Day 15: Honey, I Dew

Happy December 15th everyone!

As seems to be a trend this year, our schedules and the time change only allowed me and Brooke to sip our teas together for about 10 minutes. At least we can fit in a few minutes, right? Onward!

Tea: Honey, I Dew

Description: In Vietnam, melons are a sign of good luck. In Chinese medicine, they’re said to help cool the body down. Around here, we think they’re just about the tastiest fruit around – especially when you pair them with fresh, delicate white tea. With fruity hints of pineapple and mango, this melon-packed blend is refreshing, juicy and naturally sweet. The best part? This tea was named by our customers! Is there anything they can’t dew?

Ingredients: Apple, white tea, pineapple, (pineapple, sugar), melon (melon, sucrose, calcium chloride, citric acid, natural melon flavouring), mango (mango, sugar), rose petals, natural watermelon flavouring)

—

Stacey: I have so many little bitties in my tea. I would show you but I think I would spill tea on my keyboard.
Brooke: Well that certainly wouldn’t be very good. Keep it safe!

*sip*

Brooke: This tea would be SO nice in the summer as an ice tea! It has all the things you would want in an iced-tea, so much so that you wouldn’t even need to put a sweetener it like agave syrup.
Stacey: Agreed, but because it’s a white tea I don’t mind that it’s warm. It has the flavour of sweetness, without being too sweet…if that makes sense.
Brooke: I feel very weird drinking something so fruity at 8 in the morning.
Stacey: I feel less odd because it’s 11 am here.
Brooke: I think DavidsTea did a good job capturing the flavour of honeydew melon. I absolutely taste that.
Stacey: Agreed, I think this is a rare tea where you taste exactly what you smell. Also there’s apple in here.
Brooke: Right, it is the first ingredient. Dang.

Brooke had to head to another Let’s Talk Science event, so we continued our review via text: 

Stacey: I like this tea, but I’m not blown away.
Brooke: I am drinking it now, it’s at room temperature and wow! So much nicer. I would drink this all the time!
Stacey: I’d say it would be an “every now and then” tea.
Brooke: Mmm, Stacey! It’s like calorie-free juice. Still tea-y but fun!
Stacey: Actually, it isn’t calorie free. The website says there are 10 calories per cup.
Brooke: Ack! My blood sugar!

My Mom also had a few thoughts for today’s tea:

Lorie: This tea would be great iced, it tastes exactly like melon. It makes me think of summer and eating melon in my backyard.

—

Final Thoughts

Stacey: This tea didn’t necessarily ‘wow’ me, but it did have a lot of good flavours. I think I would have to try this one cold to give it a full review, but if you like honey dew this one’s for you!

Brooke: I say have this brew cold, or not at all. It was a very strange feeling to have such a sweet and fruity drink so early in the morning and so darn hot, but when it cooled down- voila! Its existence made sense. 🙂

—

Well, there you have it another summer tea that some how made its way into the #24daysoftea.

Until next tea,
Stacey and Brooke

 

Honey, I Dew want this on ice

Day 2: Mango Madness

Hey tea drinkers!

Stacey here to bring you on day #2 of our 24 day tea journey! Today Brooke and I were able to Skype over my lunch break allowing Brooke to wake up at more decent hour.  And with Ottawa being pretty dreary and Victoria being its rainy self, today’s tea was the perfect fit to add a little sunshine to our day.

Tea: Mango Madness

Description: One sip of this tea and you’ll do anything to get your hands on more. In fact, we’re a bit worried about letting people get a taste. There might be riots. Looting. Traffic jams. It’s a lot of responsibility! But who can blame you for going crazy over this delicious white tea? It’s fruity. It’s refreshing. It tastes just like a ripe piece of mango. In short, it’s total madness.

Ingredients: Apple, white tea, candied pineapple (pineapple, cane sugar, citric acid, sulphur dioxide), orange pieces and peel, safflowers, strawberries, calendula petals, mango (mango, sugar, citric acid, sulphur dioxide), stevia extract and natural mango flavouring.

—

Brooke: Does this tea have apple in it? (Looks back to find our previous post from 2013) Ah yes, I only had a sip of this last time because I worried about my apple allergy.
Stacey: Do you want to risk it this year?
Brooke: Yeah, let’s do it! André is here if I need to go to the hospital.
Stacey: Can you drink it yet or is it too hot?
Brooke: I think we can drink it, here we go!

*sip*

Brooke: ARGH my throat!!… Oh actually , it’s quite smooth!
Stacey: Mmm, I think it has a lot of flavour but it is also very soft and delicate.
Brooke: This tea would make a good iced tea, but not in the same way sleigh ride would because this one is delicious and sleigh ride was not!
André: I agree. I think white teas make great iced teas, especially with coconut. This one tastes like coconut.
Stacey: It tastes very tropical. When I was talking to my Mom earlier it made her think of relaxing on an island.
Brooke: I love that your mom is playing along with us, too! Tropical may be too strong of a word, but it does calm me down and soothe me.
André: Hmm…You do taste the mango but it’s not overpowering. Very mellow.
Stacey: Do you taste a sweetness at the end of this?
Brooke: I wouldn’t have overtly noticed it, no.
Stacey: I didn’t either until the last sip….just as I suspected- they put stevia in it!
Brooke: It wasn’t in the old version of mango madness, I wonder why DavidsTea added it?
André: Now that you mention it, I do notice it is sweeter than it should be.
Stacey: Oh no, now all I taste it the stevia. It might be because my tea is cooler now, it wasn’t as obvious when it was warmer.
Brooke: Well, at least my throat hasn’t closed up!

 

Final thoughts:

Brooke: I really like how soft of a this tea is. It’s not harsh or too sweet, just a delicate reminder of the warmer days that once were.
Stacey: Aren’t you still having warmer days in Victoria?
Brooke: Well certainly warmer than Ottawa but unfortunately we’re not tropical here.
Stacey: Mango Madness doesn’t really make me think of December but it does make me think of the tropics. Good choice for the second day of December with all this wet weather.
Brooke: It’s like DavidsTea knew it would be raining!

We checked in with fellow #24daysoftea followers on twitter to see what they had to say:

@joolstothegools: Fighting a cold but day 2 is reviving my life right now! #24daysoftea

@misssable: This fruity pick-me up is just what I needed this morning #24daysoftea

 

Seems like Mango Madness, brought a touch of the Caribbean to this gloomy day. What did you all think? Did the tea add some sunshine to your day or was it too sweet for your taste buds? Let us know on twitter or in the comments! We’d love to add a dialogue to the blog this year.

Until next tea,
Stacey and Brooke (and André)

Like the sun peaking though the clouds, Mango Madness might just brighten your day.

Day 12: Kokomo Green

Hello readers!

Brooke and I are doing another quick review today because of course we are running around to our various activities. Phew, putting out a review a day is tough! Not to mention this is my third caffeinated tea today. Weeee!

Tea: Kokomo Green

Description: Ooh We Wanna Take Ya

Want to get away from it all? Somewhere exotic, perhaps? Try heading for a little place called Kokomo, where the sun is always hot and the drinks are always ice cold. Where fresh green tea mingles with the fruity, tropical flavours of pineapple, mango and papaya. A place where every aroma is intoxicating and every sip ends in a smile. Yes, this magical place really exists…and we’ve got your first class ticket right here. Down in Kokomo, you’ll be falling in love.

Ingredients: Green tea, papaya, mango, pineapple, rose petals, marigold petals, cornflower petals.

Steeping Instructions: 1.25 tsp, 93°C, 5-7 min

Stacey: Ooo, this smells fruity and nice.
Brooke: Yes, there’s papaya and mango. Real AND artificial! It kind of smells weird when it’s steeped though.
Stacey: Oh…yeah…kind of smells like…throw up.
Brooke: It’s a weird mixture of green tea leaves and fruit.

*sip*

Brooke: Oh. It’s not bad.
Stacey: That didn’t sound too exciting.
Brooke: Nope. (goes back to typing)
Stacey: It’s kind of…bland.
Brooke: I mean it’s not bad. You get a really nice rush of citrus, but nothing too sour. It’s just a bit of an odd mix, when you throw in the green tea leaves with their signature taste.
Stacey: I don’t really taste the citrus though or anything really.
Brooke: Green tea often has a soft taste.
Stacey: But it doesn’t even taste like green tea to me.
Brooke: I think you’re being a little harsh. It’s no coffee cake.
Stacey: No. *sigh*
Brooke: I don’t know. It would make a fantastic iced tea in my opinion.
Stacey: I agree. As an iced tea you could add some honey if you wanted to add a bit more flavour. It would probably quite refreshing on a summer rollerblade or something.
Brooke: Yeah, I think it shouldn’t really be in the 24 days of tea though. It’s a little inappropriate if we are going to stick with the theme of winter and holiday teas. You need a couple of ice cubes and straw if you are drinking this. I don’t dislike it, I just think it’s not the right season for it.

Tea Vibes:

With all this talk of Kokomo Green being a good iced tea, Brooke and I decided to try it out.

Brooke: Hmm. I would be nice on a hot summer day but not now. 2.5/5 from me.
Stacey: Better, but it would still need some honey or something. 2.75/5 But only if it’s iced.

Well everyone, this may not be the right tea to drink today (given that it is -22°C (feels like -27°C)), but hey, at least we’re halfway through the countdown! Christmas is almost here–hooray!

Until next tea,
Stacey and Brooke

Bundle up out there! Brr!

Day 8: Mango Madness

Hey tea lovers!

Hope you have been enjoying the December weather, wherever you are! Today we had some excellent yoga at Lululemon and popped open this delicious bouquet. A treat for the nose AND the taste buds. Enjoy!

Tea: Mango Madness

DAVIDsTEA Description: Go Crazy

One sip of this tea and you’ll do anything to get your hands on more. In fact, we’re a bit worried about letting people get a taste. There might be riots. Looting. Traffic jams. It’s a lot of responsibility! But who can blame you for going crazy over this delicious white tea? It’s fruity. It’s refreshing. It tastes just like a ripe piece of mango. In short, it’s total madness.

Ingredients: Apple pieces, white Bai Mu Dan tea, orange peel, pineapple, mango, orange slices, freeze dried tangerine pieces, safflower petals, freeze dried strawberry pieces, marigold blossoms, artificial flavouring

Tea Instructions: 2 tsp,  94°C, 5-7 min

—

Brooke: Oh, wait… this tea has apple pieces in it. As the main ingredient. WHY DO THEY DO THIS?

Stacey: Well, this will make for a fun blog post.

Brooke: I can comment about the smell!

Stacey: *sigh*

Brooke: Ooh what a lovely aroma! Reminds me of the Caribbean.

Stacey: Have you ever been to the Caribbean?

Brooke: …No.

Stacey: It’s smells like fruit punch. Er, I don’t know. Yes, fruit punch!

Brooke: Stacey, I’m supposed to comment about the smell!

Stacey: Oh, sorry.

*sip*

Stacey: WAIT! It’s too hot.

Brooke: FINE!

Stacey: Mmmm Mango!

Brooke: Is that seriously the best you can do?

Stacey: Oh I’m sorry, why don’t you take a sip?

Brooke: …

Stacey: Mm, yep, it’s a great mixture of a bunch of flavours. Definitely a lot of mango but you can taste all of the other fruits in there. Pineapple, more tropical fruits, I feel like I am so not the person to be doing this. I need your input!

Brooke: Let’s go to the Carribean.

Stacey: Sounds good. Wait, didn’t we already have that option and we picked Timmins?

Brooke: …Yes.

Stacey: Jam packed full of flavour, but not too sweet! It’s nice and subtle, perfect blend!

Brooke: What if I just have ONE sip and don’t drink the whole cup?

Stacey: Well if you do I don’t want to hear a word about it. “Oh, my throat is closing in!”

Brooke: …Okay. : (

—

Tea Vibes:

Stacey: I really like this one! The fruity flavours are so delicate and the aromas are fantastic. 4/5

Brooke: Bah humbug.

Until next tea,

Brooke and Stacey

I love google images. 

Green & Fruity

Tea lovers!

Welcome back to our regular programming. Stacey and I are sitting at our dining room table grinning at each other over our steaming mugs after a lovely evening together. Ohh it feels good. We’re back!

Tea: Green & Fruity

DAVIDsTEA description: Now that’s fresh.

When it comes to rooibos, some say green is the new red. Because while red rooibos tastes great, some say the new wave of unoxidized green rooibos is even better. What’s so special? The production process, which is similar to that of green tea, gives it a smooth, fresh taste. Here we’ve topped it up with the tropical flavours of papaya, apple, mango and peach.

Ingredients: South African green and red rooibos, apple, mango, papaya.

—

We steeped our mugs for 7 minutes at 98C with 1.25tsp of loose leaf per mug before taking out our infusers and BAM- what a smell and what a beautiful colour. We were dazzled!

Brooke: Ooooh it smells wonderful! Wait. I’m nervous.
Stacey: Why?
Brooke: It might be TOO fruity! It smells like fruit punch. I’m scared.
Stacey: Oooh but I love the colour, it’s a beautiful orange! Kind of like a sunset. Let’s go!

*sip*

Brooke: Oooh! Lovely!
Stacey: Hmm… It’s not sweet at all. It’s like a dull dirty tea.
Brooke: DULL DIRTY?
Stacey: NO, Brooke. FRUITY. Dull fruity! I said it tastes fruity but without the sweetness. I don’t know. It doesn’t punch you in the face with sweetness like Goji Pop.
Brooke: Oh, okay. Well, I love it. I really appreciate how soft the flavour is, it’s almost floral. No bitterness, no tartness. Yum.
Stacey: I agree! I like this one.
Brooke: Is there green tea in this or just green rooibos? I definitely TASTE green tea.
Stacey: Hopefully just rooibos, it’s 9PM and we know what caffeine does to me.
Brooke: Hehe, yes. Well wow, the green rooibos is definitely a neat addition- not your regular rooibos tisane! Whew!

Did you know that only brews made with the plant  Camellia sinensis are considered teas? Green, black, white, oolong- they’re all from the same plant, just prepared and processed differently. Any herbals like rooibos or chamomile are called tisanes and are made with different herbs. The more you drink…!

Stacey: You know what, I’m going to go back to my dull statement… I’m slightly bored now. It does have that hint of sweetness at the end but I’m kind of over it at this point. Now it seems to lack flavour.
Brooke: What?? YOU lack flavour! Don’t let the tea hear you. I like it!

Tea Vibes:

Stacey: Hm, I feel bad, but I think I’m kind of disappointed with this one. This tea started off exciting with the colour and smell, but it pittered off at the end. I wanted more out of this one. It’s a different kind of fruity, it lacks what the others had with tartness and sweetness. I think overall I could do without it. It’s not my kind of tea. Smelled good… but in the end, it didn’t hold my attention and I got bored. 6/10

Brooke: No no no, I disagree completely! It reminds me of peaches. More like the candy but without the sour sugar, Mmm. That’s what I smelled at the beginning, not fruit punch. I really like how subtle it is, I like how soft the flavour is and how with every sip you get a little wave of fruit while still being weighted with the taste of green rooibos. I like it. Stacey, YOU’RE dull dirty. This tea is fabulous. 8/10

Oh my. I think this may be the first time we’ve differed so much on our tea preferences. Have you tried this one yet? What did you think?

I think Stacey’s a nut. :- )

Until next tea,

Brooke and Stacey

C. sinensis, lookin’ good.