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Sipdown (126)!

My cupboard number jumped up a bit today thanks to a surprise tea package from the best tea twin in the world, VariaTEA! I’ve already had fun trying out a few of the samples she sent and I’ve picked out a couple more to hopefully get to tomorrow on my day off.

This tea, however, comes from the also awesome MissB!

I don’t know how I felt about this one – I had only really casually read the package when I steeped it up and was also really only giving like a third of my full attention to it when I drank it so my observations for it probably aren’t super on point. For one thing, I definitely thought it was a green base when I drank it. It was just so light without any real notes characteristic of black tea that that’s the last place my mind went to. And, it’s not like Jasmine Greens are uncommon; I figured the ‘fancy’ aspect was the EG added – not the jasmine being adding to an EG.

Also, the jasmine was pretty light! Even without paying super close attention I know that it wasn’t a strong flavour. I think I smelled it more than anything else – but the flavour was very much citrusy (almost too citrusy; like orange peel or lemon peel) bergamot.

I don’t know – I guess I’d try it again while paying more attention, but as is I find it good but kind of lacking, especially now that I know it’s a black base and not a green base. Where’s the base support!?

Unrelated…

I stumbled upon this fun list thing earlier tonight:
http://www.listchallenges.com/the-food-list-challenge/checklist/3

I only got 18/100 though to be fair easily half if not more of the dishes are meat dishes and I haven’t had meat since I was nine – and I certainly wasn’t having snake as a nine year old. It’d be cool to find a vegetarian alternative checklist. How’d everyone else do? Some of the things on there certainly surprised me: Pistachio Ice Cream!? Yeah – it’s damn good (I have a tub in my fridge right now) but is it that unusual it needs to be included? The durian made me think of Fjellrev and Sil – that’s something you can both check off!

TheLastDodo

Fun list! I think I have an unfair advantage, going to culinary school and cooking for a living… I got 86/100! I have never had pistachio ice cream, squirrel or snake so there’s that…
Some of those things were definitely listed so that some people could have things to mark down, like sweet potato fries.

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TheLastDodo

Fun list! I think I have an unfair advantage, going to culinary school and cooking for a living… I got 86/100! I have never had pistachio ice cream, squirrel or snake so there’s that…
Some of those things were definitely listed so that some people could have things to mark down, like sweet potato fries.

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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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