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Roswell Strange drank Sweet Cinnamon Masala Chai by Vahdam Teas

16508 tasting notes

Adventaggedon Day 6 – Tea 1/6

I definitely laughed out loud this morning when I saw what the tea was – I think this is pretty much exactly the call out that I saw in my Citrus Earl Grey tasting note yesterday when talking about tea name/flavour profile redundancies…

I was inspired by Cameron and the rest of my Vahdam Advent group chat on IG to make this one stove top today – something I haven’t done in years because I just typically find it to be way too much effort for a tea style I don’t generally enjoy. I definitely didn’t put as much love and labor into this as I could have – there was no multi hour simmer or anything crazy like that.

Because I don’t actually drink milk that often (I just use it occasionally for lattes or cooking), I didn’t happen to have any on hand today so I made my stove top Chai with cashew milk instead. I dumped most of the tin into a small little sauce pot with an unmeasured but generous amount of cashew milk and a hearty glug of maple agave and then I brought it up to a boil, reduced the heat and let it get rich, dark and thick for maybe a half hour before straining…

Honestly!? It was really good – very robust flavours but quite sweet as well. I got cinnamon and cardmom more than anything else and both spices were warming, coating and perfectly complimented by cashew milk base and the deep sweetness of the maple. I feel quite sure that this was likely leagues better than how it would have tasted if I’d just made a hot cup with a splash of added cashew milk. Was it worth all the effort/time!? Ehh… Maybe!?

I’m sure there will be more Chai in this advent to come, so I’m going to try and pick up some normal milk or coconut milk and try this again (maybe with something Turmeric?) because I think it’s going to make the rest of this advent more fun to explore. However, I still don’t think I’d take the time to do this outside of advent season…

Advent Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIeSOftgdHs/

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Cameron B.
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Yay, I’m glad it was good! I had this one straight and really enjoyed the extra cinnamon. :3

Mastress Alita
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Coconut milk pairs with turmeric really well, IMO!

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Cameron B.
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Yay, I’m glad it was good! I had this one straight and really enjoyed the extra cinnamon. :3

Mastress Alita
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Coconut milk pairs with turmeric really well, IMO!

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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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