Each season DAVIDsTEA premieres a new collection of about five teas. Sometimes there may be a returning favorite but most of the blends are new and exciting. Lately though, DAVIDs has been treating their customers to mini collections, released almost monthly to keep their selection fresh and intriguing. This month, in addition to the Valentine’s teas, they brought us The Malt Shop Collection, featuring three ice-cream inspired teas and ice cream teaware. Now I am a sucker for all things ice cream and cupcakes and milkshakes and the like so you can bet your a$$ I was in the shop the minute I could step away from the office.
As far as the three blends go, Mint Chip Sundae was the blend I was least excited about, since I am just not one for mint chip ice cream and chocolate mint teas just seem so overdone. This one is made with cocoa nibs, green tea, peppermint, white chocolate, cocoa powder and stevia. Scentwise, this is a whole lotta mint with a faint note of dusty chocolate. It brews up muddied from the cocoa nibs and cocoa powder settling at the bottom. When it comes to taste, this is creamy and minty, but the stevia just takes over and coats your whole mouth. For those that don’t mind stevia and are looking for a creamy mint chocolate tea, this could be a nice choice but if you’re anything like me, the stevia here will be a deal breaker.
Vanilla Swirl, made with lemongrass, pineapple, white chocolate, globe amaranth, cornflower, and stevia, is definitely the prettiest of the three blends with the pink and blue flower petals sprinkled among the white chocolate curls on the lemongrass base. The tea smells of artificial vanilla extract and herbs and brews up a light gold color. Again the stevia is a deal breaker for me but I will say it is not as bad as in the Mint Chip Sundae. Looking past the stevia though, there is a silky vanilla quality contrasted by the hint of lemon that acts as the foundation here. Does it taste like vanilla ice cream? Not really but there is potential here for a nice nighttime treat.
Strawberry Shake was the blend I was most excited about, not because of the tea itself perse, but because I am basically obsessed with strawberry milkshakes. There is even one restaurant that can recognize a delivery order as my family’s because I ALWAYS get the strawberry milkshake. This tea, made with green tea, strawberries, papaya, and yogurt, smells like candy – sweet but artificial. It brews up a light yellow and it tastes like a strawberry milkshake…sorta. The strawberry syrup element is captured nicely but muted slightly by the green tea base. Though the base doesn’t impart much flavor, which is a plus in my book. All in all, I am enjoying this creamy delight but this is the one time I think it is maybe too subtle. DAVIDsTEA is normally heavy handed with flavoring to the point that it is just too much but here, where the flavor should be over-the-top, it is way too subdued and borderline bland.
As an added bonus, I also grabbed the Strawberry Shake Tea-Infused White Chocolate Bar. Opening the package, what immediately took me by surprise is the green hue making it very clear that bits of the tea have definitely made it into this bar. Unfortunately, that doesn’t really come through in the taste. White chocolate is pretty much all I am tasting with just a touch of candy strawberry flavor.
All in all, I would say this is a fun collection. For me, I might go back for my Strawberry Shake tea but DAVIDs need to pre-sweeten everything with stevia is such a turnoff for me. Consequently, Mint Chip Sundae and Vanilla Swirl were misses in my book.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Various
Where to Buy: DAVIDsTEA
Description
A collection of three sweetly nostalgic, malt shop-inspired teas.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
