It takes a lot for a tea to turn me off so much based on aroma alone that I actively put off trying it and, thinking about it now, there’s only one tea that comes to mind that smelled so off putting to me that I flat out refused to try it…

But I considered, with this one.

Which is crazy honestly because it sounds like something I should like! Sure, I’m not huge of chocolate teas but roasted barley is incredibly up my alley and I really enjoy anise/black licorice flavours for the most part. However, the dry leaf aroma of this tea smells like gross sweaty feet to me mixed with an almost sickly sweet licorice smell and it makes me feel icky giving it a whiff…

Despite that, I did steep up a mug earlier this week and it’s not awful. It definitely (thankfully!) doesnt’t taste sweaty or like feet at all, but there is a slight sourness to the barley that is a little more in the vein of like a sourdough/rye bread but with that roasty undertone. The chocolate is strong and not great but not bad and the licorice/anise flavour, while sweet, is a very reasonable level. The anise is my favourite part. I don’t love this overall though and I’ll definitely not seek it out after I crush the sample – but more because I just don’t think the chocolate and anise compliment each other and less because of the weird smell thing.

Courtney

My note for this one says it smells like deli meat XD. I’m glad I’m not the only one who had such an experience. What a bizarre scent for this combo of ingredients!

Roswell Strange

It seems to be pretty polarizing, just skimming through the reviews.

Crowkettle

Yep, this sounds on point (I was alright with it but it made my mother gag lol).

derk

Now I wonder if there’s something wrong worth me haha!

Crowkettle

Nah, nothing wrong with you for liking this one (unless there is something sort of wrong with me lol)! This is totally on August Uncommon for playing with divisive (and striking) ingredients + pairings, lol (yes, I blame them because they dared to create Black Lodge).

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Courtney

My note for this one says it smells like deli meat XD. I’m glad I’m not the only one who had such an experience. What a bizarre scent for this combo of ingredients!

Roswell Strange

It seems to be pretty polarizing, just skimming through the reviews.

Crowkettle

Yep, this sounds on point (I was alright with it but it made my mother gag lol).

derk

Now I wonder if there’s something wrong worth me haha!

Crowkettle

Nah, nothing wrong with you for liking this one (unless there is something sort of wrong with me lol)! This is totally on August Uncommon for playing with divisive (and striking) ingredients + pairings, lol (yes, I blame them because they dared to create Black Lodge).

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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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