December 24, 2016 -- David's Tea's  "Santa's Secret"

Santa's Secret

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 7 min
Temperature: 96° C

Notes: Medium Caffeine. 

Ingredients: Organic : Black tea, peppermint, sprinkles (sugar, rice flour, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, corn starch, natural and artificial flavours, cellulose gum, red 40 Lake, mono and diglycerides, carrageenan, titanium dioxide.

Review: The aroma of the mint is nice, and the flavours of the mint and vanilla go well with the strength of the black tea. However, there is a slight articifial-ness permitting running through the brew.

Rating:   7.5/ 10

Mood music while sipping away: Kacey Musgraves — Present Without A Bow

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December 23, 2016 -- David's Tea's  "Organic Kashmiri Chai"

Organic Kashmiri Chai

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 7 min
Temperature: 96° C

Notes: Low Caffeine. 

Ingredients: Organic : Green tea, cinnamon, cardamom seeds, ginger, cardamom husk, clove buds, marigold flowers.

Review: The two most prominent spices are the cinnamon and cardamom, followed by the clove, and maybe a hint of ginger, but I get no nutmeg. The first two are quite powerful, constantly struggling to claim first place and the clove is at a distant third.

Rating:   8.0 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: Cat Power - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

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December 22, 2016 -- David's Tea's  "English Toffee"

English Toffee

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 7 min
Temperature: 96° C

Notes: Medium Caffeine. 

Ingredients: Pu'erh tea, cocoa beans, cocoa husk, caramel (condensed milk , sugar, glucose syrup, butterfat, sorbitol, mono and diglycerides), natural flavouring.

Review: The flavour of this tea is fairly subtle, and not nearly as strong as the smell of the tea steeping would indicate. I tried oversteeping but to no avail.

Rating:   7.0 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You

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December 21, 2016 -- David's Tea's  "Spiced Apple"

Spiced Apple

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 7 min
Temperature: 96° C

Notes: Caffeine free. 

Ingredients: Apple (apple, citric acid), figs, cinnamon, star anise, chicory, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, natural apple and spice flavouring.

Review: The flavour is predominantly cinnamon and cooked apple with lighter notes of other spices and brown sugar.

Rating:   7.0 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: The Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick

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December 20, 2016 -- David's Tea's  "Cardamom French Toast"

Cardamom French Toast

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 7 min
Temperature: 96° C

Notes: Low Caffeine. 

Ingredients: Black tea, cinnamon, lemon peel, coriander seeds, cardamom, coconut sugar, cane sugar, natural and artificial flavouring.

Review: The tea leaves have a lovely aroma, which is not lost while steeping. The flaour, however, loses much of this promise and becomes muddled and muted. Still not bad.

Rating:   7.5 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: The Hives and Cindi Lauper - A Christmas Duel

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December 19, 2016 -- David's Tea's  "Organic Sweet Almond Green"

Organic Sweet Almond Green

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  3 - 5 min
Temperature: 85° C

Notes: Caffeine free. 

Ingredients: Green tea, almonds, marigold flowers, cornflower petals. With natural almond flavouring.

Review: Oh what a great sweet almond aroma the dry leaves have. The sweet flavour of almond with corresponding walnut, vanilla, marzipan notes against the grassy green tea seemed at first a strange marriage. But after a few more sips things became more blissful.

Rating:   8.0 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: Vince Guaraldi Trio - Linus & Lucy

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December 18, 2016 -- David's Tea's  "Sleigh Ride"

Sleigh Ride

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 7 min
Temperature: 96° C

Notes: Caffeine free. 

Ingredients: Apple, hibiscus blossoms, pineapple (pineapple, sugar), papaya (papaya, sugar), beetroot, cinnamon, raisins, coconut, roasted almonds (almonds, sugar, glucose syrup, vegetable fat, caramelized sugar syrup), popped rice, natural and artificial flavouring.

Review: Sleigh Ride has a lovely, nutty, aroma. In terms of taste, it is slightly tart but I also find the apple cinnamon flavour to be a little muted.

Rating:   7.5 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: The Ronettes - Sleigh Ride

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December 17, 2016 -- David's Tea's  "Chocolate Covered Almond"

Chocolate Covered Almond

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  5 - 7 min
Temperature: 96° C

Notes: Low Caffeine. 

Ingredients: Cocoa nibs, roasted carob, black tea, almonds, yerba mate, s ugar, natural and artificial chocolate and cream-almond flavouring.

Review: This tea has a lovely smell but the taste is a little bland. The almond could be ramped up dramatically. It has some sweetness and the chocolate is just generic.

Rating:   7.0 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: Chuck Berry - Run Rudolph Run

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December 16, 2016 -- David's Tea's  "Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait"

Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  5 - 7 min
Temperature: 96° C

Notes: Low Caffeine. 

Ingredients: Apple, hibiscus, raisins, carrot, yogurt bits (milk powder, sugar, maltodextrin, modified starch, citric acid), beetroot, strawberry, rhubarb, natural and artificial flavouring.

Review: The aroma on opening the tin is fantastic - sweetly rich and fruity. The flavour, however, falls a little short. The tartness of the tea is well match with the creamy yogurt and delicate strawberry and hibiscus flavours. I had a lot of expectations based on the lovely perfume so while the taste is fine it is nothing special.

Rating:   7.5 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping

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December 15, 2016 -- David's Tea's  "Coconut Cream Pie"

Coconut Cream Pie

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 7 min
Temperature: 85° C

Notes: Low Caffeine. 

Ingredients: Oolong tea, white chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, milk powder, butter oil, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), coconut, toasted coconut (coconut, sugar, dextrose, salt), cane sugar, natural coconut flavouring.

Review: This tea promises much but is disappointing: the flavour is fairly weak and thin, yet the aroma is rich and pie-like.

Rating:   8.5 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: John Fahey - What Child Is This?

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December 14, 2016 -- David's Tea's  "Irish Breakfast"

Irish Breakfast

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 7 min
Temperature: 97° C

Notes: Medium Caffeine. 

Ingredients: Black teas from Assam, India and Dimbulla, Ceylon.

Review: Bold, creamy, dark, rich, smooth, solid.

Rating:   8.5 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: The Pogues & Kirsty McColl - Fairytale Of New York

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December 13, 2016 -- David's Tea's  "Crème Caramel Rooibos"

Crème Caramel Rooibos

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 7 min
Temperature: 97° C

Notes: Caffeine free. 

Ingredients: Rooibos, caramel pieces (condensed milk, sugar, glucose syrup, butterfat, sorbitol, monoglycerides and diglycerides), natural and artificial flavouring.

Review: What a warm, buttery tea. The rooibos flavour is definitely present but not too overpowering, as does the flavour of caramel - the only problem is that it is a bit too artificial tasting.

Rating:   7.5 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: Louis Armstrong - Christmas in New Orleans

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December 12, 2016 -- David's Tea's  "Bear Trap"

Bear Trap

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 7 min
Temperature: 89° C

Notes: Medium Caffeine.

Ingredients: Hibiscus, elderberries, rose hip shells, apple, papaya (papaya, sugar), lemon verbena, black currants, blueberries, strawberry leaves, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, morello cherries, natural red fruit flavouring.

Review: As you can imagine from the ingredients, this is a very fruity tea - the aromas are lovely, but the taste is mostly of blackberries, and then a herbal mélange. I don't know if I steeped it too long but found it a bit tart. Also, I feel that this might make a good iced tea in the summer.

Rating:   7.3 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: John Denver - Hello to a Grizzly Bear

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December 11, 2016 -- David's Tea's  "Hot Chocolate"

Hot Chocolate

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 7 min
Temperature: 96° C

Notes: Medium Caffeine.

Ingredients: Black Tea, Chocolate Chips, Chocolate Flakes, Cocoa Nibs, Pu Erh Tea.

Review: I am an unapologetic chocolate and tea fanatic, but I am not sure the two form a good marriage together. The aroma is inviting and the first few sips are well-balanced, earthy with just the right sweetness to it. But as I continued drinking, the chocolate flavour got to be a bit too much for my liking.

Rating:   7.3 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: Prince - Another Lonely Christmas

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December 10, 2016 -- David's Tea's  "Green Passionfruit"

Green Passionfruit

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 7 min
Temperature: 90° C

Notes: Low caffeine.

Ingredients: Pineapple (pineapple, cane sugar, citric acid, sulfites), gr een tea, black currants, cornflower petals, calendula petals, safflowers, natural passion fruit flavouring.

Review: This one has such a nice floral aroma. The flavours are nicely contrasted and balanced. The fruit comes through without overpowering the green tea and is not too tarty.

Rating:   8.0 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: Wizzard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday

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December 9, 2016 -- David's Tea's  "Forever Nuts"

Forever Nuts

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 7 min
Temperature: 96° C

Notes: Caffeine free.

Ingredients: Apple, almonds, cinnamon, beetroot and artificial flavouring.

Review: I love this tea. The aroma is still one of my favourites, full of rich nuttiness, apples, and spices.  Brewed, the tea becomes a pinkish colour due to the beetroot and the almond and cinnamon flavours are great. As usual, my gripe is that the flavour could be ramped-up a bit more. Still, a wonderful tea.

Rating:   8.2 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: Charles Brown - Please Come Home For Christmas

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December 8, 2016 -- David's Tea -  Organic Ginger Pear 

Organic Ginger Pear

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 7 min
Temperature: 85° C

Notes: Low caffeine.

Ingredients: Ginger, apple, cinnamon, white tea, pear, rosehip. With natural quince, pear, apple and cinnamon flavouring.

Review: This is a subtle yet well-balanced tea. The ginger is warming, and there’s a lovely balance between it and the pear. And yet, nothing is overwhelming.

Rating:   8.0 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: Sufjan Stevens - Christmas In the Room

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December 7, 2016 -- David's Tea -  Nutty and Spice 

Nutty and Spice

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 7 min
Temperature: 90° C

Notes: Low caffeine.

Ingredients: Oolong tea, roasted chicory root, pineapple (pineapple, sugar), papaya (papaya, sugar), cinnamon, walnuts, ginger, apple, rose pepper, roasted almonds (almonds, caramelized sugar), cardamom, almonds, pistachios, cranberries, rose blossoms, natural and artificial flavouring.

Review: I was intrigued by this one as it smells so Christmasy. But, it didn’t end up tasting like I expected. I was imagining something more spicy, but instead it is a little bland, with some nuttyness coming through. Really wish it had a bit more magic.

Rating:   7.1 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: Kate Bush - December Will Be Magic Again

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December 6, 2016 -- David's Tea -  Apple Cider 

Apple Cider

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 7 min
Temperature: 96° C

Notes: Caffeine free.

Ingredients: Apple, apple pomace (pomace, citric acid), sweet blackberry leaves, apple flavouring (artificial apple flavouring, concentrated apple juice), artificial vanilla and cream flavouring.

Review: When David's Tea discontinued Hot Apple Cider over a year I was rather disappointed as it was one of my favourite herbal teas. I am not sure if they changed the formula for this re-issue but this Apple Cider seems a little sweeter than I remember, nevertheless, it is still a great tea, and if you add a tiny bit of cinnamon it is fabulous.

Rating:   8.2 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: John Coltrane - My Favorite Things

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December 5, 2016 -- David's Tea -  Coffee Cake 

Coffee Cake

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 5 min
Temperature: 96° C

Notes: Medium caffeine.

Ingredients: Black tea, cherries, pineapple, natural and artificial cake flavouring.

Review: Well, this definitely smells like coffee cake. The pineapple and cherries add a certain fruitiness and sweetness but the flavour of the tea and artificial flvouring mute everything. It could perhaps use more in the way of cinnamon and coffee to make it live up to its name more.

Rating:   7.8 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: Wham! - Last Christmas

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December 4, 2016 -- David's Tea -  Organic Serenity Now  

Serenity Now

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  4 - 7 min
Temperature: 98° C

Notes: Caffeine free.

Ingredients: Apple, Blueberry, Currants, Hibiscus, Lavender, Organic Spearmint, Rose Hips, Rose Petals, Strawberry.

Review: I am not sure what to think of this, the aroma of the brewed tea is floral, with the rose really shinning through. But the hibiscus bullies its way through the flavour - so overall, fruity, smooth, with a hint of spearmint.

Rating:   7.6 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: Cocteau Twins - Frosty The Snowman

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David's Tea -  Genmaicha  

Genmaich

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:  3 - 4 min
Temperature: 85° C

Notes: Low caffeine.

Ingredients: Steamed green tea from Japan, roasted and popped rice.

Review: Perhaps it's nostalgia but Genmaicha just keeps getting better: roasted, somewhat subtle, flavour of the puffed rice along with the slight bitterness of green tea create an almost perfect balance. The aroma is enticing.

Rating:   8.9 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: Low - Little Drummer Boy

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David's Tea - Jumpy Monkey  

Jumpy Monkey

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:   4 - 7 min
Temperature: 96° C

Notes: stimulant; contains milk

Ingredients: Roasted yerba mate, green yerba mate, white chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, milk powder, butter oil, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), carob, baba budan coffee, green peaberry coffee, Brazil green coffee, Kenya green coffee, chicory, olive leaf, almonds, artificial vanilla flavouring

Review: The aroma of the dry leaves is very reminiscent of banana bread, which I love. However, the brewed concoction seemed a bit of a watered down mix of sweet and nutty coffee. I am not sure I can taste the white chocolate but the mate and coffee come together to produce a pretty roasty cup of tea. It is interesting and definitely provides a jolt, but I don't think it is something I would get regularly.

Rating: 6.9 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: Clarence Carter - Back Door Santa 

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David's Tea - Snow Day  

Snow Day

Suggested serving

Amount: 1.25 tsp
Time:   4 - 7 min
Temperature: 96° C

Notes: Low caffeine; contains milk
Ingredients: Peppermint leaves, cocoa beans, cocoa husk, chocolate drops (sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, sunflower lecithin), white chocolate pieces (sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, sunflower lecithin), sugar sprinkles, cream flavouring, peppermint oil, natural chocolate and peppermint flavouring. 

Review: I had previously reviewed Snow Day and the sweetness, artificial, and slightly bitter tastes hasn't diminished.  The aroma of the dry leaves is very minty and sweet. The chocolate comes out more in the taste of the brew.

Rating: 6.7 / 10

Mood music while sipping away: Dolly Parton - Hard Candy Christmas

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