Tea tasting: David's Teas Apple Custard

I am working my way through the David's Teas tea sampler that +Joseph O'Malley and +Michelle O'Malley got me for Christmas.   Not wanting caffeine this evening, I decided to try the Apple Custard herbal.    It's . . . odd.

The tisane is decidedly more custardy than apple.  It's got that creamy note that David's somehow gets into some of its teas, and a definite vanilla aftertone.  But I'm not really getting apple as anything more than an afterthought.  I'm almost inclined to do a blend of this with a Celestial Seasonings Apple Spice to see if it strengthens the apple flavor.  I may also experiment with sweetening it with honey or that apple ice cider I like so much.

I don't dislike it.  It's just not what I anticipated from a tea billed as a "apple" custard.

Tea tasting: David's Tea Bubbie's Baklava

I ended up working from home the last two days because the ferocious cold disagrees profoundly with my joints.  As a result, I had the chance to sample some new tea:  David's Tea Bubbie's Baklava.   Despite the silly name, I found it quite good for a wintery day.

It's an oolong tea with nuts, cinnamon and a host of other flavors added.  The cinnamon is the most noticeable tone -- it's most prominent in both the aroma and the flavor.  The other flavor notes include a little bit of fruit and a little bit of rose and a hint of ginger.  All in all, it is almost exactly like drinking the aroma of a bakery.

This brew is very much a matter of taste.  Some people will like it (me), but I expect most people will find it too cloying.  But fresh baked goods are among my greatest food weaknesses, and there's something about this tea that captures in liquid form the aroma of a fresh, nutty, cinnamon roll just out of the oven.

I can't imagine icing this tea or adding sweetener too it.  Icing it would kill the subtlety.

Tea tasting: David's Tea's Lime Gelato Green Tea

On a nasty snowy day, what better than a tea intended to taste like lime gelato?  David's Tea's Lime Gelato Green Tea mostly succeeds in its aim.  It's a gentle, light lime flavor, not overly fruity.  There is a slight smoothness that suggests the creaminess of gelato.  Apparently there's some sort of yogurt flavoring in here, which probably contributes to the cream note.

What it lacks is the tartness of a lime, the snappiness that you find in a good key lime pie.  This is one of the few times that I'd like a little more fruitiness.

It's not bad. It's light and sunny and not overwhelmingly sweet or fruity.  I give it a generally favorable, although not enthusiastic, recommendation.

Tea tasting: David's Tea Pink Flamingo

David's Pink Flamingo herbal tea is a tisane composed of hibiscus blossoms, apple pieces, carrot flakes, blackberry leaves, eucalyptus leaves, lemongrass, beetroot pieces, and freeze-dried tangerine/orange slices.  It is, as advertised, bright pink when brewed.

The aroma is extremely fruity, very reminiscent of pink grapefruit.  The flavor has a similar citrus bite, although less obviously grapefruit-like.  There was something slightly off about the plain brewed flavor -- the fruits just didn't balance out in a way that made my happy.

Adding a teaspoon of honey, however, righted the balance.  The touch of honey smoothed out the grapefruit-like sharpness and left a tasty, slightly sweet, blend of several fruits with a predominant citrus note.

I think this tea would be spectacular iced, where the tangy sharpness would play better.

Tea tasting: Stash's Christmas in Paris Herbal Tea

I'm generally not a fan of Stash brand teas; there's always something slightly off about them, at least to my palate.  But I decided to give Christmas in Paris a try in the spirit of the season.  Because remember, I drink bad tea so you don't have to.

All in all, it's not bad.  The flavor is a blend of lavender and peppermint with slight overtones of cocoa.  The cocoa comes out far more strongly in the aroma than in the taste.   It's an interesting flavor but there's something missing.  I want something more assertive, maybe some stronger cocoa tones?

Honey doesn't do anything for it.  However, when I'm out shopping tomorrow I'm going to pick up candy canes -- I bet melting a candy cane in this would be awesome.

Tea Tasting: Zhena's Lemon Jasmine Green Tea

Zhena's Lemon Jasmine Green Tea was terribly disappointing.  Maybe it was just an old sample package.   But there wasn't much in the way of either lemon or jasmine in the tea flavor.  It was just insipid -- a sort of vaguely sweet green without much in the way of character.  If there's jasmine in there anywhere, it's not enough that I noticed it.   I'd drink it if it were the choice between this and, say, Lipton, but I would not go out of my way to buy or drink this tea otherwise.

Tea experiments: Tea and booze, part the first

Inspired by the Canadian "blueberry tea," I decided to try some of my own tea and alcohol combos.   Today's experiment is Celestial Seasonings' Cinnamon Apple Spice, a tea I generally find slightly too sweet, mixed with ice cider.  Ice cider (also known as cidre de glace) is a liquor made by fermenting the juice of frozen apples or frozen apple juice.  It's a big thing in Montreal, which is how I discovered it.

Ice cider is smooth, sweet and not fizzy, all of which really work for me.  The combo of the ice cider in the hot apple tea is excellent.  The slight bite of the cider blends well with the sweetness of the tea.  The apple flavor very strong, but it never descends into the cloying sweetness of apple juice.   This combo is definitely a keeper, assuming my minions bring me back more ice cider from Canada.