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Gongfu!

This was the other tea that we drank as part of our post Toronto Tea Festival IG tea blogger steep session – it was one that Marco (of steap’d tea) has brought with and I was quite thrilled to see it because I missed out on the first version of this tea and had been eyeing this second version for some time. Both this and the previous version are white teas that were gin barrel aged, though this for a 100 days and the former for 70…

The dry leaf aroma of this was insane. Very bright and aromatic with a pretty distinct gin note to it but also a surprisingly fruity composition as well. In my opinion, barrel aged teas usually have a pretty great scent to them, but this was soooo good. I couldn’t wait to taste it! The first steep was light but with a distinct gin character. Very pleasing fruity aroma and a smooth sip. As Tracy (teainfusiast) pointed out, it was citrusy and that note only continued to grow in the second and third steeps. Very pink grapefruit, especially on the tail end of the sip. So unexpected for a gin barrel tea, but delectable. And fresh. So fresh and summery! By steep three much of the distinct gin taste was gone though the tea retained a bit of an ethereal booziness.

The festival had been packed tighter than a tin of sardines and it was hot so, as I was drinking this, I just kept picturing drinking an ice cold cup of this on a terrace in the middle of summer – maybe with a splash of gin or, to lean into the fruitier elements, a bit of prosecco. In those brief hotel rooms steeps I was living my best life picturing a time outside of winter.

It was also fortuitous timing because Volition Tea had a product launch today for their Lunar New Year/Year of The Dragon themed box and I was planning on order that already. So it only made sense for me to add this tea with that order since it’s surprisingly not yet sold out. I cannot wait for it to arrive.

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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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