Sipdown (453)!

Last tea of the day, and the free sample I got in my Teavivre order.

Anyone who’s been following me on Steepster for a while knows I have a weird relationship with goji berries; I’m totally fascinated by them but 9/10 times I inevitably completely fail to taste them in blends. I’ve probably tried close to a hundred different blends with goji berries in them and I’m STILL not even 100% sure I know what they taste like. So, I was actually SUPER happy to get this as a sample. Finally, the mystery of what goji berries taste like will be solved for me!

I let this steep for about half an hour; mostly because I forgot it was steeping if I’m being perfectly honest here. I’m incredibly frustrated though because even after half an hour of steeping I can hardly taste ANYTHING when I sip on this!? Like, the ‘tea’ visually looks like it’s steeped/infused because it has a clear yellowish tint to it but I straight up just taste water when I drink it, with a sliver of a sort of sweet but VERY non-distinct sugary note in the finish – and only the finish. WHAT. THE. FUCK.

Why can I not seem to crack the mysterious flavour of goji!? I mean, the dried goji certainly smelled fruity/had a nice aroma to it by I legit don’t feel like I’m drinking anything but hot water, possibly sweetened with like table sugar or something. Am I alone in this? ‘Cause I’ve DEFINITELY heard people describe things as tasting either like goji or goji tasting sweet and fruity/like generic red fruit. Are they just bullshitting everyone else or is this actually a unique to me anomaly where I simply cannot pick up on the flavours here?

Ugh! This was supposed to be an informative cup of tea that would answer a question I’ve had for literal years and now I’m just frustrated and left with even more questions than I had in the first place! This is not the kind of relaxing/satisfying cup of tea that I had planned on ending my evening with…

Damn it.

Lexie Aleah

I tried a fresh goji berry once, it was extremely bitter. Only other goji flavor I’d had was in flavored water which tasted completely different.

Nattie

Goji berries are disgusting. Honestly, you’re not missing out! If it’s driving you crazy, order some fresh or dried goji berries to try – I can’t imagine the flavour translating well into tea.

Lexie Aleah

Jujube fruit tea is an asian tea that might be interesting to try. I’ve never had it though.

TeaVivre

In China, we usually use Goji to brew with chrysanthemum and Jujube, which is very good for health benefits. Besides, we also add some Goji when stew bone soup or chicken soup

Jillian

Maybe try some dried goji berries as they’re pretty easy (if not necessarily cheap due to the health food craze). They have an interesting taste, slightly tart with an almost savoury finish. I like them cooked in oatmeal. I’ve never really been wild about them in tea as I’ve found that most companies just use hibiscus to achieve the tartness and call it good.

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Lexie Aleah

I tried a fresh goji berry once, it was extremely bitter. Only other goji flavor I’d had was in flavored water which tasted completely different.

Nattie

Goji berries are disgusting. Honestly, you’re not missing out! If it’s driving you crazy, order some fresh or dried goji berries to try – I can’t imagine the flavour translating well into tea.

Lexie Aleah

Jujube fruit tea is an asian tea that might be interesting to try. I’ve never had it though.

TeaVivre

In China, we usually use Goji to brew with chrysanthemum and Jujube, which is very good for health benefits. Besides, we also add some Goji when stew bone soup or chicken soup

Jillian

Maybe try some dried goji berries as they’re pretty easy (if not necessarily cheap due to the health food craze). They have an interesting taste, slightly tart with an almost savoury finish. I like them cooked in oatmeal. I’ve never really been wild about them in tea as I’ve found that most companies just use hibiscus to achieve the tartness and call it good.

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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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