DAVIDsTEA

2025 TTB #2

I’ve tried a number of root beer blends in the past, so I was curious to see what was “radical” about this one. Turns out it’s a healthier take with puerh, dandelion root, and chicory. While I’m sure my gut is appreciating all the good-for-me ingredients, I have to say that the flavor was more earthy and less soda-like than I would prefer. The licorice root is also STRONG in this one, leaving a lingering sweet anise flavor on my tongue. It’s possible I’d enjoy this more cold or with a shorter steep time? But I think I’ll pop it back in the box for someone else to sample.

New tea time!

It might seem a little weird to be releasing a mango blend during what still feels like the heart of winter, but I think there’s something to leaning into the bright liveliness of a tropical blend like this around this time of year. It’s liquid escapism, in a way! And something to tease warmer weather which isn’t realistically that far off.

This is an interesting tea (at least to me) because it started off as something else and during the development process kind of morphed into what it is now. The original idea was something much more yogurt-like in taste that was a lot more inspired by Mango Lassi drinks. I suppose we didn’t get too far away from those two flavours in the end. This is still a creamy, smooth blend with a pleasant yogurt note and it’s obviously also still mango. Just, more mango that it was initially. As for the yogurt, if you’re a fan of blends like Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait or Frozen Raspberry then you’ll know exactly the type of yogurt flavour in this blend. It’s most apparent in the finish, and it just contributes a nice richness to an otherwise bright and tropical profile.

I’d say what we ended up with is in the direction of a mango smoothie! Fruit forward but with a thickness and richness as if you’d blended in yogurt… and coconut! The coconut isn’t the strongest flavour here, but it is present and it adds to the tropical getaway sort of vibes. I suppose you could also probably equate the profile to a “Mango Colada” and that wouldn’t be so far off either. Oh! We also used green rooibos in this blend instead of red! I thought that the more mellow, delicate and naturally fruity notes of the green rooibos would really compliment and highlight the mango. I really wanted, in particular, to capture the taste of Ataulfo mangoes which are both more naturally sweet and creamy tasting. They’re my favourite in the summer – I go through them like no one’s business. On their own, but also in things like smoothie bowls, salsa, or shakes. So, it was the perfect mango flavour to lean into here!

This is definitely a limited edition blend, as it won’t be too long until Mango Fruit Punch rolls into town for the summer. For those curious, the key difference between the two is that this is creamier while Mango Fruit Punch has more of a citrus note to it. But here’s a secret for y’all on Steepster… I like this one much more than Mango Fruit Punch.

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.

A strange vegetal flavor, no vanilla. I threw it out.

Not a lot of flavor, and what was there was sweetness. Too sweet. Happy it was sugar and not stevia, though. Threw out.

The smell reminds me of the caramel popcorn flavor or various other flavors from the past. This one is nice and desserty. It’s best at room temperature with milk and sugar. The flavor is so strong and decadent.

The coconut is certainly the strongest flavor here. I like this best cold sweetened with almond milk. The rooibos is a great base for the coconut. Coconut isn’t one of my favorite flavors, so I’m not sure why I bought this blend, but I’ll enjoy my 2 oz!

A tangy, tarte, yet fruity tea! Cannot be made into a latte. I actually prefer it hot, but it is great cold as well. I enjoy how it isn’t sickeningly sweet, however, wish there was more of an herbacious note.

I’m a big sour candy fan, and this tea has similar vibes, which is impressive, considering how many teas end up tart in an unpleasant way. I really enjoyed this sweetened cold. Good cold resteep too.

I’m drinking this in 2025! I’m drinking it in my new David’s tea mug that I got from Hilo taco. I don’t need any more mugs OR any more nail polish. But I’m weak! And overly impulsive and enthusiastic!
I didn’t write anyone’s name on the tea pouch BUT I suspect this was a mail swap sample from one of you lovely people.
Thank you!

Having a mini-virtual tea party with two friends as I type! <3

Oh hello there, new Superfood Latte Powder!

As I think many people here on Steepster know, I am pretty allergic to mushrooms. However, the rest of the world sems to love functional mushrooms right now and really could care less about my allergies which is, of course, very inconvenient for me as a person who is responsible for doing the Research & Development of teas that include those functional mushrooms. But it must be done.

Thankfully I have a great bunch of coworkers who are able to help me with the tasting portion of the development – but, as I have done for all DT’s teas that include mushrooms, once we FINALLY reach the point where a tea is complete and being sold I do taste the blend. Once. Without swallowing. On a day when I am home and not working and can have a minor allergic reaction in peace. Y’know, for education’s sake.

So, if you haven’t clued in yet this superfood latte powder does contain a mushroom. Reishi, to be precise. The idea with this powder was to create essentially a “boosted hot chocolate” that would help with stress management/relaxation. That’s kind of the thing that reishi (and most other adaptogens like it) is known for. It’s not the first time DT has used reishi in a tea, and in fact we’re carrying two other blends right now that use it: Reishi Relax and Super Shroom Mushroom. As far as functional mushrooms go, we like this one a lot.

The tea itself is, of course, very chocolate-y in the same way that our previous superfood powder Ruby Cocoa was. However, the differentiator is the addition of caramel and a little bit of sea salt. You can think of it like a caramel infused brownie batter or a salted caramel hot chocolate. That sort of vein. Very rich, decadent and smooth. When I did do my little sip and spit situation I have to admit I was kind of crushed. I really, really liked the caramel flavour a lot and it makes me really sad I won’t get to experience it again. Not worth the reaction even though it was so tasty.

Like all the Superfood Latte Powders that DT has put out, this was very much developed SPECIFICALLY the be made with milk or alt milks. In fact, the packaging instructions don’t include water at all. Of course, experimentation is fun and you can totally do your own thing to fit your own tastes. Anyway, if you like caramel and chocolate things or need to destress a little this might be worth a try! You can appreciate the salted caramel flavour on my behalf.

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.

Somehow I forgot to write a tasting note for this tea when it came out a few weeks ago, so I’m making up for that now. It’s one of this year’s new Spring Wellness blends, though I also think it’s very much the kind of tea that someone might drink without ever knowing it was developed to be functional since it’s still very flavour forward!

Aside from the green tea base, the main ingredients in this blend are prickly pear, dragonfruit, aloe vera, and rose. The name “Cactus Rose” is actually a reference specifically to the the prickly pear since that’s one of the other names that fruit goes by, but I’ve seen a few people who maybe don’t know that’s an alternative name of the fruit who assume it’s referencing the aloe vera (which is a succulent like a cactus) and the rose. I guess in a round-a-bout way it’s all of the above?

In terms of function, this is meant to be a bit more of a hydrating/skin nourishing blend. So, prickly pear because of the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory elements, aloe because of how hydrating and replenishing it is, and then rose for similar reasons a well. Lots of inspiration from the cosmetics industry when it comes to facial products.

In terms of flavour I’d call this light and tropical with a bit of a floral sort of rosy undertone to it. Kind of lush and dewy is maybe how I’d describe it? Prickly pear and dragonfruit are both somewhat harder tropical fruit flavours to describe, but think maybe like a delicate pear and kiwi cross? Maybe just a little bit melony? Not super tart or sugary or anything like that. Just very fresh. I think it’s very nice iced or as a teapop because of that.

If you’re not typically a fan of rose I wouldn’t let that scare you off this blend. Unless you’re steeping it for a very long time, it’s more fruit forward than floral. Think teas like Green Passionfruit or maybe Buddha’s Blend if you want other DT blends to reference vibe-wise. That combination of rose and dragonfruit gives a soft pinkish colour to the blend when steeped which is also very pretty.

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.

I bought this at the DavidsTEA in Toronto! This doesn’t mix up smoothly in my almond milk. It was very clumpy. The flavor comes in waves. First it tastes like high quality hot chocolate. Then I taste too much beet. Then at the end I taste a hint of spiciness. It’s multilayered and interesting and rich. The most recent time I had this, I tasted more beet than anything. I’m not sure what that flavor is doing in there. It never mixes well, but getting a bite of powder really isn’t bad compared to getting a mouthful of matcha powder, so that part ultimately isn’t terrible. I would rate this way higher if they took out the beet.

This is best with a longer steep and overleafing. It’s still a bit light/thin, but I find the flavor direction quite fun. It’s not tart, so it doesn’t really remind me of grape juice. Maybe it’s more like grape candy or a Crystal Light sort of flavor?

After our event at the Eaton Center ended on Saturday, we immediately left for the last few hours of the Toronto Tea Festival. It went by quite quickly, even though we had a slight technology issue with some of the kettles that had been brought which prevented us from doing live cuppings of teas during the day.

We thankfully had prebrewed TOTD thermoses filled with Turmeric Chai, Wild Grown Rooibos, and this tea though – so we were still able to sample something during Saturday’s activities. This was definitely the overall crowd favourite and honestly maybe my favourite of the three teas too. I had a travel mug with me and I ended up pouring myself some of it to sip on in between talking to people at the DT booth. I was very, very thankful not just for something caffeinated (I was SO TIRED at this point) but also really delicious. That brighter more lemony citrus/bergamot note was invigorating and I felt like the yerba mate/ginseng combo was also very mentally refreshing – something I needed after such a long and busy start to the day.

We sampled this tea on Sunday in the brewers as well, and it was still easily the crowd favourite of the TOTD offerings. Though, we did fix our hot water issue so I was able to do live cuppings of about five other teas as well – so we gave it a really good run for its money. It held its own very well though, and it was really amazing to get to hear live feedback (mostly positive, but even the critical too) as people tasted it for the first time. I really, really do love this tea.

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.

A new release as part of DT’s Spring Wellness collection!

In some ways, this tea is a very literal reflection of its name. At its most simplified, it’s an Earl Grey with Yerba Mate. However, there’s just a bit more to it than that. I really like the idea of “functionally boosted” versions of more classic cupboard staple teas like chai, chamomile, and in this case Earl Grey. Those tend to be the types of teas people build routines around and drink habitually so they’re just natural marriages when you’re trying to address recurring wellness needs like sleep, energy, digestion, etc…

DT technically already has a couple functional Earl Grey variants: Earl Grey Rooibos is caffeine free and so could be viewed as an EG option for evenings to help with sleep, and Lavender Earl Grey has both lavender and ashwagandha root which can aid in relaxation/stress management. In this case, I wanted to build an EG blend that is more focused around, well, focus. Specifically mental clarity/brain fog.

So aside from the bold bergamot and brisk, malty black tea base we added yerba mate and ginseng root to this tea. Yerba Mate is naturally stimulating and has a long history of being consumed for mental clarity and focus – it’s great for “brain fog” and has been getting a lot of attention lately in the RTD space as a clean source of natural energy/stimulation. It’s something that I personally drink a lot of in the mornings because I do find it helpful in keeping me alert and on task while at work. I know a lot of people who also drink yerba mate when they’re studying, as well.

Ginseng root (in this case panax ginseng) is an adaptogen that has been used similarly as an aid in focus and cognition – one of the reasons you’ll see it so much in energy drinks like Rockstar/Monster or even newer, more healthy/clean energy brands. I really, really love the combo of ginseng and mate. It’s a bit like a benefit buddy system.

The other thing about this blend that differentiates it from a standard Earl Grey is the addition of lemon. We thought the added citrusy brightness was very fresh feeling and I think there’s a lot of subconscious association with lemon (and citrus in general) as energizing/stimulating flavours. However, more than anything else, we thought it just really complimented the sweeter and more earthy notes of the ginseng. So, it acts a bit as a bridge flavour keeping all of our key ingredients a little more balanced!

I’m not personally a big Earl Grey drinker, but as I’ve already mentioned I do drink a fair amount of yerba mate in the mornings and this tea has definitely found its way into my yerba mate blend rotation. I certainly reach for it more than other EG in my stash, that’s for sure. So far I like it best hot and plain, but I’ve had it with honey too and I thought that complimented really nicely. No surprise, though – honey, lemon, and ginseng are a pretty iconic/popular flavour trio. It’s also still pretty solid iced and though I’ve yet to try it as a tea pop I can see that working well, too!

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

This tastes true to its name, though the flavors are much milder than I would have expected. I drink my matcha with milk, and this is the first one I’ve had where I found the milk drowned out the flavor sometimes. I enjoy the tang of the pineapple, and I find this pretty smooth.

Sipdown

Alas, this was my last 4 oz bag! I drank it semi-regularly as a latte with my breakfast or as a work pick-me-up. It was perfectly sweet and made for a wonderful treat!

knittingopera Swap Advent Calendar 2024 – Day 23
Theme: White Christmas
My pick: Winter White Earl Grey from Harney & Sons

Sorry, just catching up on some notes for teas I did drink but didn’t get around to posting about…

This was nice enough, sweet and buttery with a bright orange flavor to it. Marjorie said she likes it better than Forever Nuts, and I think I agree. Still not something I would order as overall it was quite sweet, but a tasty cuppa.

I can’t believe there are no other reviews of this! A creamy matcha made with vanilla soy milk pairs so nicely with the banana flavour. It reminds me of those banana marshmallow candies. Very tasty with breakfast!

I sure miss when DT used to let you choose some free samples with your order. Lucily, I get them in the mail on the rare occasion.

This is quite sour, without any sweetness to balance out the hibiscus. I would expect the blackberry leaves to help but I couldn’t taste them. It brews a bit weak, but I could see pople enjoying it as a coldbrew if they brewed it over 2+ days or using 2x the amount of tea. I can taste some nice fruity notes and citrus.

In many ways this tea is kind of wish fulfillment on my part because I’ve wanted to make a churro tea since about 2021, and actually there were MANY variations on this profile that we tried before landing on this one…

However, personal interest aside, I think you almost have to have been sleeping under a rock to not see how commercial and popular the churro flavour profile has become in the last couple of years. I feel like I turn my head while grocery shopping and I see a new churro something every time. Kit-Kat. Ben & Jerry’s. Oreos. Haagen Dazs Ice Cream Bars. Baileys. Flipz Pretzels. Turtle Chips. Eggos. Bugles. I could literally just go on and on listing even more…

So, I think firstly, this is a sweet tea. It very literally has cinnamon sugar in it in a way that I find very eerily replicates the kind of cinnamon sugar you might have tossed on a bunch of churros fresh out of the frier at, like, a state fair or carnival. It’s really nostalgic to me, and even though it launched in the heart of winter it reminds me so much of the end of summer vacations where the carnival would roll into town for a week and you would BEG your parents to go and for one glorious night you would win stupid plushies at the midway, go on maybe a hundred rides, and eat candy apples, fudge, lemonade, and – yes – churros until you were sick. Just cherished memories. I mean, my very first job was working at a pizza stand (that served macaroni and cheese pizza) on the midway at a carnival right across from a churro booth. That smell of frier oil and cinnamon is practically BURNED into my head.

But sweet cinnamon aside, I think one of the other things I like about this blend is that it does maybe taste just a little greasy? But not in a bad way at all – just in that way that feels authentic to the fact that churros are a deep fried pastry. It’s balanced out by the black tea base which adds a nice amount of body and briskness and then a gentle creamy golden sweetness from the caramel inclusion – like a nod to dulce de leche which is my personal favourite thing to dip churros into, and something I discovered through exploring Mexican cuisine as more of an adult version the straight up cinnamon sugar I was used to from my childhood.

I do think this tea is nice on its own, but in my personal opinion is shines the must with an addition of milk (or alt milk) or if made into a latte. Hot or iced, I think both are really good. Toss a cinnamon stick in there and some foam with a caramel drizzle? Oh, that is HEAVEN in a mug. All my churro tea dreams come true.

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.