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Roswell Strange drank Dragon Blood 2015 Spring Lin Cang Zi Juan Raw Purple Tea by Bitterleaf Teas

16384 tasting notes

Gong Fu Sipdown (237)!

Finally finished this one off, and to be honest I’m kind of at a cross roads because while I definitely enjoy this tea I’m not sure if I enjoy it enough to warrant getting more of it. I’m also not sure if ultimately I enjoyed it more brewed Western or Gong Fu.

I did share this session with my mom, and one thing is for sure – she did not enjoy it. It’s not a slight towards Bitterleaf at all – this was just a tea she was set up to hate: she doesn’t like smoky teas, Pu’erh, or green tea and in a way this is kind of all of those things. So, it just wasn’t in the cards. Props to her for sticking it out through the whole session though.

Stream of consciousness notes, with excerpts from my mom!

Rinse

7 Sec/Infusion One
- Slight sweetness
- Buttery spinach/artichoke
- Some floral
- M: Moss

10 Sec/Infusion Two
- Darker liquor colour
- That smoke note I’ve learned to expect from this tea is creeping in
- Like fog or, as the case may be, smoke rolling in from a hill?
- Still vegetal/artichoke
- Finish is a wee bit odd; like ‘dentist office’?
- M: Feels like I chewed on Tylenol (I think she’s describing astringency)

12 Sec/Infusion Three
- Same but more smoky
- M: Like washing down bile with a glass of piss

15 Sec/Infusion Four
- Some reemergence of sweet notes
- Floral is totally gone now though
- Bitter melon, artichoke, green pepper
- Lots of smoke
- Pleasant astringent finish
- M: It’s getting better; autumnal
- M: Clarifies; like wet, rotting autumn leaves

20 Sec/Infusion Five
- Liquor getting slightly lighter
- Same as prior but less veggie

30 Sec/Infusion Six
- Smoother
- Possibly due to flavour deterioration

At this point we ended the session; she put in a valiant effort but eventually Mom just had to tap out. Considering her tasting notes, and how much she was struggling though I think she put up a good fight. It was nice to share the experience with her too. Plus, I really liked the tea and I think that ultimately that’s the most important part.

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2 comments

Crowkettle
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Aw, I love Mom notes. My mom is the same way with raw puerh, tieguanyins, and anything mildly smoky. XD

nouveau-tea
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“Like washing down bile with a glass of piss.” That reminds me of something my own mother would say; very eloquent.

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Crowkettle
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Aw, I love Mom notes. My mom is the same way with raw puerh, tieguanyins, and anything mildly smoky. XD

nouveau-tea
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“Like washing down bile with a glass of piss.” That reminds me of something my own mother would say; very eloquent.

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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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