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Roswell Strange drank 2017 Sloppy Jimbo by white2tea

16396 tasting notes

Gong Fu Sipdown (520)!

During one of my last W2T orders I picked up a single coin of this one, just to try it out/get a feel for it and see if it was something I might be interested in. Finally got around to brewing that coin up, and I have to say I actually liked it a lot right off the bat.

This was another more relaxed/casual session where I didn’t overly track anything but I believe I ended up doing around ten infusions, though with a strong preference for the first half of the session. What I found was that it had a very, very rich and thick/bold flavour for a really long time – and so it seemed like the staying power was good, except then the drop off was so sudden that the richness became thin and weak with no real decline to transition you into the loss of profile. In that aspect, the session was somewhat disappointing.

Flavours in the first half of the session were a lot more weighted towards things like molasses, date paste, wet wood, and honey oats. Very sweet but in a rich, dark way. There was even a steep very early on that reminded me exactly of those molasses/treacle candies that get passed around during Halloween. I grew up calling them ‘tar candy’ though I know there’s many names for them. I actually love them, so for me that was a total win however I know that flavour is really polarizing so for others it definitely would not have been. Later infusions were more raisin-y, with more emphasis on the date and wood notes.

Overall this was a smooth, pleasant Shou with tasty, and somewhat more unique flavour notes. I have not yet decided if I’m willing to just leave this as a one off, but very enjoyable, session to not be repeated or if this is something I’d have an interest in repurchasing.

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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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