I am trying this tea in front of an audience. I’m currently in the middle of a cabin with 15+ friends/kids, and everyone got excited when they sniffed this. I made several cups for everyone; I kept the last for myself.
Before I had a chance to even sip my cup, one of my friends slid up to me. “The tea you gave me is delicious,” he whispered.
“What did your kids think?” I asked. His three-year-old had sniffed the tea and kept following me around whispering “tea.”
“I haven’t given them any,” he said. “I’m keeping it all for myself.”
“That’s COLD,” I replied.
When I finally had a cup, I saw what he meant. This is a carrot/apple/spice mix with a bit of a cream/marzipan sweetness (as opposed to a powdery, shrill, hyper-sweet flavor). As I sipped, the spiciness increased. (Possibly the spices are heavier and sit further down in the mug?) I liked the flavor better back when it was sweeter at the beginning of the cup. I think that this would be sweeter and more consistent iced, and I think that’s what I’m going to try next.
Unlike my friend, I’d let my kids try this. I’d spread the joy.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: David’s Tea
Description
This decadently creamy rooibos blend tastes just like your favourite carrot dessert. You’ll love its natural carrot sweetness and the extra zing of warmth from cinnamon and ginger. Plus it’s caffeine and calorie-free, so you can sip it all day every day. Still not convinced? The rich cocoa shells and whipped cream will change your mind. Yeah, we knew you couldn’t resist…
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Coconut Cream Pie from David’s Tea. . .
David’s Tea’s site says that this tea makes a great dessert substitute. I say, uh, nice TRY, but we all know YOU SIT ON A THRONE OF LIES on this one.
That said, this tea IS a sweet sensation. It’s got coconut, white chocolate, and oolong, my personal favorite. It tastes like a tropical morning. Enough kick in the oolong to scoot you along, but enough sweet to say “hey, it’s a sunny and fun day ahead.”
Despite living in Pennsylvania during January, I do momentarily feel — with this tea and my light box — that bikini weather is right around the corner.
Just let me pretend.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: David’s Tea
Description
Rich, toasted coconut flakes and creamy white chocolate unite in this delectable oolong tea. Infused with all the flavours of a homemade coconut cream pie, this velvety oolong blend smells as delicious as it tastes. Who needs dessert when you’ve got this tea to satisfy your sweet tooth?
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Vanilla Bergamot from DAVIDs Tea. . .
“An elegant white tea…” is how DAVIDsTEA describes this Vanilla Bergamot tea but personally I wouldn’t describe the scum ring and oil drops on the surface of my mugs as “elegant”. That’s just me but maybe the flavor will show some of its elegance as opposed to the look.
I made this white tea mixed with apple, white chocolate, rose petals, vanilla, bergamot peel, and flavoring as a strawberry milk latte and a plain tea.
Despite the clearly visible drops of oil in the strawberry milk latte, the tea is creamy and smooth. The mouthfeel is soft, not slick and the sweetness of the strawberry milk really compliments the velvety vanilla and bright bergamot of the cup. At times the citrus of the bergamot gets so crisp it borders on bitter but between the prep method, the white chocolate and the gentle rose, it is kept in check. Though for those that tend to fear the blerg, this might still be too much for your tastes.
The plain hot cup is where I found the scum ring from the white chocolate, I’m assuming. Though the mouthfeel isn’t oily, it’s not really creamy either and since it doesn’t seem that the white chocolate contributes much, I don’t see why it is needed. What is contributing a lot is the bergamot, the brisk bergamot. Vanilla whisps float through but it’s the bergamot that’s hogging the limelight. The rose and apple also get their brief shot in the spotlight, adding a floral note that is a bit drying on top of the bergamot and the signature apple sweetness that so many DAVIDsTEA blends have, respectively.
Well, it seems the elegance comes through when made as a strawberry milk latte but the beauty is lost when the tea is made plain. Lose the white chocolate and perhaps tone down the bergamot and this could be a winner but as it is, I would say latte, preferably with strawberry milk, is the only way to go. It gives this tea just a little boost to take it from “meh” to “mmm”.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White Tea
Where to Buy: DAVIDs Tea
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for white teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jasmine Creme Brulee from DAVIDs Tea. . . .
Picture this: young tea reviewer-Mary, at a fancy lunch with her dad, celebrating her 16th birthday. Side note: my parents often took us out for special one-on-one time (hello, life with siblings), especially around our birthdays– but this year was a special one, so my dad pulled out all the stops. After a particularly decadent dinner, my dad insisted we order some dessert. Who was 16-year-old-I to say no? Faced with a delicious decision, I decided to go rouge– crème brulee, a dessert I’d never tried before. All I knew was this: it looked delicious, and had some serious bonus-fun in the form of crackling that burnt-sugar topping before diving in. Sugar AND an activity? Count me in?
Needless to say, ever since that first burnt-sugar-crack, I’ve been a fan of crème brulee. So of course, when I saw this latest offering from David’s Tea, I knew this one was coming home with me. This green tea boasts creamy, burnt-sugar-and-vanilla flavors, with just a hint of floral jasmine on the side. Brewed up solo, it’s delightful– but definitely leans more heavily on those floral notes. I was looking for something creamier, something more reminiscent of the fancy-dessert-nostalgia of my youth. With juuuuust a tiny, tiny touch of honey and a splash of steamed coconut milk on top, this one transforms from creamy floral green tea to magical, burnt-sugar-esque crème-brulee-in-a-cup. In fact, I’m not sure how they manage to perfectly capture that slightly toasty creamy note (almost like a genmaicha, but without a bit of toasted-rice in sight) through flavor alone, but I love it. This is one I’ll be brewing up to share with my dad, for sure.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: DAVIDs Tea
Description
Meet our newest obsession: the crème brulée. French for “burnt cream,” this rich and creamy dessert is famous for its silky custard base and crunchy toffee crust. This decadent green tea captures all the vanilla-cream sweetness of a classic crème brulée – with a pop of jasmine for a light floral touch. It’s satisfying, sophisticated and downright addictive.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Earl’s Garden from DAVIDs Tea. . . .
Earl Grey blends can be a little bit bitter/sour. The bergamot sometimes comes on a bit strong. That’s why you see a lot of Earl Grey Cream blends (or people say it’s perfect with milk). Putting in the strawberry is a great solution to the problem. Boom! Sweetness! Plus a little bit MORE zest!
For this tea, Earl channeled his feminine side by adding a bit of strawberry. His strawberry garden is heavily fortified to keep the bunnies out — but the bunnies keep digging.
On one side, you have Earl, adding in traps and building layer after layer of elaborate, Tim-Burton-style wraught-iron fences.
On the other, you have the bunnies, each charmingly spotted and plump. Some of them probably wear hats. They have charts of where Earl’s improvements will be built, and a bunch of Rube Goldstein-style workarounds.
This premise should be a claymation film.
I’d watch it.
So would you.
Unfortunately, this tea is currently sold out at David’s Tea. But I imagine it’ll come back. I’ve seen this tea in their selection several times. If you’re dying to try it, it’s available on Amazon, but it’ll be less expensive if you want for it to return to David’s Tea. Add it to your wish list and keep an eye out!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: DAVIDs Tea
Description
This tea is not currently available but click below for teas that are.