90

Well balls.

Janelle just got here, and after adding in all my samples I purchased from her I’m now at 94 teas – which is the most I’ve ever had, with tons more on the way still. I have so many choices, and no idea what to dig into next.

Thankfully, after trying one of my RiverTea blends I had already started making this one (have to try something from each package, after all) so that makes the current decision much easier. After this, though, I think I need to tear into my Della Terra samples next so I can decide what I just need to pick up during their Black Friday sale. So, that leaves four Della Terra samples to finish (or at least try once) within a day and a half. I can do that.

Anyway, I stuck to the package instructions for this one. With the limited amount of Butiki teas I’ve tried – Stacy’s steeping instructions have yet to steer me wrong. Dry, the leaf for this smells quite like natural unprocessed maple (which I suppose it is). I feel like a lot of teas that try to recreate that sort of “maple syrup” kind of maple go WAY too sugary and sweet – but this smells just right. Sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. A gentle maple sweetness if you will. The pecan also comes through in smell, to me a bit less than the maple though.

Taste wise – this is a very gentle cup with delicate flavours. When the tea first met my lips I got some very slight citrus notes that were quite present and even though in the initial sip you do taste maple and pecan, the flavours from the two don’t really feel like they start to “set in” until you’re swallowing – and then your mouth is left with this very rich maple pecan taste, with the pecan really being the star in the end. Super creamy and smooth and just perfect – like I imagined it would be. I like that about Butiki teas: they live up to your expectations (and often exceed them) in my experience.

I think this is a perfect tea for when you want something sweet but not overpowering. I think this will be the perfect tea for when I’m in the mood to just have a quiet and relaxed evening, like now. Just sorta simply perfect. I have no reservations – this is going straight into the blue oolong tin that Tre bought me yesterday as part of my “gonna have to keep restocked” collection of teas.

Can’t wait to resteep :)

EDIT: The resteep was still very good – I feel like I got more citrus and pecan notes and less maple. Ultimately, though I think I liked the first steep better.

VariaTEA

I have wanted to try this for so long. It is yet another Butiki tea that everyone just seems to love. I don’t think I have read a single bad review about it.

Roswell Strange

It was one of the top teas on my “if I ever have enough money for a Butiki order…” list. First Butiki tea I ever tried, though, was Watermelon Xylophone which I just think is so amazing! Since unpacking and finding storage spots for the 35 teas I acquired today I’m opened up all the packages from Butiki to smell the blends and EVERYTHING smells amazing, but ESPECIALLY the oolongs (I ended up getting five oolongs and then a sample size of an oolong).

Roswell Strange

**I’ve opened up

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VariaTEA

I have wanted to try this for so long. It is yet another Butiki tea that everyone just seems to love. I don’t think I have read a single bad review about it.

Roswell Strange

It was one of the top teas on my “if I ever have enough money for a Butiki order…” list. First Butiki tea I ever tried, though, was Watermelon Xylophone which I just think is so amazing! Since unpacking and finding storage spots for the 35 teas I acquired today I’m opened up all the packages from Butiki to smell the blends and EVERYTHING smells amazing, but ESPECIALLY the oolongs (I ended up getting five oolongs and then a sample size of an oolong).

Roswell Strange

**I’ve opened up

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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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