Today's Tea: Paradise Found

Paradise Found from DAVIDsTEA

Description: Ever hear about the tea utopia hidden deep in the jungle? Word is, it’s a pretty enchanted place. People say the hibiscus is always in full bloom, the oranges and mangoes are perfectly ripe, and the subtle scent of cornflower and safflower petals hangs in the air. How can you find this earthly paradise? It’s as easy as steeping a cup. One sip of this fruity black and green tea blend will take you right there.

Ingredients: Hibiscus, apple, black tea, green tea, orange peel, safflower, cornflower, candied mango, artificial flavouring

How to Brew: 1.25 tsp 98°C/208°F 4-7 min

(From DAVIDsTEA: Paradise Found)

Steph's Thoughts

I steeped this in my new glass mug, so when I poured the water in, I got to watch as the tea swirled down into the clear water.

I was impressed by the colour of the dry leaves - white, red blossoms, blue blossoms, orange.... black tea, it's very colourful!

First sip: Very ZINGY! It's the hibiscus, I think. it adds quite a zing to tea. I might use this as a wake-up tea. It doesn't need any sugar, either. It's sweet enough without it.

The mango doesn't come through as much as I'd like it to. I would really like to taste more mango than hibiscus.

Also, the taste is far less zingy when paired with food. I had pasta with tomato sauce, and that seemed to calm the zing (I can't think of another word for the flavour!), though after a few sips, it ramped up again. It's not necessarily a bad thing. It's a nice fruity tea, which reminds me very much of a Hawaiian lei with mangoes in my mouth!

I will admit, this isn't my most favourite fruity tea. I'd say more mango, less hibiscus. But other than that, it's pretty decent!

Verdict: Decent.

Today's Tea: Organic Crème de Menthe

Organic Crème de Menthe from DAVIDsTEA

Description: It’s time to go retro and return this flavour to its rightful place as the Queen of Liqueurs. Are you ready to succumb to its charms? Our version is a rich, dark blend of organic pu’erh tea and peppermint, sweetened with all the creaminess of organic Madagascan vanilla, licorice and cinnamon. It’s as delicious as the original, only you can drink it everyday, all day. Now, that’s decadent.

Ingredients: Organic: Pu-erh (cooked, Shou type), cinnamon, peppermint, licorice root, vanilla bean. With natural vanilla flavoring.

Caffeine: 2 (medium caffeine)

How to Brew: 1.25 tsp       98°C/208°F       4-6 min

(From DAVIDsTEA: Crème de Menthe)

Steph's Thoughts:

I've been waiting to try this one ever since my very first visit to DAVIDsTEA, but they have always been out of stock. They got new stock in as an online exclusive, so I snapped it up right away!!

Upon opening the bag, I was greeted with a smell that smelled very much like peppermint schnapps or,.... well, crème de menthe. (of course, now I crave alcohol, but I will drink tea and everything will be just fine!!)

I brewed this tea in a black mug, so I can't tell you what colour it turns, but it's got a lovely mild flavour. It's minty, without being INYOURFACE. It's also really nice and smooth, as it's a pu'erh tea. The Hubby also really likes pu'erh. It has a funny name, but a wonderful flavour!!

The cinnamon flavour is mild enough that it doesn't overpower anything else, and the licorice root is doing wonders for my stomach. (I've had an upset stomach for a few days, and it's finally calming down.) This is also a tea that really doesn't require any additional sweetness, as it is provided quite nicely by the licorice root.

A friend says that he imagines it like a liquid After Eight mint. After he said that, I took a sip, and thought, "You know, he's not far off..." It's sweet, though not nearly as sweet as the chocolate. And though the tea tecnhnically contains no chocolate, there is a hint of it that comes through. This tea leaves a nice, clean aftertaste in your mouth, very much like After Eights, with none of the calories!!

The tea tastes quite lovely hot, but can also suffice cold if you, like me, get distracted and forget to drink your tea while it's hot... Though I think I personally like it better hot. It's more like TEA tea rather than iced tea. (Also, hot chocolate + peppermint schnapps = win, and this tea is KIND OF like that, without all the alcohol.)

Verdict: WIN, and TOTALLY worth the wait!

Today's Tea: Coco-Lemon Thai

Coco-Lemon Thai from DAVIDsTEA

Description: Thai cuisine is known for its bold flavours and unexpected combinations. And this fresh, sunny white tea blend is no exception. It combines delicate white tea with zingy lemongrass and lemon myrtle, creamy coconut and spicy-sweet ginger, for a taste that’s subtly exotic and addictively refreshing. It’s a guaranteed jolt of sunshine that’ll turn any ordinary day into a trip to the bustling markets of Bangkok or a lush island in the Andaman Sea. Go ahead – you deserve a vacation.

Ingredients: White tea, ginger, coconut, lemon myrtle, lemongrass, sunflowers, natural and artificial lemon, cream and coconut flavouring.

Allergens: Coconut

Caffeine: 1 (Low caffeine)

How to Brew: 1.25 tsp 92°C/ 198°F 4-5 min

(From DAVIDsTEA: Coco-Lemon Thai)


Steph's Thoughts:
I wanted a cup of tea from DT today, and the Hubby made me promise that I would not get anything I already had. That list is getting ever smaller (ack! or yay, depending on how you look at it...), so my options were limited. I explained my dilemma to the Tea Guides, and one of them (I am so sorry, I'm horrible with names, and I've forgotten! *sniff* Please forgive me!) suggested that I try Coco-Lemon Thai. This has been on my list of things to try since it became Tea of the Month.

The smell of the dry tea immediately whisked me away to the tropical shores of Thailand. The coconut and lemongrass cut through the tea, but not in an overpowering way. The brewed colour is a nice clear amber. The bouquet is very Thai. Hubby says that it tastes a bit too ginger-y for him, so he doesn't care for it much. I, however, don't notice this. Well, okay, that's not true. I DO taste it, and can taste the spice on my tongue, but I personally don't think it's overpowering. I find it's more coconut-and-lemongrass.

I would caution against oversteeping this. I find that whites, when oversteeped, get bitter. (in other words, STEPH, TAKE THE DAMN TEABAG OUT.)

It tastes a little like a sweet version of the hot and sour soup, or the stir fry that I order at Bangkok Thai (which is an amazing little Thai restaurant in Osborne Village in Winnipeg!). I could definitely see cooking with this tea. It would make an amazing glaze for chicken. Even more amazing, cook your rice for your Thai dishes in this tea! Oh YUM!

I like this tea a little on the sweeter side. It does taste just fine cold. It's nice and light, and very, very "spring-y," which is why I think it makes a great addition to the permanent collection, released along with the spring collection. I think there's also a recipe for a cocktail with this tea. I could see it in a hurricane glass with a cherry in it.

If you are looking for a vacation (or you're craving Thai food, and can't get out), drink this tea. THIS is what it reminds me of:

And really, when it looks like THIS outside:

I will take the tropics any day!!!!
(seriously. Whoever is praying for snow in Winnipeg, PLEASE STOP!)

Today's Tea: Toasted Walnut

Toasted Walnut from DAVIDsTEA

Description: Traditional Chinese medicine says walnuts are a warming food. Which makes sense, because this is the kind of tea you spontaneously want to cozy up to on a cold winter afternoon. The comforting, lightly bitter taste of toasted walnuts is sweetened and deepened with dried pineapple, coconut, almond and organic green tea. Sip it in front of an open fire and chase away the cold.

Ingredients: Chinese sencha green tea, nut brittle (sugar, hazelnut), candied pineapple (pineapple, sugar), coconut rasps (coconut, coconut fat, sugar), almond flakes, walnut bits and artificial flavouring.

Allergens: Tree nuts and coconut

How to Brew: 1.25 tsp 82°C/180°F 3-4 min

(From DAVIDsTEA: Toasted Walnut)

Steph's Thoughts:
The bouquet of this tea, dry, is most definitely tropical. You can smell the coconut, as well as the pineapple and a hint of nutty green. (The walnut smell is a little plant-y...)

I made SURE that I followed the brewing instructions (letting the tea water cool before pouring it into my mug, only brewing a few minutes, removing the leaves after brewing), and that certainly cuts down on the bitterness. I am surprised at how much the green tea leaves open. I know I shouldn't be too shocked. Tea is constantly surprising me.
It has a wonderful blonde colour, very clear and light.

The first sip had me wondering - is it nuts, or coconut, or green tea that I'm tasting?? This is not a bad question! You can smell the coconut, but the flavour of the toasted nuts also comes through.

With every sip, I find myself wondering what this would taste like as an addition to blondies - like brownies, but without cocoa.

These are Butterscotch Blondies...
I really wonder if I could adapt a blondie recipe to include some Toasted Walnut tea. In my head, it tastes amazing. (Crap, now I crave fresh baking, and it's 10 pm. This isn't happening today.)

Anyway. The first couple of sips are nice and sweet, but as I keep drinking, I'm finding it gets a little more bitter. However, I've already had my sugar quotient for the day, so I'm going to have to drink it straight. It is a wonderful end-of-the-day tea. They are right in that it is very comforting, and smells good. Green tea still isn't quite my thing, but it's growing on me.

This is a tea that tastes a lot better warm, so don't let it sit while you browse for more recipes on your computer. Drink it right away!

Verdict: Win-spiring!

Today's Tea: Vanilla Orchid

Vanilla Orchid Oolong from DAVIDsTEA

Description:  We’re still searching for the secret to eternal bliss, but we’re pretty sure one cup of this blend will get you at least five minutes’ worth. It all starts with the very best leaves: a premium oolong from China’s Fujian Province called Huang Jin Gui. A popular wedding gift in China, Huang Jin Gui is prized for its pretty yellow colour and romantic floral scent. Here we bring out this special leaf’s orchid aroma with a touch of vanilla. The result? A perfectly balanced, subtle cup that’s equal parts rich, creamy and floral. Feeling blissful yet?

Ingredients: Huang Jin Gui Oolong from Anxi in Fujian Province, natural vanilla flavouring

How to Brew: 1 tsp 92°C /198°F 3-5 min

(From DAVIDsTEA: Vanilla Orchid)

Steph's Thoughts:
This tea was recommended to me by Laura at DT: Grant Park. I've had it once as brewed by DT, and I've also reused the bag in order to bring you this review.
I was immediately drawn in by the vanilla scent. It's a natural vanilla, almost vanilla bean-ish. The leaves aren't much to look at, but looks CAN be deceiving. The leaves almost remind me of dragon pearls, rounder than most tea leaves.

Vanilla Orchid is a nice light tea with floral notes. I find that it's considerably more floral after eating fruit. For example, I had a piece of candied mango and then took a sip of tea, and all I could taste was floral. With general sipping (pre-fruit, or after a meal), the vanilla comes through nicely. The floral notes are still there, but not as overwhelming.

I do find, however, that the longer you leave the teabag in the cup, the stronger the floral taste becomes. Toward the bottom of the cup, it did start getting a little strong for my liking. Not undrinkable, but a bit too much. I have a tendency to leave my teabag in too long. I think 15 minutes is about the maximum brewing time for this one. (It takes me between 1 and 4 hours to drink a cup of tea, depending on how hot it is to begin with. Longer if it's in my Timolino, which keeps tea hot enough for me to drink for 8+ hours. It's too hot for the first.... six or so.)

With sweetener in, it tastes almost like a thin syrup. Not in a cloying, overwhelming way, but in a .... comforting way. Sweet and rich-tasting, while still being quite light. I might add a little less sugar next time.

Overall, this is a good tea for those people who enjoy a nice light tea with hints of vanilla and flowers.

Verdict: Pretty good!

Layered Lattes and Comparing Service

So, today when I was waiting for Hubby to get his hair cut, I went into DAVIDsTEA - naturally!

Several things about this foray into this tea shop:

Walking into DAVIDsTEA is like coming home. The staff are FANTASTIC - they chat with you, they ask you how your week has been in order to get you JUST the right tea for you, they take a GENUINE interest in what you like, and they ASK YOU what you like. And if you become a regular (ish) like me, they REMEMBER from time to time what you like. They let you take your time, and if you're indecisive, they're okay with that (at least, the staff at Grant Park are...). If you want to look at a particular tea, they get it down for you, and let you smell it as long as you'd like. If you want to look at what's in the tea, they let you look at the tin (lid on, of course).

When I was at a different mall last week, I stepped into Teavana because I was craving tea (and Timmies tea just doesn't quite cut it when there's a loose-leaf tea store nearby...). Even though I'd gotten bad service there when it was Teaopia, I thought I'd give it another chance since they changed the name. Don't. Just.... don't. It is not worth your time and energy. The staff at Teavana are rude and during my time there, they were more concerned about talking with each other than interacting with their customers. They didn't once ask me what kind of tea I liked, just let me know "if you want to look at anything, let us know" and then acted like it was an inconvenience when I asked about something. When I asked what was in the tea, the girl behind the counter totally didn't know ("I don't know, like, fruit maybe??"), and read it off the tin like it was "below her" to have to do that. I felt stupid for even asking. It feels like they have a "know what you want or get out" policy. I should have looked on the website first to find what kind of tea I wanted before going in. It may have saved me a lot of hassle. I'm not doing that again.

This proves to me that not all loose tea stores are created equal.

Maybe DAVIDs has spoiled me. I don't know. They DO know great customer service, though. They also know how to build customer loyalty. (ahahaha, loyal-Tea.)

AND today, I got to learn how to make a layered latte. Laura, one of the Tea Guides at DT was showing me a photo of her exciting new creation on her camera - a layered tea latte. It looks like this:

Hers was green and red, and white. It was super cool.
Basically the premise is that you steam and froth milk. Then you add your tea VERY SLOWLY, and then you add your foam.

DAVIDsTEA posted the "recipe" for a layered latte on SnapGuides. You can read all about it here: DT's Layered Latte.  (they also have a link for frothing milk without a frother).

Laura used matcha in the milk (to make it green), then steeped Forever Nuts tea to make it red, and then foam and cinnamon on top. It was, in fact, very pretty. She was so excited about it, too!

She also got me to try a tea that I wouldn't normally. She's very good at that, somehow. Look for a review of Vanilla Orchid, coming soon!

Apologies

Oh my dear readers,
I have not forgotten you. I have been very busy; not so busy that I cannot drink tea, but too busy to review it. I jot notes during meetings and choir practices, throughout the day, and throughout the evening, but often forget to blog or am too tired to blog.

I do have three new entries in the works, though.

Keep your eyes peeled for reviews of:
DAVIDsTEA Cocomint Cream
DAVIDsTEA Aloha Pu'erh
DAVIDsTEA Berry Good Pu'erh

Hopefully these will be coming soon!