17926 Tasting Notes
Sipdown (3039)!
I thought I knew what this tea was going to taste like because I’ve had so many very mid-tasting caramel flavoured rooibos blend. Simple, straight forward, and vaguely sweet with some caramel notes that could be a whole lot richer. However, wow did this deliver a totally different and much better experience.
Was it caramel flavour? Yeaaaahhhhh, it did have notes of caramel in a way that was admittedly richer than the average caramel rooibos blend. However, what it REALLY tasted like was uber thick, rich and decadent funfetti frosting. Like, the good shit. Betty Crocker super creamy funfetti with those little rainbow dots that kind of melt on your tongue like chocolate but without being chocolate. I have never tasted a more frosting like tea blend before and I was SUPER here for it. That’s the kind of richness I wish more caramel rooibos blends delivered on.
And, of course, I’m now devastated that I just had the one sachet of it.
Sipdown (3040)!
Decided to steep up this sachet because lemon and ginger is always a good sick tea combination. It was just fine tasting. Very fresh and bright with strong notes of lemon essential oil and lemongrass. Not too much ginger in taste, but it did leave a pleasant tingle in my throat while sipping. Not nearly as effective for the sore throat/congestion as all the mint teas I’ve been having lately though…
Cold Brew Sipdown (3041)!
So, I’ve basically been sick for about a week now. But I had a weird thing where I felt the cold (which turned into bronchitis) coming on followed by a few days of feeling quite awful. Then, for whatever reason, a day where I could have sworn I was better. However, by the next day I felt like I’d been hit by a car. I was so, so unwell. Still recovering.
I made this cold brew on that weird little blip in the middle where things were okay. I’m glad, because if I’d drank this on a day with a shot palate I’d have been really sad to have yet another cold brew wasted by being sick. Instead this was juicy, fresh and pleasantly peachy with a bit of a deeper red fruit note to the undertones and an almost creamy sort of finish. Really, really delicious even if it’s kind of generic in some ways.
I wouldn’t go out of my way to restock it, but if I happened to have easy access I’d definitely be tempted to pick up another bag. Especially during the summer.
I also drank a HUGE mug of this yesterday to help with the congestion/sore throat/rasp voice situation, and it was just as effective as the Peppermint Amour I also drank. Very steamy and cooling on the throat with a crisp, menthol forward peppermint and just a tiny hint of citrus. Also immediately felt relief upon finishing this one, and actually had a very good nap right afterwards too since it had relaxed me to the point of being able to fall asleep.
Sipdown (3042)…???
I’m not 100% sure if this is a sipdown since I think I have one more mini tin of this tea from a past advent kicking around, but since I couldn’t track it down last night I’m going to choose to believe I’m wrong and this tea has actually been finished off now…
Super, super sore/raw throat, a productive cough, and absolutely no voice? Guess that means spending the day drinking a whole bunch of minty sorta tea blends. Peppermint is about as classic/basic as you can get, but god damn that’s for a reason. I sipped this slowly, hugging the hot mug to my chest and deeply inhaling the steam in between the steeps. It was very comforting, and immediately soothing on my throat. I found that, though it may have been fleeting, by the end of the mug I could actually breathe much better than before I’d started drinking it. Man, when a cup of peppermint tea hits it really hits.
Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.
This was the other tea that I managed to shove into the day on Halloween in between the many, many naps and general resting. It was totally fine tasting, with more of a caramel cream profile than a caramel apple. Mainly just because the apple notes were so faint in the taste, despite smelling them while it was steeping. I wish I’d been in a better space mentally and physically to enjoy the holiday a little more.
I would have loved to drink more Halloween themed teas on Halloween, but I was physically feeling wrecked and spent most of the day curled up and trying to sleep off a cold that only got worse throughout the day. Still, I did have a moment following an extended nap when I was a bit less foggy and sick feeling where I snuck in a few cups of tea. This one got pulled out because I wanted something more fruity, and the Jolly Rancher-like sweet watermelon candy notes were a moment of bliss in an otherwise wildly miserable Halloween…
Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.
Gongfu!
I’m still getting over a bit of a cold, so some of the nuanced of this tea are a bit lost on me today. However, the flavours that I can taste are as bold and distinct as ever so it’s still a very pleasant session. So much malt and cocoa, with that sharp and snappy bitterness that I associate with really dark chocolate. The undertones are equal parts sweet and starchy candied yams and rosewater, with a peppery finish that suits the chocolate profile very well.
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DQhMx4TDQ8T/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPbzIvkKSBg&list=RDJPbzIvkKSBg&start_radio=1
Steeped up a large mug yesterday morning while reading through the latest volume of The Summer Hikaru Died. It’s nice to see they’re still finding new and exciting ways to step up the nightmare fuel. Hole made of legs was so far off my bingo card…
I have no energy for gongfu, but thankfully this oolong still shines when steeped Western style. It’s like liquid honey, with a warmth and coating quality that feels like a soothing balm on my throat. I’ve been trying to recover from a bad batch of bronchitis for the last few days, so staying curled up with good tea and new manga is about as good as it gets right now!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DQj9SNgCRT_/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_EgZMHbQuk&list=RDw_EgZMHbQuk&start_radio=1
Gongfu!
I’m feeling notably better and more energized today compared to the last few days, so this is the first gongfu session I’ve had in a couple days. I wanted to pull out something with chenpi though, for that last little push. The bright and soothing notes of citrus always make me feel a little better when I’m not doing my best, and are kind on the throat as well. This white tea based blend is especially lively and almost juicy, but when you really push the steels for a long time it takes on a darker and more pleasantly medicinal quality with notes of chrysanthemum as well. Really nice!!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DQmqQnaCc4E/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKtH9zg-xlU&list=RDeKtH9zg-xlU&start_radio=1
