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mrs.stenhouse12 drank Sugar Plum Forest by DAVIDsTEA

1186 tasting notes

I finally bit the bullet and tried this tea tonight! After reading so many terrible reviews, I was a bit apprehensive lol. But I bought it, it’s not just going to sit there!

The dry smell is nicely spicy, similar to Yes We Cran (not a favorite of mine), but warming and festive. Knowing there is hibiscus in here and recalling the disaster that Yes We Cran was after steeping for 4 mins, I only steeped this for 2.5 mins with boiling water. The resulting liquor is light pinkish red and does smell of hibiscus and cinnamon. Not two of my favorite flavors.

But for the second time this weekend, the tea surprised me! The flavor is quite spicy, with a sweetness from the plums, and the aftertaste is very spicy from the chillies. However, this to me is the most success DT has had with including chillies in a tea. I am finding that with this steep time, the brew is warming and spicy and sweet, and the hibiscus and cinnamon don’t take over but rather meld with the other spices nicely. I am enjoying this and it definitely feels festive. Oh and now I have the Nutcracker music stuck in my head, so double win!

Overall, a tasty spicy tea if brewed for a lot less time than recommended. I won’t have trouble finishing this bag, and even better, it is caffeine free! Happy I picked up some of this :)

Flavors: Cinnamon, Spicy, Sweet

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Bio

Hello all, I am an electrical engineer (read:NERD :D), who is a bit obsessed with tea! I discovered loose tea in 2011, DAVIDsTEA in 2012 and it took off from there. I really started drinking/enjoying tea because it was excellent to take to class in the morning and because I can’t handle coffee! (unless it’s a really good cappuccino or latte, or decent decaf haha)

I enjoy a variety of teas – current favorites being ripe and raw pu’erhs, chinese black teas and herbal/green rooibos blends. I also enjoy white, green, and oolong teas, although I tend to drink them more in the warmer months. I have also tried matcha and guayusa, but I don’t drink them too often as I am a bit sensitive to caffeine. As a result I don’t drink black teas as often as I used to, but in moderation I can still enjoy a wide variety of teas.

Oh, and I have a severe peanut allergy and try to avoid most other nuts, just to be safe. Limits my tea choices a bit, but that’s ok. However I have tried almonds and found out I can eat them, so I have been trying a few teas with them in them.

mrs.stenhouse12’s rating system
(as of 04/19/13)

95+: Absolute favorite, will try to always have it in stock, and when I don’t I pine over it!
90-94: Awesome teas, will probably purchase again a few times
80-89: Very good tea, may restock at some point
70-79: happy to have tried and will gladly finish, but not restock
60-69: not horrible, but not the best, will finish if I have some though
50-59: not a favorite, probably will have a tough time finishing the bag
-50: yuck. I don’t want to have it ever again.

Location

Canada

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