drank Honeydew Boba by DAVIDsTEA
15973 tasting notes

Another new tea!

This is one that I’m really excited about. I feel like, for as long as I can remember, there’s always kind of been an unspoken expectation for a new melon flavoured tea blend from DT each year. Usually that blend is a watermelon tea, but this year I’m so stoked we’re showing some love to honeydew!

When I first started development on this tea it was actually for a completely different honeydew concept, but for several reasons we just couldn’t get it to work. A coworker during a tasting for one of those previous versions kind of just threw out something along the lines of “Y’know what would be good? Like a honeydew bubble tea…” so as a last effort I decided to tweak what we had been working on to be more of that iconic sweet, creamy honeydew boba type of flavour and, well, it came out INCREDIBLE.

I think what I love so much about this tea blend is the balance. The honeydew is sweet and ripe tasting but met with such a smooth, creamy flavour from the yogurt inclusion that it really does mirror its bubble tea inspiration. However, it’s not too cloying or sugary at all, and it also doesn’t mask the really aromatic green oolong base either. Those lovely floral top notes still shine though, and there’s even a little bit of a nuttiness the comes out as well – especially when steeped as an iced drink.

It’s rare that DT’s melon blends can be made as a latte, but this is one that actually shines quite well with the addition of milk or milk alternatives. Particularly iced. However, I do still personally prefer this blend without any additions at all – though I drink it pretty evenly split between hot, iced, and cold brewed. It reminds me a little bit of my favourite Lupicia melon blends (which are such a pain to get hold of here in Canada) – just a little more creamy. Y’all know I’m a bit of a simp for a tea with a lot of flexibility, though. So probably no surprise that this is another favourite of the summer.

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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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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