Buddha’s Blend

Hello tea people!

Brooke and I may have finished our 24 Days of Tea but we can’t stay away from DAVIDsTEA for too long. As a special “Easter egg”, we bring you a special guest appearance by my extended family as we consider “Buddha’s Blend” . Enjoy!

Tea: Buddha’s Blend

Ingredients: White tea, green tea, jasmine pearls, white hibiscus blossoms.

DAVIDsTEA Description: Heaven can’t wait.

We don’t like to brag, but we’re pretty sure we just found the key to achieving nirvana. It’s easier than you might think – you’re actually just a cup away. You start with a fresh, delicate mix of white and green tea. Then you sprinkle in a few jasmine pearls for their sweet, floral perfume. Next, you add the unexpected fruity aroma of some beautiful white hibiscus blossoms. Finally? You sit back, relax and take a sip. Heavenly…

Tea Prep: We let 1.25 tsp of tea leaves steep in 84°C water for 3-4 minutes.

In Bolton over Easter weekend my family contemplates their tea experience…

Dad: Oh yeah, this is the tea I like.
Stacey: Why do you like it, Dad?
Dad: I’m not doing your blog, Stace.
Kyle: …It honestly just tastes like hot water.
Poppa: It tastes like dish soap!
Peter: Two thumbs up for the cheesecake, Lorie!

Stacey: No, no, guys. What do you think of the tea? What do you feel?

Pete: I would describe it as a white wall with no pictures.
Lorie: When I drink this tea, it reminds me of sitting under a tree on a nice summer day. I always relax when I drink Buddha’s Blend. I’d give it 9.5/10
Iris: I normally don’t like really fruity teas but this one is similar to my favourite lemon honey tea. I think it would be good cold as flavoured water. 8/10
Grandma: There is a flavour… I don’t know what it is…but I like it! I’d say it tastes like water and smells like peach. You don’t need sugar with it that’s for sure. 8/10
Holly: It’s a very subtle taste. It’s a bit too mild and not strong enough for me. 5/10
Kaelyn: I think that it tastes citrusy. 8.5/10
Mikela: When I sipped it, I pictured cherry blossoms. It was soft but there was a hint of fruitiness. I can’t tell what it was but it wasn’t peaches. This was the perfect tea to pair with dessert; the tea balanced out the sweetness from the dessert. It is a nice tea to have right before bed. 7/10

Back in Ottawa on a cold spring morning…

Brooke: It definitely smells like peach just like your Grandma said. Kind of like one of those Tim Hortons drinks that you get.

*sip*

Brooke: Oh but it delightfully does not taste that way! Mikela was spot on with the cherry blossoms! I’m with her with the tea being more floral than citrus.
Stacey: This has been a staple at my house and I have always enjoyed it! The name definitely fits here.
Brooke: Yes, I think it would make a good iced tea. I can understand what Holly was getting at; it is definitely not a strong tea. It doesn’t hit you like, say Alpine Punch would. Not sure what your Poppa meant with the dish soap.
Stacey: Just imagine a non-tea drinker tasting this for the first time, you can kind of see how they might think it tastes like dish soap.
Brooke: What do you think of the tea Stace?
Stacey: It has a stronger aroma than taste for sure. But that isn’t a bad thing; I think the flavor could have been way more powerful and sweet, so I’m glad it’s toned down.
Brooke: It’s an herbal?
Stacey: No, it’s a white tea.
Brooke: Well then, I don’t want it.
Stacey: Yeah it’s more on the expensive side. But I think it would be worth getting a little bit though.

Tea Vibes:

Stacey: I really like this tea. It has everything I want in a fruity tea: smooth, mellow, and not too sweet. You can taste a lovely flowery concoction that brings about a calm and soothing feeling. I would definitely recommend! 8/10

Brooke: Each of your family members got something right. They all touched on an aspect that I agreed with. Overall this tea is rather fluffy; I’m actually kind of full after a few sips, it was very filling. Its tones are surprisingly deep for such light flavours. As much as it would be nice to have, I don’t like the price of white tea. 7/10.

Final Thoughts:

Lorie: Buddha’s Blend is an Easter treat!
Dad: You have it every day, how is it a treat?
Grandma: It’s a treat for me; I’ve never had it before!

I love my family. 🙂

Until next tea,
Stacey and Brooke

Santa’s Secret

Readers!! Readers!!

We’ve DONE it! We are on the LAST DavidsTea Day of Tea! That’s right, with this final post, our 24 Days of Tea venture will be complete. Stacey and I realize that we’re three months overdue and that “Christmas” is a little passé but hey. Bring it on Santa. We’ve got this.

Tea: Santa’s Secret

DAVIDsTEA description: Need a little helper?

Ever wonder how Santa manages to deliver all those presents in just one night? Well here’s the hush-hush formula. He uses a special combination of Chinese black tea, peppermint leaves and spices – all sprinkled with real little candy canes. It’s both energizing and remarkably soothing. All Santa needs is one cup and his motto changes from “ho ho ho” to “go go go”.

Ingredients: Chinese black tea, peppermint leaves, candy cane sprinkles.

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We each scooped 1.5tsp into our mugs and added 98°C water, letting them steep for a total of 6 minutes. We were a bit apprehensive what with the mini candy canes and holiday spirit.

Brooke: Huh. Weird, it smells like chocolate mint but there’s no chocolate ingredients.
Stacey: It smells like Read My Lips! Wait, is it sacrilegious to have Christmas tea at Easter? Not that we’re religious.
Brooke: Nah, Santa and the Easter bunny won’t mind.
Stacey: Cheers!

*sip*

Brooke: Whoa. Christmas.

Stacey: Yup! Oh man, this would have been really good to have on Christmas eve! Hey, at least it’s cold out today…

Brooke: No seriously, this is a 100% perfect Christmas tea. The flavour is really specific. This isn’t just a mint tea, it’s a candy cane tea.

Stacey: Why didn’t we just cheat and have this on Christmas eve? Aw, I feel jipped.

Brooke: STACEY!

Stacey: Does it say that it’s smooth?

Brooke: No, it says it’s soothing.

Stacey: I’d change it. It’s smooth, there are no harsh flavours.. just.. candy cane..

Brooke: …

Stacey: I guess I’d call that soothing then. Oh.

Brooke: It’s such a nice and sweet feeling.

Stacey: Saving the best for last, DAVIDsTEA, wow. Next Christmas, this one is coming out early.

Brooke: I love it. I just… I love it! It’s so perfect for the holidays, you’re right. It’ll be a must have next season.

Stacey: Mhmm! Mmm.. Mhmm! All of the images from Christmas are flooding in right now.

Brooke: Yeah if we closed our eyes we could imagine all of the decorations are still up on the mantle, our lights are shining on our porch…

Stacey: Yep. It reminds me a lot of that other minty tea Read My Lips… but I like it better.

Brooke: Why?

Stacey: I don’t know… it’s more subtle. It doesn’t throw all of these different flavours at you.

Brooke: Oh Santa, you sly dog, you! Can I have some more?

Tea Vibes:

Brooke: Ahh. This tea is a delightful reminder that there are perks during winter. Its smooth and creamy texture brings the warmth right into your centre and its candy cane flavours bring out all the Christmas cheer you didn’t even know you had. I would happily recommend this to all when it comes out again next winter (but let’s not think about that right now). Deliciously delightful. 9/10

Stacey: I would say that if I were Santa, I would definitely choose this tea over a glass of milk. [Brooke: But Stacey! You don’t like milk!] That’s beside the point!  This is a really good tea and I would recommend it to anyone for the holidays. It gives you that Christmas imagery you so often crave when you lack the white Christmas. It reminds you of spending time with the family. It’s a very nice smooth black tea; not too harsh. The mint is wonderfully delicious- it stays with you the entire sip, not very strong, just constant comfort. Merry Christmas. 9.5/10

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And with that, our 24 Days of DAVIDsTEA journey is now complete. We did it! Look forward to a special Easter Egg post coming soon, featuring Stacey’s extended family, as well as a summary post with our favourites and recommendations from the set.

Thank you so much for following along for these past few months. As we begin our next adventure with Nourish Tea in the next few weeks, we hope you stick around to try them with us. : )

Until next tea,
Brooke and Stacey