Drank this tea while watching the Critical Role Mighty Nein reunion one-shot on twitch today. I hadn’t tried this blend before, but as it’s inspired by one of the characters from this campaign it seemed like as good a time as any to brew it up. In hindsight, given the episode content, maybe it would have been more timely to finally try the Caleb inspired blend that I have from Friday Tea instead…

I love all the ingredients in this blend from a conceptual perspective – I can totally see how they all relate to the character of Caduceus even though I have a personal opinion/headcanon that a tea blend inspired by Cad should probably be only herbal teas/caffeine free. Now, from a taste perspective I thought this was… eh.

The shou pu’erh base is okay. It’s very earthy in an oilier sort of way with a bit of funk to it that feels like it needs to air out. Not the highest quality, but not bad quality either. The thing is, the only other ingredients in the blend are hibiscus and grapefruit peel and neither really help to balance out or mask those flavours. They are a pleasant enough tart berry/citrus-ish note but mostly they contribute astringency and acrid bitterness. Not to a point where the drink is unpalatable, but it’s very much (to my tastes) not balanced…

What the blend needs is sweetness to help round out those rough edges. Whether that’s in the form of flavoring or something more nuetral but still natural – like apple pieces or maybe sweet blackberry leaf? Or, y’know, just having the end user add sweetener. Next time I make this for myself that’s probably what I’ll do. Honey (even though Cad is vegan and wouldn’t approve) or, like, cane sugar or agave.

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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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