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Normally I wouldn’t have bought straight up hibiscus for myself because I’m really not a fan, but it was a gift so I’m trying to find creative ways to use it where I don’t have to experience the taste of straight, pure hibiscus…

The first attempt at that was with a homemade hibiscus brown sugar syrup! I was making ‘two ingredient pancakes’ (the ingredients are banana and egg) and I didn’t want standard syrup with them. I also added some fresh sliced kiwi to the plate, as well. I think on its own this syrup would have been too bold, fruity, and tart to work with the pancakes which ARE very banana flavoured and sweet, but not so much in a way that would work with the sourness of hibiscus. The kiwi was a good bridge between the flavours because it’s also fruity and works with the banana, but has an acidity to it that ties in with the sweet, sour syrup.

Overall, as a dish, I think this worked – and the syrup was easy enough to make as well: concentrated hibiscus brew mixed with ground cinnamon and brown sugar and reduced until it has the consistency of a typical syrup. Easy enough!

Pictures: https://www.facebook.com/resteep/posts/10210814283367095

Evol Ving Ness

I drink straight up hibiscus near daily. When I get bored of it straight, I add a bit of herbal blends to change it up. Sorry, it’s still hibiscus heavy.

Roswell Strange

Different strokes for different folks! Just ‘cause I don’t personally love hibiscus doesn’t mean it’s not perfect for other people :)

Evol Ving Ness

Interesting that straight hibiscus to me is preferable to some of the hibiscus heavy atrocities flavoured with even more acidic/sour things.

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Evol Ving Ness

I drink straight up hibiscus near daily. When I get bored of it straight, I add a bit of herbal blends to change it up. Sorry, it’s still hibiscus heavy.

Roswell Strange

Different strokes for different folks! Just ‘cause I don’t personally love hibiscus doesn’t mean it’s not perfect for other people :)

Evol Ving Ness

Interesting that straight hibiscus to me is preferable to some of the hibiscus heavy atrocities flavoured with even more acidic/sour things.

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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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