drank North Star by DAVIDsTEA
15575 tasting notes

Cold Brew Sipdown (1543)!

So I have tried this tea a ton of different ways now and not just as a cold brew but I did take exactly a cold brew’s worth of the tea home from work on the day it launched so that I could steep it that way since it was the last method on my list. So, I suppose this is a cold brew sipdown even though it’ll be a note about the tea in general…

There’s kind of a lot going on in this blend – it’s got the cute white star sprinkles that I suppose (combined with the name) are meant to make you think of, like, the North Pole? And the mint is one of those sort of ubiquitous “wintery” flavours because of the chilling/frost sort of aspects. However, then you also have orange and… spinach!? Yes, there is spinach in the blend. Why? Well, it adds a really nice lush green colour to the dry leaf visual of the tea. That’s sort of the primary reason which, truthfully, I find a little silly. Aside from that it does help offset some of the overall sweetness in the cup – which I guess is beneficial.

Orange and mint is always a weird sounding combination on paper. Makes me think of drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth. However, the taste doesn’t make me think of that at all and it’s honestly not so weird. I’d say it’s close to an even split between sweet orange and cooling peppermint, but perhaps just a little bit more orange and then a lot of emphasis on the menthol/crispness of the mint in the finish in particular. Especially when you drink this tea cold.

If I had to make a comparison, I’d say it reminds me a fair amount of Midsummer Night’s Dream but peppermint instead of spearmint and a little more mint/less tang that Midsummer Night’s Dream. You could maybe think of this as a wintery version of that tea. Maybe.

I feel like I’m not ‘selling’ it very well, but it’s important to me personally to make sure it’s clear that I do actually like this tea! It’s not overly rich but it’s also not weak and I thought it was a REALLY refreshing cold brew/iced tea. A good break up from all the spice/chocolate blends of the season. I have a lot of orange teas though, and when it comes to citrus/mint combinations my weak spot is for lemon/mint. I dig this though – I’ll likely not grab more for at home but I’ll likely take advantage of having it accessible at work.

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.

tea-sipper

Spinach!!??! That’s a new tea ingredient.

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tea-sipper

Spinach!!??! That’s a new tea ingredient.

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Bio

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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