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Grandpa style at work today! Someone brought this one in to share with the tea lab, which was really cool! I also have a big feeling that based on the amount of Grandpa style teas I’ve had at the new office/lab in the last week alone that I’m going to be shifting gears pretty hard into that direction when I’m making tea outside of home…

It’s just really, really convenient to only have one vessel and not need to worry about strainers/infusers in the lab when I’m doing various cataloging and testing all throughout the day…

This was nice though! It’s always a little weird/exciting to me drinking tea that’s older than I am – there’s just this novelty factor I simply never seem to grow old of. Maybe that’s part of why I like aged oolongs so much?

I thought the roast on this was pretty smooth, a little bit nutty but in a sweet way that reminded me of a mix of chestnut and almond. Very soft and smooth and handled Grandpa style so, so well. As someone else in the office put it; there was a sort of jujube taste to the profile and I can kind of see that. Definitely that fruity sweetness in the body of the sip; though I associated that more with a brighter nectarine leaning stonefruit type of note.

Just very pleasurable, though!

evol-ving

Are you still at DTs?

Sorry, I ’m a bit out of the loop.

Roswell Strange

No worries! Yes, I’m still working for DT but I’m not in the retail 1/2 of the company anymore – I’m working out in Montreal at the Store Support Center as a data assistant in the tea lab.

evol-ving

Wow, fun!

I hope that it is as fun for you as it sounds in my imagination.

Roswell Strange

I’ve only been in this role for a week so far, but I’m REALLY enjoying it a lot thus far :) Still lots to learn though as I’m very much still in the training process of this position.

evol-ving

To me, it sounds like a good fit for you at this point. Hopefully, there will be a lot of room for growth in this position and that they appreciate the gem that they have found in you.

tea-sipper

I don’t know if you explained it yet in a tasting note, but I’d love to hear more what you do at your job? If it’s tea, I’m sure many are interested. haha. Also, right now I’m drinking David’s S’mores that you included in the tea box and I love it. :D

Roswell Strange

There’s a lot of aspects of what I’m doing that I can’t really discuss very thoroughly for confidentiality reasons – but to try to simplify I’m working as a data assistant in the tea lab, split between the two department that work in the lab: research and development and quality control.

The Research and Development team is the team that creates concepts for new teas then tastes them to eventually develop the ones that become either part of our permanent collection of teas or seasonal collections of teas. What I’m (mostly) doing for them is creating a detailed record of all the teas that come into the lab to be tasted (where they come from, when they come in, what is in each blend, etc.) and the thoughts of each taster following the tasting as well as their final verdict on whether the tea should be further developed for our collection. I also get to participate in all of the tastings, though I don’t get to weigh in on them the same way the tasters do (there are three tasters in this department, and then me).

For quality control, what I’m (again, mostly) going to be doing is performing different tests on teas that are already part of our collection to confirm that each new shipment of tea meets our quality standards. That includes things like, say, “moisture testing” to make sure that the tea doesn’t have a moisture content high enough for things like mold to grow in it. I also help archive all of the testing information for previous lots, and archive the tea itself too. Each shipment of tea is also taste tested against the previous shipment/control shipment to make sure that the newest batches are in line with what the flavor, mouthfeel, texture, etc of that blend should be – for consistencies sake for consumers. I’m not part of the quality control tasting team who does those taste comparisons, but I sometimes do get to participate in them anyway.

It’s kind of complicated as there are a lot of things I can’t elaborate on too much – but hopefully that kind of explains in a general way?

tea-sipper

YES, that is as much as an explanation as I’d hoped… and it. sounds. AWESOME. :D

tea-sipper

Meaning it sounded like you were doing something different for Davidstea, so I was interested to know in general.

Roswell Strange

I’m sure I must have written about my leaving my retail store and my move to Montreal in at least a somewhat general way in previous tasting notes since it was like a month+ long process getting my ass from Saskatchewan out to Quebec – but you’re definitely right that I don’t think I’d elaborated on what I was doing out in Quebec/Montreal at all; that’s largely though because I didn’t actually know myself until after I’d arrived and worked a week or so. I’m also still very much “in training” with a lot of things.

It has been TRULY amazing, though!

Mastress Alita

That all sounds very fun!

Lindsay

Your new job sounds super interesting!

mrmopar

You are a perfect fit. I think one day you will be one of the three with the final say.

evol-ving

I second that comment.

Nattie

It sounds amazing, and perfect for you!! Gah I’m so jealous! Congrats again!

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evol-ving

Are you still at DTs?

Sorry, I ’m a bit out of the loop.

Roswell Strange

No worries! Yes, I’m still working for DT but I’m not in the retail 1/2 of the company anymore – I’m working out in Montreal at the Store Support Center as a data assistant in the tea lab.

evol-ving

Wow, fun!

I hope that it is as fun for you as it sounds in my imagination.

Roswell Strange

I’ve only been in this role for a week so far, but I’m REALLY enjoying it a lot thus far :) Still lots to learn though as I’m very much still in the training process of this position.

evol-ving

To me, it sounds like a good fit for you at this point. Hopefully, there will be a lot of room for growth in this position and that they appreciate the gem that they have found in you.

tea-sipper

I don’t know if you explained it yet in a tasting note, but I’d love to hear more what you do at your job? If it’s tea, I’m sure many are interested. haha. Also, right now I’m drinking David’s S’mores that you included in the tea box and I love it. :D

Roswell Strange

There’s a lot of aspects of what I’m doing that I can’t really discuss very thoroughly for confidentiality reasons – but to try to simplify I’m working as a data assistant in the tea lab, split between the two department that work in the lab: research and development and quality control.

The Research and Development team is the team that creates concepts for new teas then tastes them to eventually develop the ones that become either part of our permanent collection of teas or seasonal collections of teas. What I’m (mostly) doing for them is creating a detailed record of all the teas that come into the lab to be tasted (where they come from, when they come in, what is in each blend, etc.) and the thoughts of each taster following the tasting as well as their final verdict on whether the tea should be further developed for our collection. I also get to participate in all of the tastings, though I don’t get to weigh in on them the same way the tasters do (there are three tasters in this department, and then me).

For quality control, what I’m (again, mostly) going to be doing is performing different tests on teas that are already part of our collection to confirm that each new shipment of tea meets our quality standards. That includes things like, say, “moisture testing” to make sure that the tea doesn’t have a moisture content high enough for things like mold to grow in it. I also help archive all of the testing information for previous lots, and archive the tea itself too. Each shipment of tea is also taste tested against the previous shipment/control shipment to make sure that the newest batches are in line with what the flavor, mouthfeel, texture, etc of that blend should be – for consistencies sake for consumers. I’m not part of the quality control tasting team who does those taste comparisons, but I sometimes do get to participate in them anyway.

It’s kind of complicated as there are a lot of things I can’t elaborate on too much – but hopefully that kind of explains in a general way?

tea-sipper

YES, that is as much as an explanation as I’d hoped… and it. sounds. AWESOME. :D

tea-sipper

Meaning it sounded like you were doing something different for Davidstea, so I was interested to know in general.

Roswell Strange

I’m sure I must have written about my leaving my retail store and my move to Montreal in at least a somewhat general way in previous tasting notes since it was like a month+ long process getting my ass from Saskatchewan out to Quebec – but you’re definitely right that I don’t think I’d elaborated on what I was doing out in Quebec/Montreal at all; that’s largely though because I didn’t actually know myself until after I’d arrived and worked a week or so. I’m also still very much “in training” with a lot of things.

It has been TRULY amazing, though!

Mastress Alita

That all sounds very fun!

Lindsay

Your new job sounds super interesting!

mrmopar

You are a perfect fit. I think one day you will be one of the three with the final say.

evol-ving

I second that comment.

Nattie

It sounds amazing, and perfect for you!! Gah I’m so jealous! Congrats again!

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Bio

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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