drank Merry Mistletoe by DAVIDsTEA
16692 tasting notes

Sneaky new advent tea!

As people likely saw ages ago in DT’s regular advent calendar – this is a new white tea blend! I know it was the advent tea for day nine this year, but I’m not actually sure what day it launched on the website. It’s been a chaotic last few months, and I may have just missed writing a tasting note for it when it came out? I’m… not sure…

To be honest, I’m not a big fan of this tea but I do think that it has a flavour profile that speaks to a lot of people. If I had to quickly elevator pitch/summary the blend I feel like you can kind of capture all of its essence by describing it as the “lovechild of Pomegrateful and Sleigh Ride”. It really does feel like those teas mashed together to me. Sweet and tart red fruit, in this case largely cranberry, with punchy hibiscus and warming cinnamon along with a hint of crisp cider-like apple.

As y’all know I feel ambivalent towards Pomegrateful and Sleigh Ride is one of those blends I personally feel is a bit overhyped and that I get sick of when I have it too frequently. Makes sense that this one isn’t for me. If you’re looking for something that’s a fruity break from holiday sweetness or that makes a solid iceable tea during the winter, then Merry Mistletoe has your back.

I also think it’s cool that there’s actually Mistletoe in the blend. I’ve been drinking the Korean Mistletoe from Soocha a lot recently and I love that profile so much; it’s like a toasty pumpkin with hints of grilled nuts and cinnamon. You don’t taste it too much here but some of those cinnamon-ish flavour elements to add to the undertone of warmth in the blend.

Aside from being in the advent, there’s a very limited amount of this blend this year so if you had it in the advent and liked it, I don’t believe that this blend will likely be on the website for a prolonged period…

Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.

Tiffany :)

This sounds yummy but I’m not seeing it on the DT website :( (I enjoy sleigh ride+pomegrateful but did not get the advent)

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Comments

Tiffany :)

This sounds yummy but I’m not seeing it on the DT website :( (I enjoy sleigh ride+pomegrateful but did not get the advent)

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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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