David's Tea Update - Ahhh, they have a flip top!

I recently did a review of their carry travel mug and was quite impressed with it.  But, 2 things that I noted as potential negatives of the carry travel mug were addressed in their new travel mug (at least I think it's new).  I previously noted that you required both hands to open and drink as campared to flip-top versions that you can do with one hand AND the 16oz size might be too big for some if they want to carry it in their bag.  I guess others before me thought the same! :)

 

Now, upon visiting a David's Tea recently, they have a flip-top version and it's slightly smaller at 14oz!  Definitely more handy I would say.  The only negative I see is the strainer might be too small to brew oolong tea.  Right now, my oolong leaves unfurl and fill the entire strainer of the carry travel mug.  This 14oz migh actually be too small for ball-shaped oolong tea.  I think I'll go with that and just be happy with my current one.  (Ahhh, so hard to avoid the grass is always greener mentality, lol!)

Besides the new travel mug, the reason I went into David's Tea was to try an iced tea.  I originally wanted to go to Chatime but the lineup was at least 20 people long!  Didn't have time for that, so headed to David's Tea since it was something I've wanted to try.



16oz iced tea - Organic roasted gyokuro. They make any of their teas iced which is a big draw for many.

Most people would get something fruity or something like their Chocolate Macaroon but I decided to go for an iced Gyokuro.  For tea purest, I'm sure my selection to be iced would receive disappointing head shakes and they would stop reading altogether.  This is because fine green teas are best drunk hot so the nuances can come out.  Although this is true, if the iced tea is brewed hot first, the flavour profile should still come out to a certain extent.  Oolong teas is where each brew might be different so an iced version is less likely to show the nuances.  So anyway, I opted for Gyokuro because I noticed that they had a Roasted Gyokuro which I've never had before.  All hot and iced teas are $3.25 a cup (16oz).

Taste
Expected of a green tea, the grassiness came through with some buttery notes.  But, also quite a bit of bitterness was there too. Gyokuro tea, because it is shaded during part of it's growth, normally produces a umami taste; but that didn't come through. I couldn't taste the roasted quality of the tea either and maybe it was because I had it iced.  However, I've had iced roasted teas from Taiwan and that roasted quality does come out...maybe the roasting is actually very light and is only detected if it was had hot? Maybe the temperature of the water was not right?  Anyway, the taste is indeed that of strong Japanese green tea but the specific roasted and umami quality was not there.  Maybe I'll make my way there some other day and try it hot to compare.

Sugar options include agave, cane sugar, and sweetener. 

The staff will add sugar for you but it is usually a very low amount (which is good).  I actually had to ask for more which was new for me, usually I'm asking for less! 

Service
Very pleasant and eager to assist. 

Overall, I like the fact that you can choose to ice any of their teas, especially great for the summer.  Icing tea that doesn't have any other ingredients but the tea leaves also reminds me of tea shops in Taiwan...yes, yes...more about Taiwan.  Most people would get a drink that is just iced tea of some sort whether it is green, jasmine, oolong, or red/black and have their preferred level of sugar added to it.  This was incredibly inexpensive and something I miss!  For David's Tea to ice any of their teas, it does give the customer the option to try the tea and also to have something flavoured without as many calories of traditional drinks.