Today's Tea: Cherry Cola

Organic Cherry Cola from DAVIDsTEA

This tea is also a request from Kaseteufel. (Seriously, guys, if you have any requests, get them in!! I love taking reader requests!!)

Ingredients: Black tea, cherry pieces, stevia, with organic and natural flavouring

(From DAVIDsTEA: Cherry Cola)


Steph's Thoughts:

Smells very perfume-y. Also, this tea is very strong if you let it steep too long.

Initially, this is not my most favourite tea, but then again, I'm not a huge fan of cherry cola. It definitely has a cola aftertaste, though. Also, it is VERY WEIRD drinking hot cola. I think I will try icing it and see what the verdict is.

The ladies at the Grant Park DT store (who are AMAZING!!!!) recommend drinking it very sweet. I had it with a half pump of agave, but that wasn't enough. It definitely requires at LEAST a full pump. I added more agave when I got home, so in the end I think I had about 2 Tablespoons of agave in my tea. I know that sounds like a lot, but it's slightly healthier than white sugar......... (Please don't judge - I like my tea sweet...)

Hubby was intrigued by the smell, and decided to steal a sip. He then asked me why I was drinking liquified gummy coke bottles. He then recounted a story of one of his friends (who is a HUGE fan of anything with excessive amounts of sugar)  who left a large container of gummy coke bottles in the backseat of his vehicle on a rather hot summer day (yes, Manitoba gets those too...). When he returned to the car, the gummies had liquified. Rather than throwing them out, he let them solidify again, and then just cut chunks off and nommed them that way. I had some too, and I will admit, they were a little chewier than regular coke gummies, but definitely just as nomtacular!

And now that I think "gummy bottles," this tea is not half bad. I'm not a big fan of the INITIAL sip, but the cola aftertaste is decent. I'm sure the caloric content of this tea is significantly less than a cup of cola would have, and you can sweeten it with whatever you want - stevia, xylitol, honey, and agave are all (apparently) better for you than refined white sugar, or corn syrup.

*walks to the fridge to get the iced stuff*

It tastes marginally less weird iced. I wonder what it would be like to brew this double-strength and serve it with soda water...

Verdict: Not my cup of tea, but I'm sure it has a following.
I prefer the Root Beer stuff, iced. It's, in my opinion, better. Though I gotta say, even for someone who likes flat pop, it is WEIRD drinking pop-tea.

Today's Tea: Sweet Ginger Maté

Today's review DOES NOT come from DAVIDsTEA. (I know, shocking, innit??)

For about 2 months now, I've been receiving monthly samples from a company called "Natur'el Tea." They're also a Canadian tea company, run out of Banff, Alberta (David's is run out of Montréal). I don't remember signing up for this - maybe this is my birthday gift my sister-in-law was talking about. BUT they send me tea samples and a newsletter every month, and today, the October newsletter arrived with a sample of Organic Sweet Ginger Maté.

So after a long day at work, I decided to brew some tea to warm me up (because Winnipeg is RIDICULOUSLY cold for November), and also to WAKE me up (because me and 6:30 am do not get along. Heck, me and 8 am don't get along either...).

So without further ado, I review for you:

Organic Sweet Ginger Maté from Natur'el Tea

(unfortunately, they don't have pictures on their website of the teas... Boo! I should see if I can hook up the digicam and rock the photos...)

 Description: The full-bodied flavor and bold energy of Yerba Mate hand blended with aromatic forest spices and stimulating ginger offers a burst of energy and exotic aroma.

Ingredients: Organic shade grown yerba maté, Organic ginger root, Organic cinnamon, Organic cardamom, Organic licorice root.

(From Natur'el Tea: Maté)

Steph's Thoughts:

First thoughts: Definitely a maté. Smells like Christmas. Num! It also brews a beautiful colour!

I like this tea because it tastes like a very light, tea-ified version of a gingerbread cookie, with a maté twist. The ginger, cardamom and licorice come through, but the licorice is not overpowering, nor is the ginger too spicy.

I also like that I don't have to add ANY sweetener to this tea - it's perfectly sweet enough on its own. Apparently that's thanks to the licorice root, which is a natural sweetener. (Huh. Who knew?!)

I haven't tried any other teas from this company yet. I'm tempted to order samplers of all the teas, but I don't have any more room on my shelves for anything!! (also, it's Christmas and I'm broke...)

I am excited that this company is a) a Canadian company, b) a relatively small company, and c) a mostly-online company. The owner does do tours to various craft shows, farmers' markets, and the like. You can buy Natur'el Tea at several other retailers throughout British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, as well as online.

Verdict: Win!! I think when I have a craving for gingerbread cookies, this will be my go-to, sugar-free alternative.

Today's Tea: Sleigh Ride

Sleigh Ride from DAVIDsTEA

Ingredients: Apples, hibiscus blossoms, candied pineapple, candied papaya, beetroot pieces, cinnamon stick pieces, raisins, coconut, roasted almonds, popped rice, artificial flavouring.

Allergens: Tree nuts, coconut

(From DAVIDsTEA: Sleigh Ride)

Steph's Thoughts:

It makes your house smell like Christmas! Hubby and I pulled out the Christmas tree and the decorations, and started wrapping gifts today. He decided that he wanted tea, and asked me if I wanted some too. I said yes, and he told me to choose one for both of us. This is a PERFECT tea to complement this Christmassing-up process.

I was initially surprised that it brewed red, but when I looked at the ingredients, I shouldn't have been surprised - beetroot and hibiscus often mean redder teas!

I will also say that I was very skeptical of the tea when I bought the set (it comes in the Holiday Collection along with Santa's Secret, a minty black tea, and Merry Cranberry, a green tea with cranberries, anise and mistletoe. I wish I could write this post with footnotes instead of brackets because brackets break up my sentences...) because it wasn't my most favourite smelling tea, nor did "apple, hibiscus blossoms" strike my fancy,  but now I'm a huge fan!

Getting down to taste, the cinnamon is obvious but not overwhelming. Again, it comes from having the cinnamon bark in the tea, rather than ground cinnamon. It took me a few sips to figure out what else it tasted like - apple cider. But it's not your regular "hot apple with cinnamon in." It's a TWISTY cider! Hubby was trying to figure this out too. We went through the ingredient list, and thought for a few minutes. Then he said, "It's TROPICAL apple cider!" It makes a lot of sense, though. Pineapple, papaya, coconut, and almonds are not typical apple cider ingredients, but boy howdy, do they make one TASTY cup of tea-cider. I would love to brew this up in a great big pot (I'd probably need an entire tin full, rather than the mini-tin in the collection!) for caroling or for other activities in which cider would be an apropos drink.

I like this better than apple cider, though, because it is sweet enough to drink on its own with no added sugar, and it's not quite so "APPLECINNAMON" in your face.

Plus, it looks lovely in a white cup. Or a white and green cup, if you're so lucky.

Verdict: Win.

Today's Tea: Santa's Secret

Santa's Secret from DAVIDsTEA

Ingredients: Chinese black tea, peppermint leaves, candy cane sprinkles, natural and artificial flavouring.

(From David's Tea: Santa's Secret)


Steph's Thoughts:

I wanted something delightfully minty today, and Peppermint Amour just wouldn't cut it. I am reminded very much of the Mint Chocolate Rooibos that DT offers, though I haven't had that one in a long time, so my mind may be a little rusty. Even though no chocolate is listed in the ingredients, Santa`s Secret has just a hint of it. I think it tastes a little like those After Eight chocolate sticks that I tend to devour around Christmastime. I could never get enough of those things. (I`m pretty sure Santa likes them too, since there were ALWAYS After Eights missing on Christmas Eve....) Also, I am very much reminded of Peppermint Schnapps, without the overwhelming alcohol. Well, maybe not. Now that I think about it, Peppermint Schnapps tastes kind of like mouthwash (and can double as mouthwash in a pinch). This definitely doesn't.

The aftertaste is very light and refreshing. If it were summer, and I was hot, I would brew this tea, flash chill it, then dilute it with copious amounts of water to put in a spritz bottle. Or, you know, drink cold, because it`s, like I said, refreshing. But with a ZING, because - black tea!!!!

I was confused and slightly concerned about DT's description of the tea - "both energizing and remarkably soothing..." I was like

Pick one. 

(though, not quite, because I am a white chick with glasses, not Jackie Chan. Who is AWESOME. I'm just me.)

But then I drank it, and UNDERSTOOD. Because it's peppermint and it's soothing - comforting, healing, like a hug for your insides. And it's also energizing, because hello black tea. And ZING. It's a good "I need comfort but also need a bit of caffeine" kind of tea. Because peppermint is an herbal tea, it's got comforting refreshment, but not a whole lotta Good Morning! But this is a good tea to solve that problem. I am DEFINITELY awake.

Today's Tea: Red Velvet Cake

This one is for Kaseteufel!

Red Velvet Cake from David's Tea

Ingredients: Black tea, semi-sweet chocolate bits, white chocolate bits, beetroot powder, sprinkles, natural and artificial flavouring.

(From David's Tea: Red Velvet Cake)


Steph's Thoughts:
I like this tea! Not only does it smell lovely, and taste lovely, but LOOK at it! It looks happy! All the little chocolate bits, and the little red sprinkles.... My first thought upon smelling it was..... "I know this smell!!" and then it hit me  - it smells like butterscotch.

I haven't had much experience with red velvet cake (except for some deliciously yummy white-chocolate covered cake balls) so I have very little to go on. But if red velvet cake tastes like vaguely chocolate-y butterscotch, then DT wins.

This is one black tea that tastes fine if you leave the teabag in. It brews a little on the red side (that's the beetroot), and tastes lovely with or without sweetener. (I use the term sweetener generically. I don't mean Splenda or what have you. I mean YOUR sweetener of choice - honey, agave, sugar, xylitol, or, if you must, some other lo-cal sweetener.)

It has a nice aftertaste, smooth with a wee hint of chocolate. It's not overwhelming, which is nice. Even Hubby likes it, and he doesn't like chocolate tea, as a general rule.

I think it reminds me of my mum's butterscotch cookies, which are amazing. (And a secret family recipe... My grandma made them with chocolate chips, but my mum likes the butterscotch ones.

....

Great. Now I crave cookies. Nice job, DT. :P

Fixing

Hey everyone!

I've been going through my Blog fixing all the broken images and links. DAVIDsTEA has recently redone their website, and as a result, all of my images and links were broken. I think I got all of them, but if you find any, please let me know.


I'm hoping to have a new review up tomorrow. Things have been crazy the last week - yoga on Tuesday, parents' anniversary today (42 years!! GO PARENTS!!), plus working the early shift this week, SO.... I'm hoping that I can get a new post in on the morrow.

(That being said, I didn't review them, but go try Alpine Punch and Bamboozled! They are awesome!)

Today's Tea: Saigon Chai

Organic Saigon Chai from DAVIDsTEA

Ingredients: Assam Black tea, Saigon Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, pink peppercorns. With organic and natural flavouring.

Caffeine Level: 2

(From DAVIDsTEA: Organic Saigon Chai)


Steph's Thoughts

DT has changed up their website so I can't copy-paste text anymore. So I might just leave out the descriptions from now on, and just describe the tea in my post.


This tea is a wonderful chai that is laced with cinnamon. Saigon cinnamon is one of the finest cinnamons in the world, but after the Vietnam War, exportation was halted. The cinnamon is complimented by the ginger. I can't really taste the ginger, but I know that if it would be left out, the tea would be empty.

I've had a craving for chai tea today, and this really hit the spot. I bought the chai collection, which is 8 different types of chai tea (I would link it, but it's not featured on the website anymore). This was the first one I pulled out of the box. I've never had it before, but the aroma was enticing and slightly intoxicating.

One of the suggestions on the site is that you drink it iced with sweetened condensed milk. I can imagine this would be absolutely fabulous. I typically drink my chai heavily sweetened, but I decided today to a) follow the brewing instructions and only leave my teabag in for five minutes, and b) attempt unsweetened chai. It's nomtacular, really.

I was expecting the peppercorns and the ginger to give it a really big KICK (because peppercorns and ginger are spicy), but they don't. They provide a subtle flavour that compliments the cinnamon and mellows the tea.

Also, this isn't a cinnamon hearts kind of cinnamon - the in-your-face, here-I-am kind of OMG CINNAMON. It's a very mellow cinnamon. A natural cinnamon, you might say. I don't know if you've ever smelled cinnamon wood. I don't mean a cinnamon stick, I mean a chunk cut from the tree without curling it. It smells very different from the stuff you usually eat or cook with. I think of it as the "hippie cinnamon," laid back, but still very much alive and robust. That's what this tea is.

Definitely worth many cups.

I'm going to try brewing it in a pot of warm milk on the stove later on. We'll see how that goes.