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Cameron B. drank Honey Black by DAVIDsTEA

4158 tasting notes

So I picked this up with one of my frequent steeper rewards. I’m not a big fan of DT’s teas in general, but I do buy their teaware pretty often, so I often have rewards sitting around that I need to use up. I enjoy Taiwanese black teas quite a lot, so this seemed like a good choice to try.

Contrary to the name though, I’m finding this overall quite savory. There’s a green beany vegetal note to it, along with some malty rye bread and roasted sweet potato. And then on the darker end, some deep caramelized notes and hints of raisin. Although a lot of those things sound sweet, it still leans to the savory side to my palate. There’s also a floral note that I’m not loving. As far as honey…? I think I can taste it a little bit, but it’s definitely a darker honey, like buckwheat.

So sadly not a favorite. I think I might set the rest aside to rehome, not sure yet though…

Flavors: Bread, Brown Sugar, Burnt Sugar, Caramelized Sugar, Dried Fruit, Floral, Green Beans, Honey, Malt, Raisins, Roasted, Rye, Savory, Smooth, Sweet Potatoes, Thick, Vegetal, Wheat

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- November sipdowns: 8
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 151

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing