David's Tea may be less well-known than Teavana or Twinings or Republic of Tea, but they make amazingly good stuff. I found them when I visited Quebec City last December and again this May. They seem to be primarily a Canadian outfit, but they do have some shops in the US and they ship to the US. (http://www.davidstea.com/)
The Coconut Grove tea is a white tea blend using Bai Mu Dan tea leaves, coconut and vanilla. It's delightful and refreshing. The coconut comes across strongly in the aroma, but much more lightly in the drinking flavor. Never fear -- despite the strong coconut smell, it's not a liquid pina colada. It still tastes primarily like tea. There's a fruity undertone that comes from the Bai Mu Dan leaves. The tea has a subtle sweetness all its own; I haven't tried sweetening it with anything yet.
I brewed it to a medium strength, giving the tea leaves the opportunity to express themselves. A shorter steeping time likely would have emphasized the coconut and vanilla somewhat more.
It is very nice hot, but superlative when iced. When iced, I think it would pair interestingly with lime rather than lemon.
Unfortunately, the Coconut Grove is a seasonal release; I bought it back in May while in Quebec City and just hadn't bothered to brew it until today. It's not currently available. I hope they bring it back come summer time.
By the way, anyone wanting to promote continued tea-tastings and reviews could do worse than to send me this: http://www.davidstea.com/the-winter-collection?&TF=D36B1B50DFA0&DEID=
What a dangerous website! Thank you because I'm bookmarking it. :) Loving the blog as well! :)
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