn. I did it again. Grabbed a tea that DavidsTea recently got rid of... sorry. I really don't plan to. I just grab something that I haven't tried yet. 

And yes. Coconut. BUT! This was actually meant to be all about the oolong.

It smells pretty good, and I have a whole tin (I bought it for my mum but she was all: "I have too much tea already") so I figred I should give this tea a go.

And now this entire floor of the house that I'm drinking this on smells of insanely creamy coconut. I'm pretty sure Chris is holding back his rage, because he REALLY hates coconut.  (Sorry, babe)

It basically tastes like watered down coconut milk... I guess... Or maybe someone made a tea of coconut oil. The flavour is INSANELY intense. And though I enjoy that it is a super creamy coconut taste, I really wanted to taste more of the oolong.
Going half/half milk oolong were I ever in a super coconut-ty mood, would be totally fantastic. But alone, this tea is just too much for someone who isn't a huge fan of coconut.

I said coconut A LOT in this post. Yikes.
Well, that's about all I have to say. This tea makes one hell of a perfume! And if you love coconut (shit, I did it again!), you will definitely love this and should try and track some down, if you can.


Happy Steeping, and happy spring-but-not-really-spring,

~K

Brazillionair

My next few reviews are all going to be from my collection of free samples! Wooohooo!
Today's tea is Brazillionair!

ALLERGY WARNING: TREE NUTS

When brewing it, it smelled almost chocolatey, almost creamy. It is yummy, but it is also overbearing, and a little musty. So I was fairly undecided at this point. I honestly couldn't even tell if I liked how it smelled.

The sample was 1.5 tsp, for 1 cup, and steeped for 6 minutes. Because I'm a square who follows directions! 

It basically tasted how it smelled. Creamy, chocolatey, musty, a little nutty, the faintest of tea note in the background. It had a more complex flavor than I thought it would, yet I honestly can't say it was my favorite tea at all. The fact that everything was so BAM IN YOUR FACE was more of a turn off than I thought it would be.

To me, this tea seemed to be lacking balance. It could have been the fact that this was just a sample, and I just got a poor blend up of everything (if so, then that is really unfortunate, since a sample is supposed to get you hooked), but either way, it just wasn't quite right.

Tone down some of the coconut and maybe less tree nut, bring out some of the black tea more, and add more raisins, then it would probably taste a lot better. But as it was in the sample? It is absolutely a no-go for me.

Toodles poodles!

-L

Mystery Tea AKA "Mint to Be"

While I find it amazing and awesome that fans are getting to name this tea (I submitted Cream of Mint Grey as a name), this is by far the strangest tasting tea I've ever drank. Strange is basically the only word I have to describe it.

I steeped the 1.25 tsp for 5 minutes for a cup, per directions. 

The loose leaf itself was quite pretty. Lots of color (I am a big fan of the blue).

It smelled kind of fruity, kind of minty. But it tasted like someone mixed peppermint, with Cream of Earl Grey!

It wasn't bad, or gross. But it certainly wasn't what I'd call good. It just didn't taste right, or sit right, with my taste-buds. 

I had the one cup, and that is all I'll ever have of this tea.

So weird.

Sorry this review is so short, but there is nothing to elaborate on! Minty Cream of Earl Grey!
If you like it, take this as the ignorant dislike speech that it is. (Hate is a strong word)

I wish I could make this a longer post...but I just can't think of anything else to say!

Sorry, DavidsTea! I'm just not with you on this innovation.

-Laura

Alpine Punch

Alpine Punch from DavidsTea

`
Ingredients: Rooibos, coconut chips and rasps, apple pieces, cinnamon pieces, ginger bits, cardamom, black pepper, rose blossoms, almond flakes, artificial flavouring


I am quite sure this tea has been a winter special with DT for quite some time because I remember even two years ago hearing people rave about this tea. I gave it a good whiff, but all I could manage was a lazy shrugging of the shoulders and putting it aside for the teas that smell much more appealing.

Oh yeah, and this tea is yet another in the massive ensemble of teas containing - you guessed it- fucking coconut.... 

Jackie disapproves of your coconut-y shenanigans, DT

BUT  it doesn't taste bad. I'm at war with myself trying to decide if it's the almond or the coconut that I can taste more of, but with the over-bearing scent of the coconut, I'm going to say the coconut wins. Damn shame, because this is a SERIOUSLY smoooooth tea. If you hold your breath you can REALLY taste the apple. It's a  cornucopia of flavours.

It is good.

Pick out some of the coconut and add some more rooibos and you have something. But it doesn't have those things...
I wouldn't buy more because I have much better tasting cider-esque teas with more of the punch (where is this "PUNCH" the name suggests, by the way?!) you expect from a winter tea. But it could be your thing, so give it a try!


Now I'm going to go lie down because this holiday madness is murder. 



Happy Steeping, and I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas
~K

Stormy Night

Stormy Night from DavidsTea

Ingredients: Organic: Black tea, chocolate (cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter, ground vanilla bean, ancho chile, nutmeg, Ceylong cinnamon, salt, allspice, clove, chipotle chile), cinnamon, coconut, vanilla. With natural vanilla flavouring. Contains dairy.

Yowza. That is a big space taken up for ingredients. Granted, most of it is for what is in the chocolate, which makes me curious to taste a piece. But it's an organic tea!

Posting early for Halloween... yay!! 

I chose this tea because I'm writing and tasting it for the first time on Halloween, and Davids was actually advertising it as a Halloween special kind of deal (which ended yesterday, even though TODAY is halloween... uhhhhh okay, whatever. ) 
I am sipping away at the first tea with chocolate I have ever tried while waiting for trick-or-treaters to take away all my precious candy...

Looks kinda yucky when it's steeping. Halloween like???

Stormy Night. When the little blurb says "hotter than an inferno", well.... not really.
Many ingredients, simple flavour. I honestly was not expecting it.

It DOES say that the tea is smooth, and it certainly is!! Very smooth cinnamon, with (too much) coconut, but the chocolate you really have to focus on to even get a hint of flavour of on your tongue. And my spoonful had a lot of freakin' chocolate in it!!
But. I really do have a thing for a super smooth cinnamon flavour. I just wish there was less coconut (it works, but there is just SOOO much). Almost a weird... cider-y quality to it. Very different from anything else I've ever tried.

~Off topic a bit... Is anyone else sick of all the COCONUT in nearly every one of DavidsTea's teas?! PLEASE. STOP. We don't want it!!~

Ahem.

To conclude... This tea has it's good qualities, but it is weak, so definitely be generous when you scoop. And if you don't like coconut, RUN. RUN AWAY!
It's not anything special to me, so I'll just stick with what I have and be done with it after... Maybe adding some cinnamon would help.

It's not a very Halloween-y tea... but there you have it.


Happy Steeping!
And HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

~K