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When I first bought this tea I had no idea what was in it. I hadn’t read the ingredients list at all – I was just sort of interested in the name and sort of on a whim asked if I could smell it. It smelled like creamsicles to me, but heavy on the citrus. And there was a very, very faint smell of something I thought was mint. I got a very small amount of it to try – and I’m happy I did, because this has turned into a favourite herbal tea of mine that’s perfect for before bed on those days when everything has gone all wrong.

I now have about 100g of it – I find it THAT good.

To me, the dry leaf smells most predominantly of gooseberries and oranges – I still don’t get an overwhelming smell of the Spearmint and if there’s one thing I dislike about this tea, that’s probably it. I appreciate and welcome when a nice slap in the face of mint. For anyone who has never been fortunate enough to try cape gooseberries, you really should! They come in the coolest little husks and taste like a tropical tomato. The most similar taste comparison I can think of is a tart pineapple.

Steeped, the liquor is a brighter, just verging on a orange, yellow colour. The smell of the steeped tea, like I’ve seen mentioned here, is definitely creamsicle, with a freshness truly brought out by the Spearmint. And taste wise, I can taste the vanilla creaminess of a creamsicle too. The mild tartness definitely comes from the gooseberries, but it’s a tartness I really enjoy! And yes, way deep down I can taste spearmint too – more so on the tail end of the sip in a way that makes this a very refreshing tea.

I just love this tea though! At any temperature it’s delicious and occasionally I can even get a second steep out of it, albeit one much milder. Still good though!

A Gooseberry and Orange Creamsicle.

Preparation
7 min, 0 sec

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Bio

Hello! My name is Kelly, though many people in the tea community call me Ros or Roswell.

I am a mid-twenties tea addict, blogger, and all around nerd. I grew up in the Prairies, but a few years ago I relocated to Quebec to pursue a career with DAVIDsTEA in the tea industry! I’m still working on getting my French language skills down…

My first introduction to tea, in any form outside of instant and bottled iced tea, was about seven years ago when I happened to stumble upon DAVIDsTEA while looking for a birthday present for a friend! I tried their Birthday Cake rooibos blend, and I’ve been hooked on tea ever since! In those seven years; I was introduced to the online tea community, expanded my interest in flavoured teas to include a deep love and appreciation for straight teas and traditional brewing methods, got a tea themed tattoo, started reviewing teas, amassed a sizable tea and teaware collection, became a TAC certified Tea Sommelier, & even came full circle by beginning a career in the tea industry with DAVIDsTEA!

I consider myself a Jack of all Teas, and strive to have a knowledge and appreciation of all tea types, formats, and styles of drinking. I don’t like to feel boxed in to just being a “flavoured tea” or “straight tea” drinker – my expectations may vary depending on the type of tea or how it’s been processed/prepared but if it’s good tea, it’s good tea no matter how it’s been made!

You name it, I probably drink it- and I’ll absolutely try anything at least once.

My default method of preparation is hot, Western style, and straight – but I’m not opposed to additions if I’m in the right mood. If I ever add something to a tea or use a different method of preparation I will ALWAYS call it out in the tasting note though.

I like to listen to music when drinking tea, especially when I’m brewing a large pot at a time or steeping Gongfu. Often I curate very intentional tea and music pairings, and sometimes I share them here in my tasting reviews. Music is something that I find can deeply affect the experience of having tea.

I’m also one half of the “tea and fandom” podcast GeekSteep where, weekly, we discuss newly explored fandoms over tea as well as try to figure out the perfect tea to pair with each fandom. You can find us on Spotify and Apple & Google podcasts.

Favourite flavour notes/ingredients: Pear, lychee, cranberry, cream, melon, pineapple, malt, roasty, petrichor, sweet potato, heady florals like rose, hazelnut or walnut, sesame, honey (in moderation), and very woody shou.

Least favourite flavour notes/ingredients:
Lemongrass, ginger, strongly spiced profiles (and most Chai in general), mushrooms, seaweed, chamomile, stevia, saltiness or anything that reminds me too much of meat that isn’t supposed to taste like meat…

Currently exploring/obsessed with: Sheng from Yiwu, Yancha (Qilan in particular), anything with a strong sweet potato note. Also, I need to try ALL the root beer teas! Searching for a really good caramel flavoured blend, ideally with a black tea base.

Please contact me at the instagram account listed below if you would like me to review your teas.

Currently I’m employed in the tea department of the DAVIDsTEA head office. While I’m still sharing my own personal thoughts on new & existing DAVIDsTEA blends, I am no longer numerically rating them due to the obvious conflict of interest. Any comments expressed are a reflection of my own thoughts and opinions, and do not reflect the thoughts and opinions of the company. Any DAVIDsTEA blends you currently see with a numeric score were reviewed prior to my being hired there and have not been adjusted since becoming a DAVIDsTEA employee.

Location

Montreal, QC, CA

Website

https://www.instagram.com/ros...

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