Three Wishes - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  I WISH, I WISH, I WISH

In old Arabian tales, there was always a genie around ready to grant you three wishes. In comparison, the modern world seems a bit dull. So how do you escape reality? Try this rare tea. Its exotic fragrances of jasmine and rose water will transport you to the time of Ali Baba. Enjoy it chilled, or look into the hot steam and dream of genies.

Ingredients:  Chinese green tea, black tea from China, sunflower petals, jasmine blossoms, rose petals, artificial flavouring

My Review:

My sister received this tea as a present for her birthday, but never really tried it because she said it smelled too much like bubblegum and she was afraid of what it would taste like.

As I opened the pouch I was immediately greeted with the bubblegum smell that my sister mentioned and a mix of black and green teas swirled with flower petals and blossoms. This tea is very pretty and reminds me of a garden.

The recommended brewing is 1.5 tsp. of Three Wishes, water heated to 98 degrees Celsius (or 208 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 4-6  minutes. I brewed a smaller cup for 4 minutes, but opted for no milk, sugar or honey.

Once steeped, the scent of this tea takes on a very different and fragrant scent that the dry mixture. The scent of jasmine and rose become prominent and gives this tea a flowery and fruity aroma with a hint of peach. The tea itself is also very slightly sweet and I think sugar or honey may ruin the delicate flavor. I would have to say that the green tea is more noticeable than the black tea. In fact, I didn't even realize that there was black tea in it until I read the ingredients. Although I had this tea hot, I think it would be great chilled.

I enjoyed this tea as a change from my regular chai’s and black teas. It has a very refreshing and juicy taste to it.  I don’t think I would drink it every day, but I think I would enjoy this every once in a while. I wasn't really transported to the time of Ali Baba; unless of course, Ali Baba lived in a nice peach orchard next to a flower farm. 

Mom's Apple Pie - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  IT'S LIKE GOING HOME

This tea will bring you right back to your childhood. Thanks to the spicy aroma of cinnamon, the sweet smell of apples baking in the oven and the fresh green tea blend. Don’t remember that last part? Okay, so we added the green tea. It’s a great way to bring all the nostalgic flavour of mom’s dessert right to your mug. So wherever you go, you’ve got the warm memories…but not the calories. Mom would approve.

Ingredients:  Green tea (China), apple pieces, cinnamon, artificial flavouring

My Review:

Mom’s Apple Pie is part of The Fall Collection at David’s Tea and my sister recently came home with a pouch of this delicious smelling tea. Since I love apple pie, I asked her if I could use some and she very reluctantly agreed.

Once the pouch was opened I was immediately hit with the scent of apple and cinnamon. This tea is a green tea with chunks of dried apple that make a very pretty blend.

The recommended brewing is 1.5 tsp. of Mom’s Apple Pie, water heated to 82 degrees Celsius (or 185 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 3-4 minutes. I brewed a regular sized cup of tea for 3 minutes and added a little brown sugar.

When brewed, the smell of apple and cinnamon really permeated my kitchen and I couldn't wait to try it. The apple scent really came through while steeping and was not dominated by the cinnamon. When I took a sip I could definitely taste the apple and cinnamon with a slight butter-like taste that reminded me of apple pie crust. The brown sugar that I added I think made it taste even more like authentic apple pie. Although this tea has relatively simple ingredients, I think it lives up to it's claim of tasting like apple pie.

All in all, this tea wasn't bad. I think it could be a little stronger in the flavor department, but I didn't want to steep this tea much longer than the recommended time because I was afraid of the green tea becoming bitter. I found that I had to constantly remind myself that this was a tea and not real apple pie because I expected the flavors to have much more depth and richness. This is a tea that I would like to try again, but my sister is a little too hesitant to give up much more so I might just have to buy my own.

Stormy Night (Organic) - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  AS GOOD AS IT GETS

It was three o’clock in the afternoon on a rainy Friday. David was hungry. He needed a nap, a shave, and a hot meal. What he had was a kettle, a pack of matches, and a bag of black tea. So he grabbed some ingredients and threw them in the water. Chocolate, cinnamon, coconut, vanilla – this drink was a real piece of work. He lifted his cup, took a drink and then another. It was hotter than an inferno and smoother than silk. It was good. Almost too good. 

Ingredients:  Black tea, chocolate, cinnamon, coconut, vanilla. With natural vanilla flavouring

My Review:

We had pouch of this tea in our pantry, and with it being a rainy day I decided that I finally needed to try this tea.

This tea looks very rustic in the bag and is dominated by huge chunks of chocolate and equally large slivers of coconut. A lot of the tea’s from David’s Tea seem to look almost overpowered by the tea leaves, but this tea almost didn’t seem to have enough.  The scent in the bag is basically all cinnamon.

The recommended brewing is 1.25 tsp. of Stormy Night tea, water heated to 98 degrees Celsius (or 208 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 4-6 minutes. I brewed my large cup for 6 minutes and added a little honey and a splash of milk.

When brewed, this tea develops a weird oily film on the top with little floating bits that I can only assume are powdered cinnamon (at least I really, really hope it’s cinnamon and not some weird “secret ingredient”). The tea smells of cinnamon and chocolate. The taste is dominated largely by cinnamon, though the overall flavor of this tea was not as strong as I thought it would be. There is a slight coconut and vanilla undertone with some chocolate notes that adds a nice creaminess to this tea.

This tea was really not what I was expecting. The flavor was not overpowering and strong like I thought it would be. Being someone that likes chai’s and stronger teas, I’m really surprised at just how much I like this tea. This is a nice cup of tea to sit down to on a rainy day or a day that you just want to relax and have some time to yourself.

David's Tea currently has this tea on sale: 50% off of 250g

Birthday Cake - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  PARTY LIKE IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY

What’s the best thing about birthdays? It could be the presents, or spending time with loved ones, but let’s be honest. It’s all about the cake. With vanilla icing, and lots of sprinkles. And this sweet and festive rooibos blend brings the taste of birthday cake to your cup any day of the year – sprinkles and all. Best of all, not only is it low in calories, it also has all the goodness of rooibos. Talk about having your cake and eating it too.

Ingredients:  Red and green rooibos, honeybush, freeze-dried ice cream bits, sprinkles, natural and artificial flavoring 

Contains milk, eggs and soy

My Review:

My sister has a pouch of this tea in the pantry and I’ve been eying it for a while. Yesterday she made me a cup (I believe out of pity) to try.

This tea reminds me of funfetti cake mix. The multicoloured sprinkles contrast sharply with the red and green rooibos. The scent from this tea is almost sickeningly sweet and smells like vanilla icing.

The recommended brewing is 1.5 tsp. of Birthday Cake tea, water heated to 98 degrees Celsius (or 208 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 4-7 minutes. I brewed a normal cup with the recommended preparation and added a little milk.

When brewed, this tea has a heavy scent of vanilla, but not like vanilla extract more like vanilla ice cream (the stuff with actual vanilla beans, not the fake crap). This tea isn't overly sweet and to me tasted faintly like white cake batter and vanilla frosting. The rooibos is subtle and doesn't overpower the simple sweet taste of the other ingredients. I've heard people say that they see this tea as a toned down version of Oh Canada!, but I honestly don’t taste maple anywhere in this tea.

This is a really great tea that I enjoyed a lot.  I think it would make a great dessert tea and maybe an alternative to actual birthday cake for those health conscious adults (or kids).

Oh Canada! - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  IT'S ALL ABOUT THE LEAF

Looking for a taste of Canada? Try this red rooibos tea. It’s sweetened with (what else?) maple syrup and sprinkled with delicious maple leaf candies. Plus it’s 100% diplomatic (well, caffeine-free) and tastes great in both our official languages. With green rooibos, honeybush, caramel and toffee bits to shake things up. A truly authentic Canadian experience.

Ingredients:   South African green and red rooibos, honeybush, caramel bits , toffee bits , candy leaves, artificial and natural flavouring 

Contains soy,  milk and almonds

My Review:

So I'm Canadian, Eh! This is another of my favorite teas. I love maple syrup on pancakes and this tea reminds me of just that, not to mention that it's patriotic!

When I first opened this tea I was immediately drawn to the small multicolored candies. The tiny maple leaf shaped bits are colored in brown, yellow, red, orange and green and mixed with South African green and red rooibos and tiny caramel and toffee squares. Aside from the green maple leaf candies, this tea reminds me of the fall and the maple syrup scent brings back memories of going to the maple syrup farm! Opening up this tea is like opening up a bottle of real Canadian maple syrup.

The recommended brewing is 1.25 tsp. of Oh Canada! tea, waterer heated to 98 degrees Celsius (or 208 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 4-7 minutes. I brewed my large cup with 2.5 teaspoons of tea for 5 minutes and added some milk.

Once brewed, this tea has such a strong scent of maple syrup. I walked into my kitchen and it smelled like Saturday morning pancakes and maple syrup. Every nook and cranny of my kitchen was filled with the scent of maple goodness! The taste is not quite as strong as the scent but it does have a definite maple taste with undertones of caramel and toffee that enhance the maple flavor. The rooibos is distinct but not overpowering. I find this tea just sweet enough on it's own without any added sweetener, but I think if you really wanted it to be sweeter you could possibly add some maple syrup to play up the theme.

I really enjoyed this tea, but I generally enjoy rooibos teas in general. I was worried that the maple flavor would be too artificial or overpowering but everything seemed very balanced and natural. This is definitely a great tea to have with dessert or on it's own.

Red Velvet Cake - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

  

Description:  JUST DESSERT

What’s not to love about a red velvet cake? It’s chocolaty, it’s rich, and it’s bright red. We’re the first to admit it’s a pretty flashy dessert. If other cakes are birds of a feather, the red velvet is the peacock – which is exactly why we love it so much. And this sweet, lightly creamy black tea blend perfectly captures our favourite dessert. With semi-sweet and white chocolate chips, beetroot powder and little red sprinkles, it’s rich, delicious and a whole lot of fun.

Ingredients:   Black tea, semi-sweet chocolate bits, white chocolate bits, beetroot powder, sprinkles, natural and artificial flavouring 

Contains soy and milk

My Review:

First off, I love red velvet cake! So naturally, why wouldn't I want to try a red velvet cake tea?

This tea is adorable. When I opened the pouch, the first thing I noticed were the chocolate and white chocolate chips and the tiny red and white sprinkles that contrast with the black tea. This tea has a very lightly sweet and chocolaty scent.

The recommended brewing is 1.5 tsp. of Red Velvet Cake tea, water heated to 98 degrees Celsius (or 208 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 4-6 minutes. I brewed my large cup with 3 teaspoons of tea for 5 minutes and added some milk.

This tea steeps to an almost maple syrup color with a touch of red thanks to the beet root (but not quite as red as I was expecting). The taste is a nice balance of black tea and the sweetness of white chocolate with a slightly bittersweet aftertaste of dark chocolate. I don’t find it as sweet as some red velvet cakes that I've tasted, but the subtle sweetness that this tea has is very nice and not too overpowering.

This tea is one of my favorites! I love how it has the subtle taste of red velvet cake, but you can still tell that it’s tea and not a liquefied dessert. It’s refreshing but can still satisfy your sweet tooth!

Blueberry Jam (Organic) - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  WE'RE JAMMIN'

Blueberries might just be the greatest fruit around – after all, they’re the star ingredient of North America’s favourite muffin. And hundreds of years before moms were making them into jams, jellies and cakes, blueberries were called “star berries” and revered for their healing powers. Another little known fact about blueberries is that they make for one great cup of tea – when you blend them with black tea, elderberries, cornflowers and stevia, it’s the perfect companion to your morning toast. (MK Kosher)

Ingredients:  Fair Trade Certified black tea, blueberries, elderberries, pink cornflower petals, stevia. With organic and natural flavouring

My Review:

This is one of my sister’s favorite teas, so naturally I decided to try it (don’t worry, I got permission first!).

When I opened this tea, the first thing I noticed was that this tea was FULL of blueberries. There were so many blueberries on the top that I could hardly see the tea underneath. This tea has a very strong blueberry scent and I was hopeful that this smell would also transfer to the taste.

The recommended brewing is 1.25 tsp. of Blueberry Jam tea, water heated to 98 degrees Celsius (or 208degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 4-7 minutes. I brewed my standard large cup with 2.5 teaspoons of tea for 7 minutes and added a little buckwheat honey and some milk.

Once brewed, this tea smells even more of blueberry and the blueberry taste comes through strongly. Even though this tea already has stevia in it, I didn't find that this tea was sweet enough so I had to add honey. Regardless of the lack of sweetness, this tea actually does taste like blueberry jam, but the homemade farmer’s market blueberry jam and not the high fructose corn syrup supermarket kind of blueberry jam. The only weird thing about this tea is that if you add milk it turns a greyish taupe shade.

This tea is quite aromatic and pleasant. I’m not a huge fan of teas with fruit in them, but I love blueberries and I love this tea! I’ll definitely be having another cup (if my sister will let me use more of her tea!).

Maharaja Chai Oolong - Teavana

Where to buy:  Teavana

Description:  Rich spices wafting together create the exotic intoxicating taste of India. Alluring chai intensely mixes with royal splendor oolong tea creating taste bursts of cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutty cardamom. The famed 'Spice Route' is conjured up in every rich cup of this robust and most favored chai.

Robust infusion full of rich spice notes from cinnamon, ginger, pepper and cloves

Ingredients:  Cinnamon, oolong tea, ginger pieces, carob pieces, chicory root, artificial flavoring, pepper, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom

My Review:

I found a small tin of this tea in my pantry and thought it would be a perfect addition to a cool fall day.

Upon opening the tiny tin (it is really tiny as it only holds maybe 5 or 6 teaspoons of tea) this tea looked like a standard chai with its collection of spices and tea and the wonderfully spice-filled scent.

The recommended brewing is 1 tsp. of Maharaja Chai, 8 oz. of water heated to 90 degrees Celsius (or 195 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 3 minutes. I brewed my standard large cup with 2 teaspoons of tea for 3 minutes and added a little sugar and a splash of milk.

Once brewed, this tea smells very spicy and just like a chai should smell. The cardamom, ginger, clove, nutmeg and cinnamon combination is relaxing and warm and really comes through in the taste. This tea has just the right amount of spice for me and the pepper adds a little kick to the chai but it is not overpowering. I like a stronger chai, but if you prefer a milder taste you may want to use a little less tea than the recommended preparation or steep it for a shorter time.

This tea really is the perfect combination for a cold day. It will warm you up with it’s fragrant smells and flavor. I think this tea would be heavenly when mixed with an evaporated milk instead of my regular 2% milk, and I plan to try this on Halloween when I'm outside handing out candy.

Crème Caramel Rooibos - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  SHEER DECADENCE

There are few dessert teas more satisfying than Crème Caramel Rooibos. Smooth, sweet and creamy, it’s a taste sensation. And the best part is it's made with South African rooibos, which is caffeine-free, nutty and naturally sweet. So indulge in a caramel dream. With virtually no calories, it might be the healthiest thing you do all day.

Ingredients:  Red Rooibos, caramel pieces, artificial flavouring 

Contains milk

My Review:

After dinner I was craving something sweet. I rifled through the pantry and discovered that my sister had a pouch of Crème Caramel Rooibos that I thought would be perfect to satisfy my sweet tooth.

When I opened the pouch I was hit with a very caramel-y smell. The blend isn’t particularly attractive as this tea is really only red rooibos and tiny cubes of caramel pieces, but the smell is heavenly!

The recommended brewing is 1.5 tsp. of Crème Caramel Rooibos, water heated to 98 degrees Celsius (or 208 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 4-7 minutes. I brewed my standard large cup (which holds about 2 cups of liquid) for 7 minutes and added some honey and a splash of milk.

When brewed, the smell of the rooibos is very prominent with a hint of vanilla. The taste is very smooth and creamy with an undertone of caramel that is not too overpowering, but adds a slight welcome sweetness.

I really enjoyed this tea. It is warm and comforting and I think it would be great after dinner or just before bed. This tea just makes me happy!

Sugar and Spice - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  EVERYTHING NICE

Some teas are great conversation starters. All you have to do is steep a cup and before you know it, people are asking “what is that wonderful smell?”, “did someone just bake a cake?” and of course, “can I have some?” This comforting black tea blend is no exception. With the warm aromas of cinnamon, cloves and vanilla, it smells and tastes like a spice cake fresh out of the oven. But consider yourself warned: you might want a little bit extra to share around…

Ingredients:  Black tea, apples, cinnamon cassia, cloves, carrots, marigold petals, orange peel, natural vanilla flavoring

My Review:

After my disappointment with the Pumpkin Chai, my sister recommended that I try Sugar and Spice.

As I opened the pouch I was immediately hit with the wonderfully spicy smell of orange peel, cinnamon and cloves. There are good size chunks of orange peel, blended with dainty marigold petals, apples and carrots. The addition of these ingredients to the black tea gives it a subtle yet striking color contrast.

The recommended brewing is 1.5 tsp. of Sugar and Spice, water heated to 94 degrees Celsius (or 201 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 4-7 minutes. I brewed a double serving again for 6 minutes and added a tiny bit of milk.

Once brewed, this tea smells strongly of cinnamon and cloves with an undertone of orange and apple. The scent reminds me of the orange pomander balls and spice cookies that we make at Christmas. The tea itself is not very strong, but does have a hint of spice and the apple gives it a mild sweetness without added sugar or honey. The clove is definitely the stand out spice in this blend. I found this tea to be quite pleasant, not overly spicy but not too bland.

This has to be one of my favorite teas. I love the subtle spice flavors mixed with the fragrant orange peel and the sweet apple. I think this tea will quickly become one of my favorite fall/winter teas!

Pumpkin Chai - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  Let’s face it, the best thing about fall is pumpkin pie. And this spiced black tea is arguably just as delicious. It’s got all the warmth of cinnamon, pumpkin pieces, cloves and cardamom, plus the sweetness of caramel and pumpkin candy. For a true autumn treat, top it up with steamed milk and stir in a spoonful of brown sugar. It’ll make you wish it were fall all year round.

Ingredients:  Black tea, cinnamon, cloves, lemon peel, squash, carrot, caramel bits, pumpkin candies, natural and artificial flavoring  

Contains milk and soy

My Review:

I found this tea on the David’s Tea website the other day and really wanted to try it. I LOVE pumpkin pie and the thought of a tea that claimed to taste just like pumpkin pie was too hard to ignore. Luckily, my sister had a pouch that she had just bought and she let me use some of hers.

When I opened the pouch I was immediately drawn to the little pumpkin candies. Pumpkin Chai is made with black tea, so the little orange candies really stand out and they are adorable! There are chunks of lemon peel, squash, pumpkin pieces and carrot along with whole cloves that blend well with the black tea and give the overall impression of an earthy tone. This tea smells very sweet with a hint of spice.

The recommended brewing is 1.5 tsp. of Pumpkin Chai, water heated to 98 degrees Celsius (or 208 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 4-6 minutes. I brewed a double serving again for 5 minutes and added a little milk.

Once I had brewed my cup of tea it smelled faintly of pumpkin and mostly of cinnamon. I was super excited because I figured that to taste like pumpkin pie it would have to have a very strong pumpkin and cinnamon taste. On my first sip I was a bit disappointed. The taste was very light and it only tasted mildly of pumpkin. I’m sure that this tea would be a good accompaniment to a slice of pumpkin pie (or a whole pie!), but on its own it wasn't as spicy or as strong as I thought it would be. I think this tea could benefit from a little more cinnamon and pumpkin flavor, and maybe a little nutmeg thrown in.

All in all, this tea was actually a pleasantly comforting tea that does remind me of the fall. I think the only reason that I was a bit disappointed in the strength of the flavor was because I had hyped myself up so much about it tasting exactly like pumpkin pie that when it didn't I was a bit disappointed.

Jessie's Tea - David's Tea

Where to buy:  David’s Tea

Description:  WISH YOU HAD A JESSIE'S TEA

Let’s face it, we all get stressed out sometimes. But everyone seems to have a different way of dealing with it. Some people relax with a hot bath. Others go for aromatherapy. And if you’re anything like us, you reach for a sweet treat. But this pretty, soothing tea is a little bit of all three. It’s got soothing rooibos to warm you up. Fragrant lavender to help you unwind. And creamy coconut to satisfy any craving. It’s like having your own personal spa.

Ingredients:  Rooibos, honeybush, coconut bits, lavender, blue cornflowers, natural and artificial flavoring

My Review:

Upon opening my little pouch of Jessie’s Tea, the first thing that I noticed is how pretty this tea actually is. Little purple flower petals and buds are speckled throughout the rooibos and small pieces of coconut add little white flecks of contrast. This tea smells perfume-y with a definite lavender scent.

The recommended brewing is 1.5 tsp. of Jesse’s Tea, water heated to 98 degrees Celsius (or 208 degrees Fahrenheit), steeped for 4-7 minutes. I brewed a double serving (my tea cup is huge!) for 5 minutes and added a little honey and milk.

The scent of brewed Jessie’s Tea honestly reminds me of the subtle taste that vomit leaves in your mouth (however my sister claims that it smells like lavender – I guess to each their own). Once I got over the initial smell I was actually pleasantly surprised with the flavor. The flavor is very much lavender with a tiny undertone of sweet coconut. I found this tea to be very soothing and strangely comforting. I can’t wait until my next cup!

Aside from the brewed scent of this tea, the only complaint that I have is that the rooibos is very tiny and a bunch of it escaped from my steeper. Other than that, this tea actually quite enjoyable.