So this “Swiss Herbal Infusion” is comprised of three main flavour profiles: orange, mint, and ginger. I’m not sure if that’s actually a common Swiss flavour/tea combo, but I’ve definitely never seen it before (well, I mean, I’ve seen those three ingredients paired together but never under this name) so I’m not sure if this is a case of me just not knowing a thing or if it’s one of those weird German tea names that doesn’t quite fit…

Before I get into the tea, though, I have to share a short story that kind of ties in to it:

So, when I moved into my apartment here in Montreal I was told that there was a private gym in the building for tenants to use. At first I kind of scoffed, because I’ve not been to a gym since high school/am pretty unfit in general and don’t have a strong desire to focus super heavily on my physical well being. Like, it’s not that I want to be unhealthy/out of shape – but I don’t feel shitty about my body type/shape/size as it is so “fixing” it isn’t a priority for me. Over time I became more curious though, so I went looking for the gym because I figured there are aspects of going to the gym that do appeal to me…

I like being able to listen to music, and the gym can be a nice way to do that interrupted. I also like walking, but don’t love the outdoors – so I wouldn’t be opposed to having a casual walk/stroll on a treadmill or elliptical. Especially if it’s more private/there are less people around. However, I simply could not find it. Like, I walked up every floor in my building and didn’t see a gym anywhere. So I just gave up, and assumed I had misunderstood the person I’m leasing my apartment from.

Until last Sunday where, after going for a walk in the afternoon, I got in the elevator to head back to my floor. Now, there are four elevators in my building and I guess in the last four months I have, purely coincidentally, only been in three of them. Well, this time I got in the fourth elevator and, low and behold, there was a button on the elevator panel labeled “Gym” that doesn’t exist in any of the other elevators! So I clicked it.

Well, the elevator went all the way to the top floor of the building – which I hadn’t been to. I guess it’s not accessible by stairs – at least, through my apartment building. I explored the floor a little bit, and there is a stairwell that gets to the floor (in addition to this elevator) but if you take the stairwell down you wind up in the apartment building directly beside mine – which is kind of weird. Sure enough though, there’s a private gym that’s only accessible using the door badge/pass of anyone living in my apartment building or the one next to it; it’s fairly decked out with equipment, and pretty nice. There’s also a rooftop patio, and a “common room” with some seating/a pool table/a TV.

So I guess that whole story is my lead in to saying that, for the first time in six years, I went to the gym! I did a 30 minute walk on the elliptical, at a setting that was probably higher than what I should have started with. It was exhausting and hard but despite thinking several times about quitting halfway through I DID finish the walk. I’ve even been back several times since last Sunday and completed the same walk, with it getting easier each time. I like how private the gym is; there’s never been a time I’ve got where there was more than two other people there and since I live ina building a predominantly Chinese people who either don’t Speak English as a first language or well at all, it’s pretty quite – no one trying to chat. I certainly don’t want to jinx myself, but I think I could get really into going in that sort of atmosphere…

As for the tea!

Well, I think this is a flavour combo that I normally wouldn’t like all that much, especially since the ginger was pretty strong. However, after a half hour of hard work at the gym (especially with how long it’s been since I last went) I think that ANYTHING would have tasted good. I made the cup right after getting back to my apartment and I guzzled the whole thing!

derk

Good for you, Ros. Some gyms are so gross. You’re lucky to have a nice quiet one!

Martin Bednář

Interesting that gym is sooo hidden. Probably somebody don´t want to have fit tenants – haha. Tea does not sounds much Swiss for me, but interesting blend for sure.

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Comments

derk

Good for you, Ros. Some gyms are so gross. You’re lucky to have a nice quiet one!

Martin Bednář

Interesting that gym is sooo hidden. Probably somebody don´t want to have fit tenants – haha. Tea does not sounds much Swiss for me, but interesting blend for sure.

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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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