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Roswell Strange drank Loyal and Kind by Geek + Tea

16557 tasting notes

Adventaggedon Day 12 – Tea 4/6

I have been both eagerly and anxiously waiting for this tea because it’s house blend for Hufflepuff, which is my house! To be honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever had a Hufflepuff blend that I liked – and I’m not sure if that’s just because I’m picky and have built up expectations, if it’s because the essence of the house is just that hard to capture into a tea blend, or if the few Hufflepuff blends that I’ve tried have just been… meh.

With all that pressure in mind, I thought that this take on a Hufflepuff tea was okay. It’s a rooibos blend with chocolate, honeysuckle, and plum flowers and while all of those things kind of sound like they would be fitting for a Hufflepuff then overall taste was just a little plain and underwhelming. Mostly a nice, smooth and soft chocolate rooibos. Not unpleasant at all, but sort of just… meh.

I know a lot of people feel like that sentiment of “not unpleasant but just meh” describes Hufflepuff house, but we’re more than that! Loyal, kind, hard working, inclusive, fair! Like, we’re pretty fucking awesome…

So, what would my perfect Hufflepuff blend be!? Well, it’s easy to turn to the idea of cozy and comforting flavours and there is this idea of Hufflepuffs maybe being more food lovers, plus the house is next to the kitchen. So, if you were going to take that route then I think a rooibos or honeybush blend with dark, velvety chocolate and jammy plums could be nice – which draws inspiration from the Pottermore questions about the “potion you would drink”.

However, the aspects I like best about Hufflepuff are the loyalty/reliability, hard work, and dedication we put into everything we do – and so for that I actually think a really bold and full bodied breakfast/builders black tea would be really good! The kind of thing that gets you ready to face the day, and is a constant part of a routine with a consistent and rich flavour. Maybe, to touch on some of those softer, cozier aspects, with some honey and milk!? Honestly, that kind of feels more right to me…

So yeah – Hufflepuff teas…

Advent Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIrJJjIAnq9/

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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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