Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: David’s Tea
Tisane Description:
Looking to get in touch with nature? Try this outdoorsy blend of wild herbs and plants handpicked in the Canadian wilderness. We swear it’s like drinking a fresh forest breeze. It has wintergreen leaves for a lightly minty taste, cedar and pine for a bright, evergreen aroma, and sumac berries to add tartness and a pretty pink colour. Overall, it’s delicately sweet and totally refreshing. Now that’s a breath of fresh air.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This is one of the most unusual looking tisanes I’ve yet to come across. It looks a bit more like something that might be blanketing the woods in the summertime: large, whole leaves, pine needles, and berries all tossed together. It smells a bit like the woods too: leafy, evergreen-ish, hints of mint. The aroma is very fresh and lively.
The brewed tisane has a stronger minty kind of fragrance, with mere hints of the woodsy/leafy kind of notes I was experiencing with the dry leaf. The above description suggests a “pretty pink colour” but, my cup has a golden hue, no pink-ish tones to be seen. It’s still quite beautiful though.
The flavor is almost as interesting as the presentation. It is very crisp and exhilarating with its wintergreen minty tones. I like that the wintergreen is not overwhelming here, the way mint can sometimes be. It doesn’t overpower the cup, and if I were to compare it to other minty tisanes, this is actually quite light. Distinctly mint, but, light.
However, the overall cup is on the light side. With no hibiscus to thicken the cup, the leaves, needles and berries create a somewhat softer tasting tisane … but that is NOT a bad thing! In fact, I think David’s Tea should be commended for not jumping on the “hibiscus in every tisane” wagon here, and letting these more delicate herbs speak for themselves rather than being bullied by the often aggressive hibiscus.
The sumac berries are said to offer some tartness to the cup, and they do, but again, the berry-ish flavor is soft … but its soft in keeping with the overall profile of the cup, where it is pretty evenly matched with the other ingredients. The same is true for the cedar and pine, they offer a slight woodsy tone to the overall cup but these flavors marry well with the others, and help to provide a pleasantly balanced tisane that is both refreshing and soothing.
Quite unusual, yes, but also quite enjoyable!
Birthday Cake from David’s Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: David’s Tea
Tisane Description:
What’s the best thing about birthdays? It could be the presents, or spending time with loved ones, but let’s be honest. It’s all about the cake. With vanilla icing, and lots of sprinkles. And this sweet and festive rooibos blend brings the taste of birthday cake to your cup any day of the year – sprinkles and all. Best of all, not only is it low in calories, it also has all the goodness of rooibos. Talk about having your cake and eating it too.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this here before, but, those that know me well know that I have a thing for cupcakes. I see a cupcake shop, I get all giddy – and even giddier when my husband indulges me and stops to let me shop for one or two. I even have a cupcake scented lotion that I use daily and it smells so much like cupcakes that my family perks up when they smell it, asking “something smells good. Did you make cupcakes?” Of course, they’re disappointed when they find out that I’m just softening my hands and not baking dessert.
And there’s no doubt in my mind that if I were not the only one awake in the house at the moment, that my family would be coming in here asking me where the cupcakes are … because this tisane SMELLS like cupcakes!
It tastes like a vanilla cupcake, too! It tastes sweet, creamy and like it should be about a thousand calories! However, according to the little nutrition label on the back of this pouch, it is about 1% of that – Just 10 calories! (If my math is way off, forgive me, mathematics has never been my strength). Of course, if you are one who generally sweetens your tea, you’ll be adding more calories to that count – but with just 10 calories in the tea and just 16 calories in a teaspoon of sugar, you’re still at just 26 calories! All that said, the truth is, you don’t NEED to sweeten this. It is sweet and delicious without the sugar.
I’m thrilled that I don’t taste much from the rooibos. Maybe a hint of nutty flavor in the background, but nothing too overwhelming. The same is true of the honeybush. I don’t get a lot of the woody/nutty taste of the honeybush, but I do taste a slight honey-like tone, which enhances the flavors.
But mostly, what I taste is CUPCAKE! This has a rich, creamy vanilla flavor, maybe just a hint of butter, and a distinct freshly baked kind of taste that rounds out the overall birthday cake flavor.
I like this. I like this a lot!
Cheeky Lychee from David’s Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: David’s Tea
Tea Description:
Lychees are just about the cutest little fruits around. But their perfumed flavour is all sophistication. After all, they’ve been the favourite snack of Chinese emperors since the 1st century. This lychee-scented black tea is made by placing baskets of tea leaves over big pots of simmering lychee fruits. Now getting the royal treatment is as easy as steeping a cup.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This has to be one of the nicest Lychee scented black teas I’ve ever encountered. The flavor doesn’t taste over-the-top or chemical-y the way so many Lychee teas have the tendency to be. Instead the flavor is smooth and sweet.
Lychee is a very unique fruit in that it has a somewhat perfume-y flavor, but somehow David’s Tea managed to capture the fruit flavor without making it taste like Aunt Mary’s soap. Instead, the lychee here is softer, less sharp, while still managing to be a easily distinguished flavor. That is to say, when you taste this, there’s no doubt that it’s a lychee flavored tea. It just doesn’t have to knock you over the head with its flavor … and this tea doesn’t.
The black tea is not overshadowed by the fruit flavor. In fact, the black tea is the strongest flavor of the cup, which is what makes this lychee flavored tea so unique. The lychee isn’t aggressively attacking my palate with its perfume-y flavor, the black tea isn’t obscured by that strong, distinct lychee flavor, and the black tea reigns as the dominate flavor … without taking anything away from the lychee. A perfect presentation of flavors.
This is what all lychee flavored black teas should strive to become.
Santa’s Secret from David’s Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: David’s Tea
Product Description:
Ever wonder how Santa manages to deliver all those presents in just one night? Well here’s the hush-hush formula. He uses a special combination of Chinese black tea, peppermint leaves and spices – all sprinkled with real little candy canes. It’s both energizing and remarkably soothing. All Santa needs is one cup and his motto changes from “ho ho ho” to “go go go”.
Taster’s Review:
Every year I try to tell my family that Santa would prefer tea instead of milk with the cookies we sit out for the jolly old elf. They don’t believe me, but maybe this tea will convince them!
My first reaction – my first sip – was CANDY CANE! It was sweet, minty and delicious. Now that I’ve taken a few sips, it tastes a little less like candy cane (although that taste is still there), and more like a black tea that has been flavored with candy cane. The mint flavor is just right – it doesn’t taste overly minty. It tastes crisp and fresh and exhilarating with a sweetness that is not too sweet. Perfect for dipping your favorite Christmas cookies!
The black tea base is strong without being overly aggressive. It seems to be in perfect harmony with the mint flavor. It is a very well-balanced cup.
I find this to be delightful as a hot tea and that’s just what I want this time of year. It has a refreshingly sweet taste that requires no additions, although it might be nice with a splash of milk.
Yep, I think Santa would be a very JOLLY old elf indeed if you surprised him with a cup of this tea instead of a glass of milk!
Whisky White Tea from David’s Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: David’s Tea
Product Description:
Love unwinding with a glass of whisky after a long work day? Here’s a version you can sip at the office all day long. With white Bai Mu Dan, sweet pieces of peach, macadamia nuts, and a big hit of smoky whisky flavour, this rich blend might just replace the bottle of bourbon you have stashed in the back of your desk. Of course, spiking it with an extra splash of whisky wouldn’t hurt.
Taster’s Review:
I am not a big fan of liquor in general, but, I do find myself rather fascinated with liquor flavored teas like this Whisky White Tea from David’s Tea.
The scent of the brewed tea has a very strong whisky scent and the flavor is remarkably smooth. Overall, it’s a very delicate cuppa, from the soft Bai Mu Dan base, to the hint of whisky flavor, and a whisper of peach and sweet nutty undertones. I like that I can taste each of these components distinctly, and yet everything is very light and refreshing and nicely balanced.
This is really delicious served hot or on the rocks. This is an excellent way to unwind after a hard day at work … even while you’re still at work!