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Roswell Strange drank 2016 Chocobrick Ripe Puer by white2tea

16384 tasting notes

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Finished this one off Western style on the walk home from work.

It was about eleven at night, and everything was silent and calm with a gentle breeze and the kind of coolness and stillness that comes right after a rainfall. Really, it was the perfect set up for a long, contemplative cup of tea while deep in reflection.

Flavour wise, this was really rich and had the sort of damp, wet earthiness of a garden after heavy rainfall – you know, that petrichor quality. There was a cocoa quality to the body of the sip which made it feel indulgent and comforting, especially tied in with the physical warmth of each slow sip. That date note I observed when I drank this one Gong Fu was still present in the undertones.

Even though I was outside surrounded by cool air, it was the sort of cup of tea that made me feel like I was inside, curled in a big fluffy blanket with some sad music playing in the background and a warm cup of tea in hand. I’d be sitting by the window, with it cracked so I could feel the coolness of the breeze, and hear the impact of heavy rain falling on the ground outside. One of those evening where there’s peacefulness in the sadness of it all, if that makes sense?

Anyway – I’m really happy I got to try this tea. It was a really beautiful experience, and the flavour was really solid whether I was looking at it from a more analytical perspective while Gong Fu-ing or from a more artistic and open for interpretation stance while drinking it Western.

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T4XH-q8ELY&list=WL&index=4

This is totally the kind of music that would be playing in the background while I watched the rain. Beautiful, slow, and reflective…

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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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