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Roswell Strange drank Sweet Strawberry by DAVIDsTEA

16374 tasting notes

So after a long day out, I got home and saw I had received two things in the mail today!

The first was my most recent swap with the lovely VariaTEA! Likes always she was too kind and included some extra samples – such as this one.

And like you said in your letter, I wholeheartedly agree that we’re now unofficially officially regular swap buddies! ;)

The second package was from BrewTEAlly Sweet and was the tea and teaware I purchased from her! Just like VariaTEA, she too was kind enough to throw in some extra samples (one just happened to be very high on my “to try” list – so that’s yet another to check off!).

I couldn’t resist trying something from both packages, but didn’t really think I’d have enough time to prepare, drink, and properly review two new teas so instead I decided to try one of the teas sent by VariaTEA in the giraffe mug I purchased from BrewTEAlly Sweet!

For the tea preparation, I used 1 1/2 tsp. of leaf in near boiling water in my giraffe mug (I’m assume by the size it’s about 8 oz.) for 5 minutes! The smell of the tea brewing was sweet strawberry type candy (it reminded me of something very particular but I haven’t quite placed what). Actually, what drew me in to this one was a tasting note from VariaTEA on it where she described it as tasting like “strawberry gummy candy” – and I was curious as to how the “gummy” flavor translated to tea. I then saw that it was a white tea and had silver needle in it (my favourite kind of white tea) and I was sold on trying it! Somehow I’ve just been skimming over it everytime I go in store or check the website out…

Tre just go in from work, and let me know that when he brought the tea in before he left for work earlier today, the box from BrewTEAlly Sweet containing the giraffe mug had been hanging from our doorknob outside by an elastic band… Stupid mail delivery guy

Taste wise, this isn’t nearly as subtle as I was expecting it to be. That’s not a bad thing though, and I’m really enjoying the cup. VariaTEA was right, this totally tastes like Strawberry Gummy candy! More specifically, I think it’s reminding me of strawberry gummy bears. The white tea is also quite present which is pretty helpful in maybe negating the sweet notes of the strawberry that, without balance, might be a bit cloying.

I actually like that this isn’t super complex and is relatively straight forward in the flavouring. Sadly, I used half the sample VariaTEA sent me to make my mug, so I might be hoarding that last bit for a while. I can definitely see myself restocking this though! You can never have too many silver needle teas (plus, my “permanent” white teas, in general, are pretty few between in comparison to other tea types).

Also, the giraffe mug is too flippin’ cute! All I think in my head when I look in the mug is “peekaboo!”. Even Tre admitted it’s adorable!

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VariaTEA
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Yay! I am glad you liked this, The first time I had it I was so shocked at just how sweet it was. I think I am getting more used to it but I also have a lot of this tea so if you ever want more, I am happy to share.

BrewTEAlly Sweet
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Yay! I’m so glad you’re happy with it! Wow that took a long time to get to you

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VariaTEA
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BrewTEAlly Sweet
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Yay! I’m so glad you’re happy with it! Wow that took a long time to get to you

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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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