David's Tea Lemon Myrtle Herbal Tea

Lemon Myrtle is an herbal tea that contains only one ingredient, lemon myrtle.  According to the label the lemon flavour and scent is due to a high concentration of a compound called "citral" which is present in lemons to a lesser degree than in the lemon myrtle plant. The flavour is simple, not too tart nor too sweet.  A refreshing beverage which at least feels like it will help me stave off this cold I'm coming down with.

I'm really enjoying this tea. It's full flavoured and the olfactory sensation adds greatly to the experience.  I think this herbal tea has jumped onto my favourites list and while the David's Tea version is apparently no longer available I hope that like the nettle leaf tea I can find an alternate source for it once my supply runs out.

Definitely recommended.

David's Tea Cranberry Orange Muffin Herbal Infusion

Cranberry Orange Muffin is a mixture of cranberries, dandelion root, pineapple, cinnamon, orange, hibiscus, and mango.

I'm not sure why it needs the word "muffin" in its name. The cranberry and orange tartness is balanced by the mellow flavour of the dandelion.  The cinnamon is not overpowering, nor is the hibiscus so I should be able to make a pot of this one and not have Mrs. ISMOTU complain.

I'm enjoying the Cranberry Orange Muffin but I'm not raving about it. It's a good one but not a favourite.

Recommended.

For more info follow the link: https://www.davidstea.com/ca_en/cranberry-orange-muffin-4

David's Tea Sugar Plum Forest Rooibos

After a disappointing cup of apple cider with no trace of cinnamon I decided to balance that out with something I knew would hit the spot.  Sugar Plum Forest is a warm spicy blend perfect for chasing the chill from your bones.  This rooibos tea contains apple, hibiscus, ginger, cinnamon, plum, cardamon, star anise, and a few others.  The spices blend well and the flavour is not overpowering.

It's the hibiscus that has likely allowed this tea to survive in the cupboard so long as it is a flavour my wife doesn't care for. Oh well, more for me!  I won't get all whimsical and say that this tea gives me visions straight out of the Nutcracker but it is pretty tasty and I like it.

For more info follow the link: https://www.davidstea.com/ca_en/250g-web-promo-110

Hallowe'en Horror

I love Hallowe'en, and ever since I was a kid the biggest part of Hallowe'en for me wasn't the candy but dressing up in a costume. I would change my mind about a million times before October 31st rolled around.  I wanted to dress up in all the costumes and occasionally I'd wear different costumes to different Hallowe'en events prior to All Hallows' Eve.

from wikipedia.org

David's Tea Sweet Apple Cider Fruit Infusion

Another Sunday afternoon, another cup of David's Tea to enjoy.  Today I'm trying out the Sweet Apple Cider fruit infusion. Apple Cider is a classic beverage that I associate most with coming in from playing outside on cold winter days to find a mug of cider waiting to help warm me up.

The sweet apple cider tastes just as you'd expect. It's sweet, it's apple-y. According to the label "the only thing missing is the cinnamon stick" and that's very true. There is no cinnamon in this apple cider and it's absence is noticeable. I don't have a supply of cinnamon sticks in the house and I've been drinking all the teas I've been reviewing neat, that is without adding anything else to them. So the fact that this one needs augmentation lowers my opinion of it a bit. Especially since they are clearly aware that apple cider should have cinnamon in it. It's not quite as bad as say just microwaving a cup of apple juice but it's not as rewarding as I'd like.

Apparently I wasn't the only one because this particular variety seems to be discontinued and replaced with the "Spiced Apple" which does contain cinnamon.

So while this is an okay beverage I feel like it's going to take a while for the remnants of this bag to be consumed.

David's Tea Chocolate Orange Pu'erh

Chocolate and orange go together blissfully and this tea continues to prove that.  The sweet, rich flavour of this tea is delicious. This is lovely tea for sipping and would go great with breakfast or dessert.

Pu'erh tea is a form of black tea that has been fermented after the leaves are dried and rolled. This gives the tea a distinctive flavour that sets it apart from other black teas. Again I find myself at a loss for words to describe a tea I really like.

Due to my aforementioned aversion to caffeine I don't drink a lot of pu'erh or black teas in general but I do like them and the Chocolate Orange Pu'erh is a nice one.

For more info follow the link: https://www.davidstea.com/ca_en/chocolate-orange-2

David's Tea Ginger Beer Fruit Infusion

From the last post everyone knows I'm a fan of ginger so when we saw this new offering from David's Tea I just had to try it.

Ginger Beer is an herbal tea with ginger (obvi), apples, and raisins. This has less spice and more sweet than the Super Ginger so it might be more palatable to more people.  They really manage to make it taste like a nice old fashioned ginger beer, you can almost feel the bubbles.

This is a tasty tea that I hope sticks around beyond the fall collection. It is a gentler alternative to the Super Ginger for the occasions when you might not want super spicy.

For more info follow the link: https://www.davidstea.com/ca_en/ginger-beer

David's Tea Super Ginger Rooibos

I'm feeling a little under the weather today so it's time to bust out the Super Ginger while watching the season premiere of "The Flash." This is a rooibos tea but what you really taste are the ginger and peppercorn.  This is my go-to beverage when I'm sick now, but it's delicious anytime. As long as you like ginger. I do find that ginger tea helps to settle my stomach.

I've been enjoying the Flash series since I am a huge fan of the character. This season has me pretty excited because as much as I love the Flash I love the Justice Society even more so the promise of Jay Garrick has me giddy.  The change in the Atom Smasher character from hero to villain didn't bother me that much, and Iris seems to be written better than she was last season.

Super ginger is a spicy, flavourful tea that I really like but might not be for everyone.

For more info follow the link: https://www.davidstea.com/ca_en/super-ginger-2

David's Tea Forever Nuts Fruit Infusion

This one's an old favourite. I don't remember exactly when I first tried Forever Nuts but I enjoyed it immensely. The nutty flavour is warm and inviting with cinnamon notes. Almonds and apples are the main ingredients though I can pick out the taste of cashews as well, though that must come from the added flavouring.

One crazy thing about Forever Nuts is its signature bright pink colour which comes from beetroot. Presumably the beetroot also imparts some sweetness. To me this is a perfect autumn tea, it's warm and hearty with unexpected colour.

Forever Nuts is one I always like to keep on hand and it's never let me down. I think the first time we brought a tin of it home (or more likely received it in the mail) I drank it religiously and thus didn't crave it for a while but now I'm back on that horse and hey it's better than heroin. (??)
Highly recommended.

For more info follow the link: https://www.davidstea.com/ca_en/forever-nuts-5

Kate Loves a Mystery

Detective fiction has a big place in my heart. I love all kinds of mystery stories, tv shows, and comic books. I probably started my "Journey into Mystery" not with the Mighty Thor (terrible comics joke) but with the Hardy Boys. Those inquisitive teen brothers sparked an interest in solving mysteries. From there I discovered Eric Wilson's Tom and Liz Austen mysteries which appealed to more because they were so firmly Canadian despite my not having visited most of the settings at that time in my life though I've been fortunate to travel across much of the Great White North since then. I seem to remember a few "Encyclopedia Brown" books and probably other less memorable mysteries for kids but soon I'd graduated to the grand-daddy of all detectives Sherlock Holmes. I still have the three volume set I purchased (or more accurately my mother purchased for me) where I first worked my way through every single adventure of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous creation.

David's Tea Elderflower Spritz White Tea

Elderflower Spritz white tea is a blend of white tea, sencha green tea, elderberries, elderflowers, and peony petals. I haven't tried all that many white teas but this one is nice. The distinctive flavour of elderberries is the thrust of this tea.

Elderflower Spritz has a lovely floral aroma with a delicate fruity flavour. I'd say this is a good tea but not on my favourites list. Certainly a nice way to relax and fight the chills.

For more info follow the link: https://www.davidstea.com/ca_en/elderflower-spritz

David's Tea Lime Gelato Green Tea

Sitting back on a Sunday sipping tea and watching the season premiere of Castle which may inspire a post on Detective Fiction at a later date.

Today's selection begins with Lime Gelato green tea. Citrus and sweet this tea is aptly named though it gets its signature taste from artificial flavouring. Unlike with Berry Poppins I don't detect any unpleasant smell or aftertaste and in fact I really enjoyed this tea.

The main ingredient here is "sencha" green tea which is apparently the most popular tea in Japan. Sencha is made from whole leaves that have been steamed, rolled, and dried as opposed to matcha which is powdered green tea. The green tea flavour is still evident though the lime is stronger. The apple, pineapple, and lemongrass are not so obvious to my taste buds.

I like this tea and it is an interesting cultural collision of Japanese tea culture with Italian ice cream. A sweet and refreshing treat on a chilly autumn day, though the concept recalls summer a bit more than autumn.  Recommended.

For more info follow the link: https://www.davidstea.com/ca_en/lime-gelato

David's Tea Berry Poppins Fruit Infusion

This one was sitting at the back of the cupboard for a while so we'll see if there was a reason.

Berry Poppins is a mixture of apple, hibiscus, rosehips and blackberry. The hibiscus is one reason it may have been at the back of the cupboard as Mrs. ISMOTU is not a fan of that particular ingredient.

The combination of flavours works pretty well together. To bump up the blackberry flavour they use some artificial flavouring which normally I don't care about one way or the other but there's a few specific types that I can just taste. Blackberry and raspberry artificial flavours top that list and that lowers my affinity for this tea. Honestly, part of it is the smell which I can't describe very well.

Berry Poppins is good if you're a big berry fan but it's not one of my favourites. Apparently it wasn't a big hit as it is no longer available. Who knows if it was a flavour thing or just a dismal response to the terrible pun name.

David's Tea Guangzhou Milk Oolong Tea

The Guangzhou/Quangzhou Milk Oolong is a delicious tea from China. The differences in spelling come from the various ways to transliterate Chinese into English. Guangzhou is a major city in southern China, about 120 km from Hong Kong. I never made it to Guangzhou during my time in China but friends of ours worked there for a year.

Oolong tea is a variety of tea produced by drying the tea leaves in the sun and oxidizing them before curling the leaves into twisted little bundles. As the tea steeps the leaves unfurl and expand. It's pretty neat.

The Guangzhou Milk Oolong has a sweet milky flavour that is nice because I like to drink my tea neat but do enjoy the milky flavour occasionally. There's some floral hints and subtle earthy notes. I've already blogged about the Vanilla Orchid Oolong which I really enjoy but the Guangzhou Milk Oolong is probably my favourite oolong that I've tasted so far.

Highly Recommended!

For more info follow the link: https://www.davidstea.com/ca_en/our-teas/quangzhou-milk-oolong

David's Tea Mulberry Magic Herbal Infusion

Tonight I'm enjoying David's Tea Mulberry Magic while checking out the new Guardians of the Galaxy animated series. Both are entertaining. Will Friedle is the man from Batman Beyond to Bumblebee in the latest Transformers cartoon to Star-Lord now, he's got a great set of characters under his belt.

Mulberry Magic is a simple blend of mulberry leaves and macadamia nuts.  The nutty flavour is robust and sweet, and the mulberry leaves are earthy and herbaceous. I like this tisane and as I keep working on these types of blog posts I find I have less to say about the ones I really like beyond saying "I really like this, it's tasty."

Apparently there are fancy health benefits to mulberry leaves but I'm not concerned about any of that. I drink tea because it's tasty and has less calories than pop or other beverages.  Mulberry Magic fulfils the tastiness criteria and is a nice source of variety in our tea cupboard.

For more info follow the link: https://www.davidstea.com/ca_en/mulberry-magic