Roswell Strange Send Message

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drank Orange Matcha by Red Leaf Tea
16374 tasting notes

Ughhh…

I feel like I accomplished none of the things I wanted to this evening to make up for my horrible work day, and that just leaves me feeling kind of defeated (as if I let the day get the better of me). I was going to start my Christmas baking (which I REALLY need to have finished before Saturday evening) and reward myself which yummy cookies, and I also had two new teas set aside to try (this one and 52Tea’s Cucumber Mango Shou Mei) as well. I guess I just didn’t realize how physically exhausted I was from work on top of feeling mentally exhausted, and I just never started my baking and I kept putting off trying the teas I had set aside…

Eventually Tre and I started to have a really good conversation that lasted several hours, and by the time we were done it and I had thought “hmm, lets go try that shou mei!” I looked at the clock and it was midnight. No more time for baking, and definitely not time to properly enjoy two new teas…

So, I am making a note for myself that tomorrow I need to start my baking before work and actually finish at least two of the five recipes, otherwise they will not be done in time!!!.

I decided I had to pull at least something out of the wasted evening though, so I’m having one of the teas and that will have to be enough. This is the one I picked, primarily because I figured making it would require the least amount of effort. I received this matcha in the “take it away” thread from Iridium who, I believe, received it from Lala in the same thread. Pair that with the fact that my only two other matcha experiences were definitely both negative ones (funnily enough, both other ones I’ve tried were from Lala as well), and I did not have high hopes.

Dry, the matcha actually smells pretty good. It reminds me of fizzy vitamin C tablets you put in water to make them dissolve, and then the water got all carbonated. My dad used to make my brother and I drink those all the time back when he was going through his “super health junkie” type phase and obsessing over my brother and I having poor eating habits and being obese. Normally, the stupid shit he used to try on us (so many vitamins…) really pissed me off and tasted disgusting, but I actually really liked those fizzy vitamin C tablets. They tasted kinda like orange pop but less sweet.

I should note I have NO clue what the “specifications” of this matcha are (whether it’s robust or distinctive or otherwise)…

For preparation, I decided to cold shake this because it’s probably the easiest way I know how to do this given I don’t really have any of the “tools” to make matcha. Also, it’s fast to do. So, I used 1/2 tsp (I think last time I was using full teaspoons, but I was really cautious this time so I definitely made sure to use less) of the matcha for a grand total of 20 oz. of water. I’m pretty sure that’s watered down from where it’s supposed to be at.

I’m actually gonna admit that a small part of why I cold shook it has to do with the fact my water bottle is not see through, and this small superficial part of me cannot get over drinking something that is green (and not an appetizing shade of it) that – in my mind – should not be green. Oranges are not supposed to be green, eggnog is not supposed to be green, etc. It’s hard for me to get over that – and by drinking it this way, I visually can’t see the green. It’s easier to forget that way…

As far as smell goes, I’m still getting “fizzy vitamin C tablets”. It actually smells quite nice, in my opinion.

As far as taste goes, this is more akin to chewable orange flavoured vitamins. There’s actually even a “chalky” taste to it that I associate with those kind of vitamins. And really, those are my favorite vitamins – and I, oddly enough, am loving the taste here! Although, I think in my unflavoured matchaccino review I said something to the effect of “yuck, YUCK, YUCK_, *_YUCK*” – so suppose it’s not really hard for this to be much of a step up.

But no – I don’t think I’m gonna have any issues getting through this! Which, I’m frankly finding really odd…

Also, has anyone tried making matcha tea soda? I feel like this would be really easy to do in comparison to regular tea soda because it’d be much more easy to manage the concentration level. I bet with some club soda in here, I could really make it taste like fizzy vitamin C tablets…

Maybe I’ll have to try that tomorrow?
1 comments
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Lala
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This one is robust flavouring.

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Lala
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This one is robust flavouring.

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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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