Brazillionaire by David's Tea

I've wanted to try this tea for quite some time but for some reason or another I never ordered it until now.  The list of ingredients sounds heavenly and the name implies the tea should taste like a million bucks.  You take Brazil nuts and a million bucks and you call it a  Brazillionaire.

When I first open the package the aroma is positively intoxicating.  It's sweet and nutty and full of coconut.  I know there are Brazil nuts in here but I also smell hazelnut.  So far so good.

The package states to use 1.5 teaspoons per cup but I think it should be a little more generous than that.  The raisins and big coconut flakes take up a lot of space and I have to make sure I get enough of the black tea in there too.

I take two generous teaspoons and steep it at boiling water for 5 minutes.  As the tea is brewing, the aroma continues to flirt with my senses, awakening memories of hot pastries and warm homemade pudding.  I'm not sure where this is going but I'm liking it already.

Oh yes.  This tea does not disappoint.  It tastes as good as it smells.  I try it first without any additions and it's everything it supposed to be.   It's smooth, a little sweet and nutty with a nice taste of coconut and a hint of caramel.  There is no astringency at all.

I could just leave it at that but I can't.  I want to go further.  I have a feeling there is even bigger potential here.  I add some hot milk and few drops of maple syrup and all of a sudden I'm catapulted into heaven.  All the flavours are now intensified and the tea turns into a delicious desert.  I can sit here and sip on it all night long.  One of these nights I will turn it into a latte.

Overall, this is another fine blend from David's Tea and I'm glad it's in my cabinet.  I will definitely be restocking it once my supply goes down.

Ingredients: Black Tea, Brazil nuts, golden raisins, coconut chips, natural and artificial flavouring

Steeping temperature: Boiling
Steeping time: 5 minutes
Steeped amount: 2 generous teaspoons

Of New Arrivals and Happiness

"You can't buy happiness but you can buy tea and that's kind of the same thing."

Yesterday almost felt like Christmas.  It always feels like that when the new tea order arrives.  It's really very difficult to comprehend but there are few things and far in between that could arrive by mail that will make me as happy as when I find a tea in my mailbox.

Why is it?  What does tea represent that make me feel this way?  

Is it comfort, that homey feeling when you sit with a hot cup of tea in front of the roaring fire on a cold winter morning?  

Or maybe it's when you're curled up on the couch in your pyjamas with a good book and a biscuit on a dark wintery afternoon while the snow storm rages outside.

Whatever it is when the tea order arrives it evokes all those feelings and more.

That's exactly how I felt yesterday when my David's Tea order arrived.  Inside was Coconut Oolong (goodness gracious I thought I will never see it again), black tea blend Brazillionaire and and green tea Dragonwell.  In addition there were three free samples that David's Tea always includes with every order.  This time I got herbal Midsummer Night's Dream, herbal Forever Nuts and Rooibos de Provence.

Over the next few days I'll be busy trying out these new teas.  My taste buds can't wait!

Cheers

Earl Grey With Milk Hits The Spot

"There is no need to have any special attitude while drinking except one of thankfulness.  The nature of the tea itself is that of no-mind."

- Pojong Sunim

On the cold and foggy afternoon like today, Earl Grey with milk really hits the spot.  It does.  The fog seems to permeate through the bricks of our country house, down my skin and deep into my bones.

There is chill in the air that only a cup of hot tea can conquer.

My Earl Grey with milk is smooth, fragrant and delicious.  It soothes my soul and delights my taste buds.  I supplemented it with a just few drops of pure maple syrup for added health benefits and sweetness.  And a plate of my homemade cookies.  My world needs a little sweetness today.

There should be an order from David's Tea arriving in my mailbox this afternoon.  I can hardly contain myself while I wait.  It has couple of items I am dying to try and of course there are free samples too.  I love David's Tea free samples.  They are like a present every time.

What am I going to get today?

Salted Caramel/Pure Chai Latte

I confirmed last night that I don't need a glorified milk frother to make some delicious latte.  My good old hand held mixer is getting the job done just fine with its whisking attachment.  The tea fanatic in me still says it would be nice to have a dedicated milk frother which can probably do even better job but the practical me says I should go without it.

Who will win?

I'm not sure yet.  Meantime last night I decided to mix up my tea flavours for some fun.  I blended David's Tea Pure Chai with Salted Caramel and steeped it at higher concentration that I usually would.  I added some maple syrup to the brew when it was done.

In a separate cup I heated up some whole milk until it foamed up and then whisked it until it formed a thick froth on the top.  I then poured the frothy milk into my steeped tea.

It was delicious.  It was paradise.  It made my taste buds dance hula with joy.

Ceylon Star by DAVIDsTEA

I got this tea as a sample in my latest DAVIDsTEA order.  Last night I felt adventurous and decided to give it a try.

When I opened the package the tea smelled like... dream.  Yes, that's the first thing that popped into my head.  I even wrote it down in my little tea journal.  And yes, I do have a tea journal.  I jot notes down whenever I drink new tea because my head usually goes 100 miles per second and things get forgotten easily.

Back to the tea... What does a dream smell like exactly?  Well, it it is a good dream then it smells like vanilla, chocolate and the yummiest dessert you can think of.  That's what I smelled when I opened the package.  Things were looking up and I was very happy.  The aroma went hand in hand with the looks of the tea itself. Nice big black leaves with chunks of white chocolate and a big piece of star anise.  Gorgeous!

I steeped the tea in boiling water for 5 minutes.  The aroma of the steeping tea continued to lure me; sweet and delicious with slight hint of cinnamon even though there was no cinnamon listed in the ingredients.  At one point I would swear I got a whiff of vanilla pudding.  Yummy!

The steeped tea was dark orange in color and was smooth, mild tasting with no astringency.  I enjoyed it quite a bit.  Gone was the cinnamon and vanilla pudding and now the front seat belonged to cocoa and anise.

Overall it was a very pleasing tea.  For me it was a shame that it came with artificial flavoring because I tend to steer away from all things artificial when consumption is concerned.  Nevertheless, for someone that doesn't mind that, it's a delicious tea to try out.

Ingredients: Ceylon black tea, star anise, cocoa, white chocolate, natural and artificial flavoring. Contains coconut, dairy and soy.

Steeping temperature: Boiling
Steeping time: 5 minutes
Steeped in: porcelain teapot

Cheers!!

Creme Brule by DAVIDsTEA

For the past two days I've been kept busy by the biggest winter storm to hit southeastern Ontario in the last three years.  I've spent lots of time outside with my daughter, playing in the snow, hiking and taking photos.  Let me tell you... There is nothing better than coming back from the cold and having a great cup of tea.  For me at least. :)

I was happy to receive my latest DAVIDsTEA delivery one day early, the day before the big storm.  I felt prepared.  Bring it on Mother Nature!  Nothing can stop me now!

My delivery included Chinese Dragonwell, Japanese Sencha and Creme Brulee.   I ordered Creme Brulee tea because creme brulee is one of my favorite desserts and I just had to try it out.  Sooner or later it had to happen and so I figured now was the time.

After dinner I don't delay... It's rooibos time!

I rip the package open and inhale the intoxicating aroma.  I just love that first whiff...   Mmmm ... This is really creme brulee!!!  I wish it was in my oven!

The tea smells delicious and just like creme brulee should.  The sweet aroma of caramel with notes of rum cake awakens my senses and warms my soul.  It looks beautiful too.  I see the yellow flowers of calendula and red safflowers.  I think this is going to be good.

I steep the tea in boiling water for seven minutes in accordance with instructions.  The sweet aroma spreads throughout the kitchen and invites my husband who wants to know what I'm making.  "A tea", I say and he looks somewhat disappointed.  He doesn't drink tea.

The steeped tea is beautiful shade of orange color, mild and very pleasant on the tongue.  I'm having it with home made raisin scones and the combination couldn't be better. These two simply love each other.  It's great with milk or without.  Sometimes with blends like this I like to add a little milk for the creamy effect. It's very comforting.

All in all this is a very nice tea, I'm glad to say it didn't disappoint.  In addition, I just love the fact that Creme Brulee is made with all natural ingredients.  To me that's important component of quality and that is very important.

Ingredients (Organic): Green and Red Rooibos, safflowers, calendula marigold, natural flavoring

Steeping Temperature: 98C

Steeping Time: 7 minutes

Steeped in: Porcelain Teapot


Cheers!!!

High Mountain Oolong by DAVIDsTEA

Just few months ago I didn't know what oolong was.  I knew about green tea, white tea, black tea and herbals.  Oolong was not in my vocabulary.

Ever since I switched over to loose tea I started paying closer attention to different kinds of teas and learning as much as I could.  The word oolong was being thrown around quite a bit and I began noticing oolong tea bags at the local health food store. I often wondered about this mysterious tea with a fancy name.  What exactly did it taste like?

About two weeks ago I decided to find out and ordered High Mountain Oolong from DAVIDsTEA after reading some great reviews on Steepster.  At $10 per 25g this tea is in the premium price range and as a result, my expectations were high.

Opening the package revealed beautifully curled green tea leaves with mild, unassuming aroma.  The smell was reminiscent of green tea only a lot more subtle.

I began the brewing process by first steeping the tea for 30 seconds to rinse and open up the leaves a bit.  I followed that with a 5 minute steep.  The water for both steeps was at near boiling at around 94C.  The leaves unfurled taking up a lot of space and looked gorgeous.

The steeped tea smelled delicious, a little sweet with a hint of wet wood aroma.  By taking a sip I was thrown into an array of flavors very foreign to me.  Oolong tea production lies somewhere in the middle between gentle handling and non-oxidation of green tea and complete oxidation of black tea.  What I was tasting here was definitely complex and very different from both green and black teas that I know.  There was something to this tea I couldn't put my finger on.  A very pleasant aroma that hit me every time I put my nose to the teacup and a delicious flavor that lingered with every sip.  It tasted buttery and a bit vegetal but not the same vegetal taste you would get from green tea.  I also detected a mild and very pleasant astringency at the back of my tongue.

By now I should be done with the tasting but no... something was luring me back.  That taste and aroma that returned every time I took a sip, that made this tea distinct from all the other teas I tried.  It intrigued me and made me sip over and over to try and figure it out.  It was sweet and a bit floral and when I closed my eyes I  imagined wild flowers in the woods after a pouring rain.

Overall this was a delicious tea, the kind that I wouldn't mind having every day.  In this price range though, it will have to remain a treat but a treat I'll be delighted to have.

Steeping temperature: 94C

Steeping time: 5 minutes

Steeped in: glass teapot


Cheers!!!

My journey with Dragonwell

I love dragons.  I did since I was a kid.  If your tea has a word dragon in it I will definitely try it at least once.  Hopefully it will live up to the name.  To me a dragon means that it's something out of ordinary, exciting, something that will make me pay attention.

When I first got introduced to loose tea, I had no idea where to go to find me a good green.  Even with the bags it was hit and miss and mostly miss.  I didn't even know what I was looking for but I knew that if I found it I would know.  I researched the world of loose green tea and found out that Dragonwell is the most popular green tea in China.  I just had to try that!

I decided to go with DAVIDsTEA for my first time.

I have to say this tea has surprised me in more ways than one.  I can't really compare it to anything else because this is the first straight loose green tea that I've tried and the only one so far.  For sure I cannot compare it to the bags either.  This one is a whole new animal all on its own.

I still remember the day that I got this tea.  I was so excited, the leaves looked beautiful, their aroma was delicate and nice.

I brewed myself a nice pot.  I counted the minutes in anticipation.  The water in the pot was turning a lovely shade of green.  All was good.  I lifted a lid and took a whiff....

This couldn't be.  I went back to the package to re-check whether I got what I ordered.  Yes, this was Dragonwell, but if this was the most popular tea in China why did it smell like that?  I couldn't put my finger on the smell... It was vegetal, grassy, asparagus like, spinach, or maybe all four together?  Definitely not what I expected.  I was disappointed.

I tasted the tea and the taste was definitely going hand in hand with the aroma.  Vegetal, grassy, asparagus like, spinach or all four?  I finished the pot and contemplated whether I should return the tea or give it another shot.  I knew from reviews that people liked it.  Was there something wrong with me?

I decided to give it another shot.  And another.  And another.

This was about two weeks ago and I am pleased to say that this tea has grown on me.  It has wrapped itself around and plunged it's roots into the very core of my being.  I love this tea.  After about few days I couldn't wait to get up in the morning and steep myself a nice pot.  It became an integral part of my morning.

I know I have to keep trying other loose green teas because drinking bagged green tea all these years has definitely taught my palate nothing, but for now this one has won my heart.  It's very much vegetal and a little grassy with some earthy tones thrown in there for good measure.... and it's delicious.  I know I want Dragonwell in my cupboard.  Always.

Steeping temperature: 82C

Steeping time: 5 min

Steeped in: Clear glass teapot

Cheers!!

Coco Chai Rooibos by DAVIDsTEA

This tea arrived at my doorstep as a sample included with my latest DAVIDsTEA order.  Since I've never had rooibos before, I was excited to try it.

Let's have us a cuppa!

Out of the drawer the scissors go, the package is snipped open and first whiff is inhaled.  The tea smells delicious which is a no particular surprise after noting the ingredients listed in the sample.  The aroma is sweet, I detect cinnamon and a little coconut.  It looks interesting too.  I love the added visual touch of red peppercorns, they just look adorable in there.  They are actually called pink peppercorns but they look definitely red to me.

I brew this tea according to the instructions on the packet.  The aroma now fills the kitchen, it's sweet and spicy, I'm loving it.

As I take the first sip my socks are being knocked off.  This stuff is amazing!  It's smooth and slightly sweet with no astringency, only pure and gentle love.  The coconut has now taken a back seat and what I really taste is apples and cinnamon, and let me tell you, I love apples and cinnamon.  The fact that rooibos is naturally caffeine free it's an added bonus.  I can drink this concoction and not worry about climbing the walls! Awesome!

The color is very pleasing to my eye, deep orange red and it tastes as good as it looks.

The only problem I find with this tea is that among listed ingredients there is also artificial flavoring.  I don't mean to be a pain in the behind but I tend to exclude anything made with artificial flavoring from my food and drink list.  This tea will be no exception but I am so impressed with the aroma and taste that I will look for something similar to this in the organic and all natural department.

Oh yes, I'm inspired to do one more thing.  Find me a jar of pink peppercorns.  Until today I didn't know about their existence and now I want these little guys.

Ingredients: Rooibos, coconut, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, pink peppercorns, natural and artificial flavouring

Brewing temperature: Boiling

Brewing time: 7 minutes

Brewed in: Chinese blue and white ceramic teapot

Cheers!!

Of Glass Teapots and Ginger Spiced Brew

Have you ever had one of these days when luck just smiles at you?  Of course you did, they happen to all of us every now and then.  Today it was my turn to have one of these days.

I walked into my favorite second hand shop and found Teaopia (now Teavana) glass teapot with infuser, completely intact.  I've been checking out different teapots for almost two years now.  Whenever I'm at my favorite second hand shops I always check the teapot and tea sets section.  I have never seen all glass teapot yet until today.  I'm so happy because I really wanted one and they are quite pricey.  Today I didn't need to worry about the price because at $2.99 it was a steal.  On the side note, there are so many things that I want and it's nice to score a steal every now and then, right?

Such wonderful turn of events simply had to be celebrated and the only way to do it was to brew something good in my new teapot.  After washing the pot carefully (oh my, this thing is so delicate, I can imagine it could shatter just by me staring at it for too long) and drying it thoroughly, it was time for the after dinner cuppa.

This had to be a special brew, possibly something I haven't had yet but wanted to try. I decided to try one of the samplers sent to me with my latest order of DAVIDsTEA: The Skinny. It's an organic oolong blend and I've been having my eye on it for a while.

The Organic Skinny Ingredients: Chinese oolong tea, Chinese pu'erh tea, ginger, eleuthero, orange peel, natural orange and ginger flavorings.

Upon tearing the sample package I was greeted with a delicious aroma reminiscent of citrus with a tiny hint of ginger. I really enjoyed that. Usually when the tea smells yummy pre-steep it is an indication of good things to come.

I steeped the tea for about 5 minutes at which point the color was beautiful shade of red, not too light and not too dark. The scent has now changed slightly. It was spicy with bigger emphasis on ginger. Taste-wise ginger was also very prominent but still not overwhelmingly so.  You have to know that I'm not a big fan of ginger in my tea (unless I need it for health reasons) and so this could have potentially been a tasting disaster.

I was pleasantly surprised. The tea was delicious in taste, very smooth and with a subtle hint of sweetness. My youngest daughter, who joined me in this sample tasting, added a tiny bit of organic cane sugar to it and she too has enjoyed his tea. It's maybe not something that I feel compelled to have a tin full in my tea cabinet but if available, I will most certainly have a cup of.

I give this tea a handsome 8/10

Till next time,

Cheers!!