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GCTTB V2

My first tea from Bitterleaf; but hopefully many more in the future. This is definitely a company that’s interested me for quite some time so I’m definitely excited to see the variety of samples in the tea box…

When I was measuring this one out I definitely assumed it was a jasmine scented white tea but before I started infusing I had the thought to actually look this one up and it’s actually a green tea? I mean – these buds look EXACTLY like Yin Zhen. I feel a little cheated that this is green tea; jasmine green is no where near as good as a jasmine white or black, imo.

But the tea tastes pretty solid: I got around six infusions before I got bored with the tea. Not to say that I couldn’t have further infused the tea as the jasmine was still a relatively strong presence in the cup but by that time I was done with the session. I’ve never been a “ten infusions in and still pushing” kind of tea drinker. The jasmine was quite potent in the first infusions though – almost to the point of being just a little nauseating. It didn’t taste artificial or chemical; just mighty intense. In fact, for essentially all my infusions it was such a dominant flavour that I couldn’t really taste the base anyway. Though, when I finally started to get more of a presence of it the flavour was mostly peachy sweetness and a gentle grassy note.

I’m happy to have tried this one; it was a perfect, lighter midday session in a day mostly filled with more heavy bodied/dominant teas. That said, I wouldn’t buy it myself when I have other jasmine teas on hand that I prefer. However, it makes me excited to try more of Bitterleaf’s offerings. Thank you Bitterleaf for your donation to this tea box!

rosebudmelissa

I sometimes brew strongly flavored Jasmine teas with much less leaf so they’re not so overwhelming.

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rosebudmelissa

I sometimes brew strongly flavored Jasmine teas with much less leaf so they’re not so overwhelming.

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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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