New Tasting Notes
Cold Brew!
I had such a strong lychee craving the other day so I pulled this blend out because I knew that (even though it’s older) it would majorly deliver on the intense, punchy and sweet lychee flavour I was seeking. It’s very strongly flavoured but also that just makes it even juicier and more mouth-watering. Perfectly fit what I was looking for.
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.
More early morning mate! Even though I think Guayaki’s Classic Gold is my current favourite in my rotation, this is a fairly close second. One thing that’s very clear is that I definitely have a preference for Mateina’s sparkling flavours. This one is just so much fresher and more juicy tasting than their other options, and doesn’t have the metallic/brassy note that kind of erks me.
Bright and sweet, with hints of hay and tobacco. The sweetness leads into a slightly bitter and complex earthy aftertaste. The mini is a bit compressed, but after two ~5min steeps it starts to open up.
Flavors: Bright, Earthy, Hay, Sweet, Tobacco
Preparation
As I mentioned relatively recently, I’ve been drinking a lot of yerba mate based RTDs as part of my morning commute the last few weeks. This is one that I really loved the last time I had it, so I made sure to buy a few more last time I was at the grocery store. It’s such a refreshingly different flavour with a very strong balance of the smokier, grassy taste of the mate itself and a sweet, bright and almost cola gummy candy type of flavour. Lighter and less intense than a regular coke, though.
A wee bit of tartness to the top notes, but mostly a very sweet and candy or soda-like strawberry flavour. In fact, I recently bought a case of Strawberry Fanta and the juicy flavour of this blend was pretty spot on for that style of strawberry. Almost grenadine like, in a way. It did a great job of introducing a little brightness with an air of indulgence for a mid afternoon cuppa!
Gongfu!
Enjoyed this session with a few blackberries snacked on in between the steeps. Though not quite as intense and full-bodied as expected, this was still a rich session with a smooth and more forest-y leaning flavour. Woody with that brothy and more umami sort of undertone that I see so commonly described as mushroom-like. Also just a bit creamy, but more in the sense of cooking cream and less a sweet, custardy creaminess. Probably because it is woodier in profile with some pine-y element, but I did taste rosemary and juniper at different points. The finish and aftertaste of infusions are where this tea is at its sweetest. Many years ago, a coworker gifted me a bunch of ouzo flavoured hard candies because she knew how much I enjoy the taste of black licorice, and the notes I’m picking up here are reminding me heavily of them: very anise and even absinthe-like.
I wanted to try this tea because of BLT’s description of it as more herbal and licorice-like (spot on!), and I feel like it really didn’t register to me that this was a twenty-four year old tea until halfway through this morning’s session. That’s wild. If this tea was a person, it would have hit all the big milestones: getting its license, voting, legal drinking age. What an incredible treat and luxury it is to get to enjoy aged teas like this one!!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJpgo0UStjb/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFRJCKVhwJs&ab_channel=OliverMalcolm-Topic
Sipped this in the evening while enjoying a little sun in the park! It’s probably a little late in the day for a matcha, but that’s not really stopping me from enjoying this super frothy throwback from a past DT summer collection. I’m usually picky when it comes to mint flavoured matchas, but this is one of my favourites. It’s sweet and cooling with a crisp spearmint-like flavour, just a hint of rum and a slight citrusy lime brightness. Good iced or with sparkling water, but I actually most like it as usucha like I’m drinking right now. Complex for a flavoured matcha, but ultimately, it is really well balanced!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJsNM5TSyC1/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM3kubPX41c&ab_channel=DavidDeanBurkhart
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!
It’s the incredibly thick but smooth mouthfeel that really catches my attention with this one, and that’s saying something because I’m usually a flavour first and foremost kind of tea drinker. Not in terms of taste, but this viscous black tea liquor really does make me think of hot cocoa made from scratch on the stovetop. Velvety, warm goodness! The infusions are warm and cozy, though, but more a combination of malt, fresh-out-of-the-oven brioche breads, and a softer oaky woodiness. Very rosey and floral in the finish with the lingering sweetness of something like a parma violet hardcandy. Loving the complexity balanced with this snuggly feeling!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJunPrByaFv/?img_index=1
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbVKF5yjTSM&ab_channel=CaravanPalace-Topic
Gongfu!
Enjoying this tea with some muscat grapes this morning and rereading some earlier volumes of Dandadan while I impatiently wait for the second season of the anime!! This is a really, really cozy and warming black tea with such a bold body and pleasantly light bite of astringency at the top of the sip. Very strong spice notes led by cinnamon and allspice, which lean in perfectly to the more starchy and grain-like mid sip notes of baked yams, baker’s chocolate, mugicha, and freshly baked rolls. The undertones are a bit fruity in a more dense, darkly sweet, or “brown tasting” way – think raisins or dates.
It’s absolutely pouring today with some seriously intense thunder, so this is tea so reminiscent of fresh raisin bread or hot cross buns straight out of the oven is absolutely the perfect tea to hunker down with while staying snuggly inside with something good to read!
Tea Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJwkpFstcrr/?img_index=1
And it really never stops being both challenging and hilarious to explain the plot of this manga/anime to other people, as evidenced by the last few slides here…
Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVIWIbUG9Qw&ab_channel=B%C3%98RNS
Bought this for I think $5.99 buy one, get one free at Sprouts.
Another TCM herbal tea I’m using to support my unruly cycle. Drank several days prior to that time of the month and for the first few days. It produces a concentrated, oily yellow brew that could be used as a dye. Tastes densely of celery which I don’t like to eat, however I find myself sipping the warm tea with ease. Mildly sweet. Feels nourishing.
Flavors: Celery, Oily, Roots
Picked this up at the Korean market for $7.99. Seems expensive.
Detox is a touchy term in the already touchy world of wellness which is full of arbitrary claims. So why did I buy this?
The past few years has seen me landing pretty dang squarely in Middle Age. A few years’ worth of going crazy due to hormonal fluctuations has led me into trying different things to relieve symptoms. Naturally, with my affinity for many things Chinese, I’ve wandered into TCM. It’s a vast subject and rife with contradictions to my education in the sciences but I have nevertheless been drawn in. A lot of it makes sense within my limited understanding of Chinese culture.
All I can say is this herbal tea is very tasty and seems to relieve, via mild diuresis, some of the water retention I experience. It does feel cleansing in a sense. I like the way I feel after drinking a concentrated cup (2 bags to 8-10oz) first thing in the morning and/or later in the evening on an empty stomach. It’s not something I want everyday, but I do reach for it several times per week. The taste is definitely in line with dandelion and various roots with a soft cassia balance (there must not be much in there as it is often overpowering). Besides those, there is a whole mix of herbs in this blend.
Flavors: Burdock, Cinnamon, Dandelion, Mineral, Roots
Captain’s Backlog 3 May 2025
Spring 2023 harvest
Made a better bowl tea than gongfu. Dong Dingy but not nutty, thankfully. Mid-toned mellow sweet roast, rich florals settled yet heady, bamboo shoot in a bed of squeaky young grass. Very clean. Would try again. It looks to be machine-harvested; not the prettiest unfurled leaf.
$6.87 / 15g
Flavors: Balanced, Bamboo, Caramelized Sugar, Clean, Creamy, Floral, Grass, Mineral, Rich, Roasty, Sweet
Captain’s Backlog 3 May 2025
What a doozy. Knocked me out cold for a 2-hour nap after only 2 pours. Whisper of smoke. Sandpaper tongue. Very drying; not a pleasant feeling when combined with dried-up mucous membranes from allergy medication.
Back into the crock.
$60 for a 200g cake in 2025. I think it was $18 or something when I bought it 9 years ago?
Flavors: Bitter Melon, Brown Sugar, Dandelion, Drying, Hot Hay, Peat, Sand, Smoke, Sweet, Warm Grass, Thick
A sipdown! (M: 2 Y: 67)
A perfect refreshing cuppa, even when I drank it hot. As gmathis wrote, it is very hibiscus forward, but lime tastes natural and is very refreshing.
I think it could be a blast iced; but this was a last tea bag, drank on rainy afternoon.
Preparation
April backlog and sip down
I’m thankful to my past self—likely drinking tea and working—for making one single note and rating on the package. 90% of the time I’m drinking tea is while working, and the other 10% is when I allow myself the time over the weekend.
Tasting Notes: Cinnamon stick
I found myself in the same situation starting a few years ago. I kinda miss sitting down with a tea during the week. It is what it is, I guess.
My main issue is not making time for it over the weekend either. I’ll get a session in now and then, but it’s mostly due to having been working from home all week, that I want to get out of the house. Lol.
April backlog and sip down
I couldn’t pull this one on their website, so I believe it was a club offering. Unfortunately, I must’ve misplaced the letter or accidentally thrown it away (oops) and I can’t verify if this is an oolong or black tea.
Aroma: Sweet, nutty, perfume, & soap.
Texture: Tongue numbing & mouth drying.
Tasting Notes: Bright, cantaloupe, floral, lavender, perfume, nutty, & sweet.
Additional Notes: This has the classic charm of Darjeeling, but it is less bold than what I’ve had from other vendors and grocery store offerings. I thought that it worked well both western and gongfu’d, however, I was able to get more (6) infusions from the gongfu’d than from the western sessions.
Flavors: Bright, Cantaloupe, Floral, Lavender, Nutty, Perfume, Soap, Sweet
April backlog and sip down
I left this sample unopened for nearly two years since I’ve acquired tea from Verdant’s monthly club. Perhaps I grew too weary of the tea stash growing or green tea. However, I’m glad I finally got back around to sampling it!
Aroma: Nutty
Tasting Notes: Sweeter than expected, nutty, creamy, and umami.
Flavors: Creamy, Nutty, Umami
April backlog & sip down
My misfortune is that I had only purchased a sample of this tea in 2024 and found it too late to sip through the sample. No biggie, I suppose, but without any new purchases planned for a long while, I can add this tea to my “Teas I’ve enjoyed and will always think about it” list.
Aroma: Green tea, clean sheng smell, fresh, & a cool day in the woods (Magical, right?).
Texture: Soupy & thick.
Tasting Notes: Clean, smooth, & crisp.
Flavors: Clean, Crisp, Smooth
April backlog and sip down
Aroma: Charcoal, manure, sour, & nutty
No texture
Color: Reddish-orange
Tasting Notes: Heavy mineral, nutty, roasted nuts, & bedrock.
Additional Notes: This would be good tea for a cold winter day. It warmed the body with each sip [insert tea sweats here].
Flavors: Charcoal, Mineral, Nutty, Roasted, Sour
April Backlog and sip down
My April stack has been sitting on my desk to review for a few weeks…I cannot believe we’re 17 days in May. Where the heck is 2025 going?
Aroma: Hay, melon rind, & cannabis
Texture: Oily
Tasting Notes: Melon, bitterness, & lingering sweetness.
