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We just had a short little thunder storm, so of course as soon as I heard the rolling thunder I whipped together a Gong Fu set, brewed up some water for my carafe, measured the tea out and was on the porch bracing for the rain!

I got to witness that amazing first crack of rain as the pavement suddenly went from water free to drenched in less than three seconds. So satisfying! The storm stopped about two thirds of my way into the session, and after that I just basked in the petrichor until I ran out of water. I’m literally just back in from outside so here are my ‘notes’ from the session – or more realistically, here’s everything I remember before it vanishes from my brain.

First things first I started with a 5 second rinse, and then a rest.

7 Seconds/Infusion One
- Definitely some astringency; a rougher infusion
- A mix of grass/peat with a tangy soup

10 Seconds/Infusion Two
- Still astringent but less so
- Top note is this tangy “apricot” like quality
- Carries a bit into the soup, but mostly this mineral/peat/artichoke sort of flavour

15 Seconds/Infusion Three
- Pretty well smoothed out
- Light apricot tang/peat/artichoke/mineral/hints of anise
- The taste of the finish/aftertaste reminds me of licking stamps

??? Seconds/Infusion Four
- Totally forgot to time this one; I was mesmerized with the rain… oops.
- Smoothest infusion yet
- Same notes as above but add a faint cream/buttery quality to the list

20 Seconds/Infusion Five
- Has kind of lost the “apricot” note
- Has a really nice sweetness to the body though
- Finish is taking on a bit of a heady floral quality

30 Seconds/Infusion Six
- Repeat of the previous infusion, but we’ve lost the buttery quality

35 Seconds/Infusion Seven
- Same but milder overall
- With the exception of the sweetness which is really bright and noticeable

40 Seconds/Infusion Eight
- Lightest infusion yet
- Mostly artichoke top notes, sweet body, floral finish

And at this point I ran out of water, so I just ended the session. I feel like I got the best out of the tea anyway; and the rain was over. It was a very peaceful session all in all, though! I’m really enjoying these more regular Gong Fu sessions out on the porch!

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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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