Jumpy Monkey - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  SWEET ENERGY

This brew gives you a tasty boost with a unique combination of exotic ingredients. It combines freshly roasted peaberry coffee beans with Argentine maté, and laces them with almonds, white chocolate and other roasted barks and roots. The result is sweet, rich and deliciously satisfying. Plus it’s a sweet treat you can enjoy guilt-free, as this blend has virtually no calories. No wonder they say maté makes you efficient.

Ingredients:  Roasted yerba maté, peaberry coffee bean or flat bean, cocoa nibs, carob, cloves, white chocolate, almonds, red clover, oat straw. 

Contains milk, almonds and soy

My Review:

My youngest sister decided that she really, really needed this tea so my middle sister went out and bought her a small sample.

When I opened the pouch I was greeted by lots of earth tone browns and creams and something that looks reminiscent of dried grass. The overall visual reminds me of a blend of sticks, grass and almonds. It smells heavily of the roasted yerba mate and coffee beans. I’m not the biggest mate fan, but this tea does a pleasant, yet slightly strange, scent. I think the best way I can describe this tea is “earthy”.

The recommended brewing is 1.5 tsp. of Jumpy Monkey, water heated to 98 degrees Celsius (or 208 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 4-7 minutes. I brewed my Nordic mug for 7 minutes and added a little milk and sugar. The first time I steeped this tea I didn’t add any milk or sugar and the result was not good.

Once steeped, the yerba mate scent really comes through with subtle notes of coffee and clove. The taste is not overly strong but slightly woody from the yerba maté. The coffee flavour is very subtle and not overpowering. The almond adds a nice creaminess to the overall flavour and there is a slight bitterness from the coffee beans.

This is an ok tea. It’s not one of my favourites, but not my least favourite. If you’re a coffee drinker, it’s definitely not a substitute for your morning cup of joe, but if you’re a tea drinker then this tea adds a little more caffeine that is more than welcome in the morning!

The one thing that I have to point out is that my mother, who is currently going through menopause, gets really bad hot flashes at night. I read in a magazine that red clover can help with hot flash symptoms caused by menopause so I told her to try this tea as it contains red clover. My sister made her a cup before bed one night and she said that it was the most restful sleep that she’s had in a long time because she had no hot flashes and slept like a baby! We now have a tin of this tea strictly for my mom's use.

Forest Trees Nordic Mug - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  DRINKING BY DESIGN

We think good design is a big part of great taste. Our favourite teas taste even better out of a good looking cup. Which is why we created this elegantly simple everyday mug. We wanted it to be clean, modern and sturdy. To hold a lot of tea without feeling clunky or oversized. And we like to think we nailed it. With a stainless steel infuser and a lid that doubles as a saucer, this one is all in good taste. 

Capacity:  473 ml/16oz

Dishwasher safe except for metal infuser.

My Review:

During my trip to David’s Tea, I saw this tea mug. Since I love huge cups of tea, this mug is the perfect size to satisfy my tea cravings. Since I loved it so much, my sister was nice enough to buy me one as my Christmas present (and she also bought one for herself).

The pattern on this mug is adorable. Rows of forest coloured trees circle the mug with 6 white trees on the light blue interior. This mug is a nice weight, not too heavy and not too light. It is taller than wide.  The infuser is perfect for any type of tea. It has itty bitty holes that don’t let much through (I have a Teavana -back when it was Teopia- infuser with mesh that is too large to brew rooibos, but I don’t have this problem with the infuser that comes with this mug). The lid really holds in heat and it makes a great saucer that you can place the infuser on, which keeps tea off of my counter!

This mug has quickly become one of my favourites (and I’ve only has it for a day!). The only negative thing that I can find to say about this mug is that the base if pretty narrow, and since I have quilted placemats on my kitchen table I have to do a delicate balancing act sometimes. On a flat surface this mug has no problems. This would make a great gift for the tea connoisseur in your life!

It also comes in red!

Love Tea #7 - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  GET LUCKY

One sip of #7 and you’ll find yourself head over heels. Mysteriously changed. Magically happy. Walking on air. How does it work? Frankly, we don’t know. Our blender came up with it and then just ran off with the girl of his dreams. Maybe it’s the chocolate bits that lower your inhibitions. Or the seductive strawberries. Or the romantic rose petals. Either way, this black tea is seriously lucky.

Ingredients:  Chinese black tea, dark chocolate (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin and vanilla), freeze-dried strawberry, red rose petals, natural and artificial flavouring

Allergens: Soy, may contain dairy 

My Review:

My sister recently came home with a pouch of this tea. I like chocolate and strawberries so I thought I would give this tea a chance.

When I opened the pouch the first thing I noticed was that this tea has tiny pinkish rose petals (although the ingredients say that they’re red). There are little yellowy-pink pieces of freeze-dried strawberries and tiny dots of dark chocolate in the black tea base. This tea is very pretty to look at. The smell is very chocolaty.

The recommended brewing is 1.25 tsp. of Love Tea #7, water heated to 98 degrees Celsius (or 208 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 4-5 minutes. I let my cup steep for 5 minutes and added a little sugar and milk.

When steeped, the chocolate scent is very prominent. The strawberry scent does come through, but very subtly. When I tasted the tea it reminded me of chocolate-covered strawberries. The chocolate is not a rich milk chocolate, but has more of an artificial flavour (the same artificial chocolate taste that I find a lot of people use for their chocolate-covered strawberries). The rose petals are not really noticeable and don’t come through in the scent or flavour.

This is a pretty good tea, but I can only drink it once in a while. I find that I can get sick of this tea very quickly, but it’s fine once every few weeks. If you’re a fan of chocolate-covered strawberries then you’ll probably be a fan of this tea!

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White Chocolate Frost - David's Tea (Limited Edition)

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  WARM UP TO WINTER

Say what you will about winter, but it might just be our favourite season. We love getting good and chilly out in the snow. And warming back up with a comforting drink is even more fun. So we created a cool, creamy drink that brings together everything we love about the season. It has peppermint for a burst of freshness. White chocolate for comfort and warmth. And pretty peppercorns just to make you smile. Sweet, comforting and refreshing, it’s a warm hug and a cool winter’s day – all at once. Limited edition.

Ingredients:  Peppermint, white chocolate, pink peppercorn, stevia leaf, natural sugar flavoring, natural and artificial white chocolate mousse flavoring

Contains milk and soy.

My Review:

While finishing up my Christmas shopping yesterday (Yes I know, I’m horrible at leaving things until the last minute) my sister and I stopped in at David’s Tea. I’m a big fan of peppermint tea and the really nice girl at David’s told me I should try this one so I got a cup.

I asked the girl if I could see the actual tea mixture before she steeped my cup of tea. This tea is very pretty and it reminds me of Christmas. There are lots of peppermint leaves, white chocolate shavings that look like snow, and pink peppercorns that remind me of holly berries. This tea smells very minty.

The recommended brewing is 1.25 tsp. of White Chocolate Frost, water heated to 96 degrees Celsius (or 205 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 3-5 minutes. I let my cup steep for 5 minutes and had them add a pump of agave.

Once steeped, this tea has a very strong peppermint smell. The taste is also very minty, but has a very pleasant ending of white chocolate. The white chocolate taste is not too overpowering, considering that this tea has both white chocolate and white chocolate mousse flavouring (artificial and natural). This tea reminds me so much of Christmas. When I was trying to describe the flavour to my sister (who HATES peppermint tea), I think I actually told her that it tastes like a snowflake, but I think a more accurate description would be white chocolate peppermint bark.

All-in-all, if you like peppermint tea, then I think you will enjoy this tea. It is a very true peppermint tea that is enhanced by the white chocolate end notes, but not overpowered. I can see myself curled up in front of the fireplace with a cup of this (if only it wasn’t a limited edition item).

Lime Gelato - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  THAT’S AMORE

Remember the summer you spent in Italy? Sipping espresso on the terrace, catching a ride on the back of a stranger’s Vespa, and of course, trying your first taste of tart, creamy lime gelato. With its fresh, fruity aroma and smooth flavour, this delicious mix of fruit, yogurt, and green tea will bring you right back. Try it iced. On a terrace. While the moon hits your eye.

Ingredients:  Apple, Sencha green tea,pineapple, artificial lime yogurt flavouring, lemongrass.

Allergens: contains milk 

My Review:

I’m not the biggest fan of lime in a lot of things, but who doesn’t love gelato? My sister brought this tea home on one of her shopping sprees and with it being a so different than the other flavours that we have at home I decided that I needed to try it.

When the pouch is opened you are hit with a strong lime scent. I was worried that the lime would be too tart or sour because of how strongly this tea smelled. The blend itself is very pretty with its lemongrass, pineapple and green tea combination.

The recommended brewing is 2 tsp. of Lime Gelato, water heated to 94 degrees Celsius (or 201 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 5-7 minutes. I steeped a standard cup with 2 teaspoons of tea for 3 minutes.

When steeped, the smell of lime is still very strong. The lemongrass and pineapple do come out more in the scent when steeped and the pineapple adds a lightly sweet aspect to the tea. When I tasted the tea I was surprised to find that, although this tea does have a distinct lime flavour, the lime was not too tart or sour at all. I guess by using the artificial lime yogurt flavouring they managed to circumvent the tartness of the lime. The pineapple added a nice balanced sweetness and the lemon grass blends nicely with the two flavours. There is also a slight creaminess (agai, probably from the artificial lime yogurt flavouring) that is very enjoyable. The flavour of this tea reminds me of the Oikos Key Lime Greek yogurt.

This tea was pretty good. It tasted exactly like it smelled, no surprises here. I would caution though, that you only drink this tea if you actually want a citrus flavoured tea. If you’re expecting anything else you’ll be disappointed

Soothing Caramel Bedtime - Yogi Tea

 

Where to buy:  Amazon.com

Description:  Relax, and breathe in the enchanting aroma of Yogi Soothing Caramel Bedtime® tea. This blend is a delicious combination of Organic Chamomile Flower, Skullcap, California Poppy and L-Theanine specifically formulated to support relaxation by calming the body and mind to promote a good night's sleep. Sweet, creamy Rooibos, Caramel and Vanilla flavors add soothing, warming flavor that's just right for drinking before bedtime. So, relax and drink Soothing Caramel Bedtime tea - for a good night's sleep.*

Ingredients:  Chamomile Flower, Rooibos Leaf (Redbush), Roasted Chicory Root,Skullcap Leaf, Nutmeg, Cinnamon Bark, Stevia Leaf, Cardamom Seed, Ginger Root, Clove Bud, Black Pepper, L-Theanine Suntheanine®, California Poppy

My Review:

So, I think I've been doing way too many David's Tea reviews. My mom recently came home with this tea, and to be quite honest, I had never heard about it before. I've been having trouble sleeping recently (too much stuff on my mind), so I thought that I would give this tea a try.

There’s really nothing special to the appearance of this tea. It comes in a gold and orange box with individually wrapped tea bags inside. Each tea bag has tiny flecks of red, green and black. The tea bag itself smells strongly of nutmeg and spices, but not in the same way a s a chai. It’s a much more subdued scent.

Brewing instructions are fairly simple. Bring water to boiling and steep 5 to 10 minutes. For a stronger tea, use 2 tea bags. Drink before bedtime. I add a little milk and sugar or honey.

Once steeped, this tea has a lovely medium caramel colour to it. The nutmeg scent stays with the tea and the taste is very slightly spicy with a smooth caramel taste. There is also a slight minty feel that I get on my lips when I drink this tea, but the tea itself doesn't have a minty flavour. The rooibos adds a slight vanilla flavour and the nutmeg, cinnamon bark, cardamom, ginger root, clove bud and black pepper are not overwhelming and not nearly as strong as you find in a chai.

This is a really lovely tea. Not as flashy as a loose leaf tea, but it definitely helps me to calm down and relax. If I find that I really can’t sleep, I’ll make a cup of this tea and be out like a light! There are also so many other yummy looking flavours that I want to try!