Another new one from the Autumn Subscription box!

Honey flavouring is really, really hit or miss for me – there are DT blends that I’ve loved it in (like Honey Drop) and others where I’ve found it way too heavy handed (like Honey Lullaby). However, even though I much prefer a “cream honey” or darker more buckwheat style honey, I feel like this blend has found the right balance in terms of the level of the honey flavouring. It’s clear and sweet but, at least for my taste preferences, not too sweet. With that said, I still kind of go back and forth on whether I love the blend as a whole…

We all know that I’m fickle when it comes to Chai in general, and I personally am way over that very “red hot” style of cinnamon that is present in blends like Cinnamon Rooibos Chai, Cinnamon Bun Chai, and Glitter Chai. I know that many, many people enjoy it – and admittedly so do I at spaced out intervals – but I also find that it really swallows up flavours and can quickly get too strong. For me, that’s the main spice in this blend and it even kind of drowns out the ginger to me – and that’s a spice that usually sticks out like a sort thumb in most blends for me. So, I feel this “push and pull” between my love of the honey flavouring used and just being a little tired of this type of cinnamon note.

Aside from that, it’s a pretty fruity chai all things considered – and that makes sense to me composition-wise because it’s herbal and you need some type of “base” herbal ingredient. However, I just feel like the added sweetness of the apple on top of the honey and the sweet cinnamon is… maybe a bit much?? Like, I would have preferred something like a black tea base with more body to it – though that defeats the purpose of having more caffeine free chai options, I suppose.

All of this is, of course, subjective and personal preference. As much as I might love black tea someone else out there is probably thinking “I’m so glad they didn’t make another black chai blend”, just like how someone else might think “Wow this is too much honey” or someone else “This should be sweeter for a honey inspired blend”. It’s so hard to find something that works for everyone, and I think that this is just a really tricky type of profile because you have to take a big swing in a flavour direction because the middle ground is just gonna be flat/boring.

Idk – all just stuff that pops into my head when I drink this blend…

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.

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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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