Pink Flamingo

I’ve been drinking this tea since day one, so it’s a shame I didn’t get around to writing about it earlier.  Now that I’m at the end of my tin, I think it’s time to talk.

The details:

Type: Herbal

Bought at: David’s Tea

Description: Try this sweet, citrusy cocktail of oranges, tangerines and lemongrass.  It’s got hibiscus and beetroot to turn it a natural shade of hot pink, plus blackberry leaves for a sunny burst of Vitamin C, apple and carrot for extra sweetness, and eucalyptus leaves for kick.

What I think:

This is a very, very fruity tea from David’s Tea.  Dry, it smells amazing.  Very strong lemon and orange scents with a hint of something very different – my guess is the eucalyptus.  As the tea’s steeping, it goes from a light, lovely pink to a deeper, richer almost-red pink (hence the name).  Steeped, it smells incredible: a very light, sweet citrus scent.  It’s important to mention that the leaves and grass in this tea are very pesky.  Without a very fine infuser, you’ll end up with bits of green floating around your mug.

This tea is pretty delicious!  A great replacement for a summer juice, since it tastes very much like a light, unsweetened lemonade.  After taking a sip, the zest stays on the back of my tongue, a little sour.  It’s a very flavourful tea, and I usually steep it for the maximum suggested time to get everything I can out of those dried fruits!  I definitely prefer this tea with a little sugar or honey though.  It becomes a little less sour, while still maintaining its strong citrus taste.

If citrus is your thing, then this tea is great.  More specifically, if lemon is your thing.  Personally, the sour notes in this tea are a little much for me, so I don’t think I’ll be refilling my tea tin anytime soon.

Luscious Watermelon

Sorry, sorry, sorry for being away for so long.  I went on a bit of an extended vacation, but now I’m back.  And will make up for lost time!

The details:

Type: Herbal

Bought at: David’s Tea

Description: What would summer be without a thick slice of pink and green watermelon in your hand?  Mingling honeydew, strawberry leaves and apple with generous chunks of watermelon, this fruit-packed tea is overflowing with juicy melon flavour.

What I think:

I’m in heaven.  The dry tea has a very, very sweet scent that reminds me of summer.  It actually smells a lot like watermelon gummies!  But similar to Perfect Pear, once steeped the scent becomes very light.  It steeps to a pale yellow, but little pieces sneak through my infuser and end up in my cup.

This tea is yummy!  A little sweet, a little tart, and definitely chock-full of melon.  Personally, I prefer stronger tasting teas.  I added a bit of sugar to see what would happen, and unfortunately it didn’t really work out.  The tea gets far too sweet, and I find the sugar distracts from the flavours in the tea.

When iced, this tea is amazing!  A light and delicious replacement for an iced tea or iced lemonade.

Overall, this tea is pretty good although not quite as strong as I’d hoped, given its incredible dry tea scent.  If you want a very light tea, give this a shot.  I find that it rates very closely to Perfect Pear.  Light and a little tart, appropriate for a hot summer’s day.

Tropicalia

Just so you know, this is hands down my favourite summer tea.

The details:

Type: Herbal

Bought at: David’s Tea

Description: So you want to go somewhere really exotic this summer.  A place where the sun is shining and the drinks are plentiful.  Where the sands are white, the water is clear and the sky is blue.  No problem.  Just ice yourself a cup of this herbal blend.  Not only does it taste just like a pina colada, it makes you feel as happy as one too.

What I think:

This tea is as close as you can get to pina colada.  The smell is bang on, with heavy pineapple and coconut scents.  Chock full of dried fruit, the dry tea is fairly chunky in consistency.

The tea steeps to a lovely light yet bright yellow, but the smell decreases in intensity.  As far as taste goes, it’s spot on.  It’s like a light pina colada: sweet enough without being overpowering.  Once I’ve finished the cup, the taste of coconut remains.  And although it’s delicious hot, it’s incredible cold…

I don’t have any rum in the house right now, but if I did I would definitely throw some into the iced tea.  This tea would definitely make a great base for a cold, alcoholic pina colada. Maybe throw in some coconut milk to give it that creamy texture?  Perfection.

As my little intro note says, this is my favourite summer tea from David’s Tea.  It’s a real, true pineapple/coconut flavour, no silly substitutes.  It’s great hot, it’s great cold, and I’m sure it would be best alcoholic.  But that’s just my opinion…  Now excuse me while I tan in my backyard with this delicious tea in hand.

Perfect Pear

This is one of the five new summer teas that David’s Tea recently released.  Obviously, I picked them all up – more reviews to come, very soon!

The details:

Type: Herbal

Bought at: David’s Tea

Description: This summer, we decided to make the best iced tea ever.  It had to be sweet and fruity, but a little bit tart.  Familiar, yet unexpected.  Delicious on its own, or with a splash of gin and a mint spring.  In a word, perfect.  And after searching high and low, we found a tea that fits the bill.  A bright, flavourful blend of pear and apple with a hint of vanilla, it’ll quench your thirst but leave you wanting more.  As if summer wasn’t already perfect enough…

What I think:

The dry tea smells exactly the way I hoped it would… Rich and sweet, like the perfect pear.  The dry mix is chunky and heavy, so you don’t really get much bang for your buck with this tea.  Twenty grams only gave me 2 – 3 cups worth.

The steeped tea has a very, very weak pear smell.  The tea steeps to a lovely light yellow, but little bits and pieces sneak through even the finest infuser and end up at the bottom of my cup.

At first sip, the tea is tart.  But with a few more sips, I’m able to hone in on the aftertaste – a lingering, true apple pear combination.  I’m not really tasting nor smelling the vanilla beans that are included in the ingredients.  The tea is fruity but sharp, true to the description…  And a touch of sugar makes a world of difference.  The tartness tones down, and it lets me focus on the part I like most – the fruity taste!

When iced (with sugar), the tea reminds me of Vitamin Water, oddly enough.  Light and refreshing, mildly sweet.  Additionally, I can finally taste the vanilla! Mission accomplished.

I have to be honest and say that this tea probably won’t be a repeat buy.  It’s definitely best when served iced with sugar, but it still doesn’t compete with some of the other iced varieties I’ve tried.  It’s a touch too tart for my liking, like a mixture of pear with granny smith apples.