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Roswell Strange drank Peachy Lychee by DAVIDsTEA

16384 tasting notes

On to Peachy Lychee!

So, this is the one that both Kandyce and I were the most excited about! For different reasons, though – for me I was mostly pumped about having a lychee offering in our collection, I’ve been asking for one even before I got hired! I’m also even more excited because it’s a black lychee tea. Kandyce was excited because it’s the only two in this collection that’s able to be made into a latte, and I suppose we were both stoked because there there’s no added sweeteners/stevia in this one.

The dry leaf for this one smells really amazing; distinctly of lychee, but also of the same juicy/bright peach aroma that Just Peachy has – which tastes amazing as well. We were SO excited for this one!

However, brewed up as an iced tea this was a little unimpressive. Both the peach and lychee flavours were present in the brewed cup, but they lacked any sense of brightness/juiciness and they felt rather flat/forced. As well, the overall blend came out very weird tasting: not quite bitter, but definitely in that sort of flavour range/close to bitter. We couldn’t exactly place what was off about it until our managed Dani tasted it and loved it – it was at that point that we realized this one has white hibiscus in it; and then it sort of clicked for us! The white hibiscus is largely what makes Buddha’s Blend taste so bitter, and neither Kandyce nor myself like that blend AT ALL because we dislike the white hibiscus so much. On the other hand, Dani adores Buddha’s Blend/doesn’t taste anything weird with the white hibiscus. So, I definitely think that’s what was weird about this tea for us.

However, all in all I don’t think this one it worth giving up on! I’m still committed to finding a way to brew this one up that tastes good because I will enjoy the lychee tea, damnit! So, that means I’ll be trying it hot, as a latte, and definitely playing around with steep times to try and get a better brew. It just smells so good, damnit! I know I can get it to taste the same way!

Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts regarding the teas, and not the company’s.

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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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