So, I finally caved last week and bought one of DT’s tea infused “Hot Chocolate On A Stick”. I was really, really tempted to get the Candy Cane Crush one since I’ve been on such a CCC kick lately but I opted for this one to try something different and, in a way, give this tea another chance since I wasn’t super impressed the first time I tried it.

I thought the perfect idea would be to ‘steep’/melt the chocolate for this hot chocolate stick in the tea that’s infused into it – you know, for an extra rich/concentrated flavour and to really get the most out of it. So, I steeped up a normal, plain cup of this tea and then swirled around the chocolate cube and marshmallow until they were both melted. Only one problem…

The whole thing curdled!

I mean, I guess in hindsight I shouldn’t have been that surprised since the tea itself does curdle milk and this was a milk chocolate but at the same time why would you choose to use milk chocolate as the base for a tea that curdles milk!? I mean, you have to know that at some point someone is going to buy one of those cute hot chocolate sticks and try doing it with frothed milk or something like that – right? Is the tea infused into the chocolate going to curdle it then? Or is it just because I used this tea as the base of my ‘hot chocolate’? I mean, I certainly don’t feel like buying another one right now to test the idea out…

Anyway, curdling aside it actually did taste really good. It was very sweet and nutty, with strong notes of almond and chocolate. The caramel was actually a little bit lost; it was present but I think mostly just contributed to the really vibrant sweetness of the chocolate. I didn’t get any creamy marshmallow, unfortunately. The worst part was the same as the worst part when I first tried this though – the sour cherry. I mean, just why? I’ve talked to so many customers about this tea so far this season and I’ve still yet to actually have someone think that adding cherry was a good idea!

Also, yes, that’s right – I still drank it. I just ladled out the worst of the curdled mess, and then kind of sucked it up and drank through the rest. I wasn’t going to waste it…

Yeah – not sure how I feel about this experience as a whole.

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.

VariaTEA

Yeah, that’s not the best choice to throw a tea that curdles milk into a hot chocolate cube that people will most likely try to prep in milk.

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VariaTEA

Yeah, that’s not the best choice to throw a tea that curdles milk into a hot chocolate cube that people will most likely try to prep in milk.

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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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