Davidson's Organics

backlogging…will review more soon…

This one is very similar to the Cranberry Orange Iced that I reviewed earlier this week, the main differences are that: 1) this is a loose leaf blend; and 2) the loose leaf blend (this) has rooibos in it in addition to the other ingredients. The bagged varieties do not list rooibos as one of their ingredients.

It’s hard to say if that really makes all that much difference, because right now, what I am tasting primarily is hibiscus, cranberry and orange. I don’t know that I taste much from the rooibos. Perhaps as I continue to sip it, the flavors will develop somewhat. Even so, and even though this is a hibiscus-y tea in taste and texture, I am finding it rather enjoyable. The cranberry and orange flavors really rescue it from what might otherwise be a too-much-hibiscus-in-it blend.

I brewed some of this last night for iced tea today. It is very light and refreshing – surprisingly so. It has a lightly sweet taste – it is also tart, but, not overly so. I think the key is to not steep it too long.

At first I thought this was somewhat relaxing but it does have a kick of spice to it…followed up with a subtle minty finish. After really trying to pick out the individual ingredients I could taste the Tulsi, Pepper, Ginger, and Peppermint but they worked well together. This signature Tulsi Blend seems to make my mouth water – a nice characteristic considering the ingredient combo! Thumbs up!

I was a bit scared to try this tisane, but I finally summoned up the courage to steep a cup. I steeped it for just 4 minutes, and the result is surprisingly good. The hibiscus is not thick or syrupy or even very tart. The cinnamon saves this blend, in my opinion, giving it enough heat to give a nice contrast to the tart tones of the hibiscus and the faint minty notes of the Tulsi (I would have like the Tulsi to be a bit more expressive in this blend), and the bright, sweet flavors of the citrus. It is a pleasant cup – tastier than I expected it to be. It isn’t my favorite tulsi blend, but I don’t hate it, either.

I don’t love Mint tea in general, but this one is pretty great. I love to add it to Yerba Mate, then ice the tea and add a squirt of lime and agave. Sweet tropical treat!

A decent, smooth rooibos.

The tulsi and chamomile were an odd pair here. At first, it started out slightly bitter and sour and there was a strong grassiness. The subtle flavor of the chamomile was lost.

As the cup cooled, it took on a more mellow and slightly sweet flavor. The fragrance of the chamomile was never very strong, but over time you could at least tell it was there.

This was OK for a bagged tisane, but I’ve had some really good chamomile lately so I’m biased.

This tisane smells faintly of mint and cinnamon and introduces a bit of citrus upon steeping.

The taste was, frankly, very thin. There was a slight mint-citrus flavor and a tangy finish, but overall it was very weak and not very flavorful.

This Tulsi tisane by Davidson’s is an unadulterated blend of the three varieties of holy basil that make up their Tulsi line.

The fragrance is a minty oregano that takes on a subtle lemon essence once steeped. The flavor is similar to a mint and lemongrass blend but there’s an underlying herbal and pepper base. The flavor quickly dissipates with no lingering aftertaste.

This was OK, but I think the Tulsi provides a better foundation for the addition of more full-flavored spices.

I just received a sample of each of the six tisanes of Davidson’s Tulsi herbal line. Tulsi, or holy basil, is highlighted in each and is accompanied by a different group of complimentary herbs.

Signature Blend smells strongly of ginger and mint out of the package, but once steeped, lemon from the myrtle becomes prominent. The flavor is really interesting. Up front, there’s a bit of a battle between the mint and the lemon. The finish is warm from the ginger and cinnamon with a final burst from the black pepper. This is another great one for fighting cold; either outside or in your own head.

I don’t have a lot of experience with holy basil so I can’t speak to the quality. I’m hoping that I’ll come to recognize this component more as I work my way through the rest of the samples.

A nice, versatile, super cheap rooibos (purchased in bulk on Amazon). Seems to be great quality and flavorful. I plan on using this as a base for a lot of herbal and fruit blends. Very good on its own as well. Prepared with or without almond milk, sweetened with regular or flavored stevia.

Darjeeling greens are tough to beat. This one is no exception. It’s light, citrusy (mandarin-like) with echoes of “Chinese sencha” in its overall flavor impression. I just wish I knew more about it. Davidson’s website isn’t the easiest to navigate. That said, a very subtle but very tasty green without the vegetal lean of some…unless you like that sorta thing.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2011/01/21/review-davidson%E2%80%99s-tea-samabeong-monsoon-green/

Assuming this is the loose leaf Davidson’s rooibos: I may not be brewing it right, but I get little flavor from this. Adding honey definitely enhances the flavors present, but it still seems rather weak.

I’m new to loose leaf teas and this is one of the first I tried (1 lbs = A LOT of tea). I had some trouble at first trying to find the right brewing time/temperature, but I’d say around 5 minutes for the first steep at around 165-170 degrees. If the water is too hot, you’ll damage/burn the leaves. It has a nice, sweet taste to it with a little vegetal flavor, but nothing as strong as green tea. I’ll keep looking for good white teas, but I think this was a good choice to start with.

I don’t want to spend more time than I have to. I have loved the products I’ve tried from Davidson’s so far, but this was beyond reproach. It was in their holiday herbal section, and very little was said as to ingredients other than cinnamon, orange peel, hibiscus, and lemon myrtle. The result? Pure horror. Spicy swamp water. I didn’t even last five sips. Of course, my “actual” formal review will be a tad kinder and go into more specifics…but as it stands, this is the worst tea I’ve had in a very long time. “Hint of cinnamon”, my tea cup’s arse.

In hindsight – after I write the company about the ingredients used – I will revisit this to see if I hate it as much as I elaborated above. ’Til then, this stands as a “blegh”.

I actually tried this loose leaf, but since there really is no reason to add a new tea profile for this (and I’m lazy), I’ll go with this one. On dry scent alone, I didn’t know what to expect. This is probably why I’m not a sommelier, for – upon sight – I would’ve said this was a Darjeeling white. It had a nut-spice scent to it which also supported that theory. When infused, though, it took on the melon-like, buttery characteristics of a good Bai Mu Dan. Worth your valuable tea time.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2010/12/23/review-davidon%E2%80%99s-tea-white-peony/

I required some severe wake-me-up on a Sunday morning. Actually…it was afternoon by this point. Still, I needed something strong and hearty. I went with this single estate Assam, brewed it on the light side – like I do most blacks – and waited. The liquor color was lighter than a usual robust Assam, which had me worried. Was it not going to have the strength I needed? That fear didn’t last long on fragrance and flavor. All blunt and malty.

Full Review: http://www.teaviews.com/2010/12/06/review-davidsons-tea-assam-banaspaty-2/

I love this tea because

- rooibos is my favorite tea
- I can buy it in a cheap 100-pack from Amazon, and
- it tastes as good as any other rooibos I’ve tried.

I go through tons of this stuff. It’s my staple tea. Love it!

I steep 1 bag in my 32-oz teapot for about 10 minutes.

Wow, no one else has tasted this yet? I’m shocked due to the price. I found this on Amazon for $13.13 for a pound. Yes ladies and gentlemen, a POUND for thirteen bucks. Needless to say, I ordered it and hoped for the best.

You never quite realize how much a pound of tea is until you do it teaspoon by teaspoon. This is a TON of tea! Anywho, you open the bag and bam! Someone just blew in your face after chewing 2 packs of Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum. I was pretty scared after such an intense mint explosion. But fear not! This tea tasted pretty delicate. Not the best of teas, but hey for the price I think it’s great! I think it would be good maybe mixed with a black? Or iced, this would be epic iced.

By the way, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO SWAP TEAS WITH ME!!!!!! I got plenty ;D

Picked this up tonight. Had never tried it and it was cheap. The scent of apricot was incredibly strong, but much lighter when tasted. I think I’ll try an even shorter steep time next time. A good alternative to Lipton.

I’ve never tasted other rooibos so I can’t compare to other brands, but I love this stuff. I drink it every day when I’m done with my pots of green tea. Caffeine free, so it doesn’t keep me up at night. Sweet and soothing.

I drink this every day. Buy by the pound on Amazon, quite cheap and organic. Add a pinch of spearmint, delicious!

This is my favorite tea at the moment :) My friends seem to enjoy it as well.
honestly, with a little bit of milk and sugar and it’s like a dessert and it’s a really nice comfort tea. Definitely a must have in my tea collection.