15575 Tasting Notes

Iced Tea!

Whisked this up at work this morning but just as a straight iced tea – no milk since I found it so weird last time when I went the latte route. Thankfully that seemed to be a good choice! The hojicha was pretty dark and roasty but ultimately refreshing and almost like an iced coffee in some of its flavours. The mango was bright and contrasted really sharply against the darker toasty grain and espresso notes. Almost had that very slight pine-y note that I associate with mangoes that are just under ripe, but not in a bad way. The whole drink was dynamic and refreshing and all the flavours just really sprang to life.

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drank Blackberry by Brisk
15575 tasting notes

While in Vegas I was seeing blackberry flavoured RTDs and liquors everywhere. Definitely seemed to be a pretty tending profile. Of course, when I flew back home I got off the plane and was walking through the airport just dying of thirst. Even though the airport convenience stores are so over priced I couldn’t wait to get home to drink something. The shop in the airport I ended up going to had a whole endcap display dedicated to this Brisk flavour and it just felt like a sign after seeing SO MANY blackberry products…

I’ve had this one before though, and honestly it’s good. One of my favourite Brisk options. Yes, it’s sweet but they really nail that jammy fresh blackberry flavour!

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Clearly feeling the smoked teas lately because this is like the third relatively heavily smoked tea that I drank within a three day time span. It was really good, though! Brisk and tannic with a huge upfront pine smoke profile typical of Lapsang Souchong before that flavour broke and gave way to an almost gummy candy-like mango flavour. To echo previous tasting notes, there is room here for more mango. However, given I’ve been really chasing those smoky flavours I thought this was spot on.

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drank Cheeky Cherry by Peace Tea
15575 tasting notes

I must have been in a weird head space last night because I woke in the middle of the night dying of thirst (like 3AM) and instead of getting water I pulled this out of my fridge and just downed it in almost one go. I vaguely remember the sweeter cherry note and hint of black tea in the finish, but it’s a blur. Why did I do that? Definitely not normal nighttime behavior on my part.

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Cold Brew!

Though this wasn’t an unpleasant blend it was very different from how I had remembered it, and I don’t think it totally matched the mood I was in. I was looking for something a little more tart, juicy, and heavily sweet and instead this was more medium bodied with very fragrant tropical fruit notes like guava and a strong floral and rosy finish. Missing that rich hibiscus tartness I was wanting, and though it had some sweetness it wasn’t quite the saturated flavour I wanted. In fact, there was maybe as much bitterness as the was sweetness. Like a pithy citrus rind in the forefront and then a sweeter mellow tropical and floral finish.

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90

Had this one last night and the mix of toasty grain notes with that natural hint of cocoa was just right to close out the evening! Keepin’ it simple with this tasting note to match this perfectly simple but delicious tisane.

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Working on a big project this week, so a lot of the teas I’ve been drinking have kind of fallen into the backdrop while I focus on other things. In this case, I think that benefited the tea quite a bit. In the past, while I’ve been more attentive while drinking this tea, I’ve really picked it apart but drinking it so much more casually I felt like I was really getting a strong “chocolate chip cookie” vibe.

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Another booth that I spent a fair amount of time at during WTE was the Australian Tea Master booth which was just packed with different things including tea based wine proxies, various books, and – of course – tea. What caught my attention was a sample pack of teas made using tea leaf grown in Australia as well as other Austalia native ingredients. So, obviously I picked that up…

This is the first I tried and I actually really, really enjoyed it. The green tea was smooth with a gentle grassiness that made for a good blending foundation for a very sweet, juicy fresh strawberry note and a hint of fresh zesty lime. Quite lively and summery with a lot of flavour without being very sweet. As someone who’s had a lot of strawberry green teas, this one really stands out to me.

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97

A forever favourite. I made this evening cuppa a few nights ago, and it was one of those cups of tea that you sort of just melt into and become one with. Lightly sweet and tart rhubarb on the top of the sip with silky smooth vanilla and custard on the backend. God how I wish the combination of rhubarb and cream was normalized/commercial here in Canada…

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Cold Brew!

This is another tea that I got to sample at the expo (they were also serving it cold brewed) that I decided to purchase and bring home with me. It’s just straight Korean yuzu peel, much like what’s in the Yuja Balhyocha from Soo Cha that I adore so much.

When I got home one of the first things I did after unpacking was set this up to cold brew so that the next day I could enjoy relaxing with this tisane. It essentially tastes like a really nuanced, elevated sort of lemonade. Naturally just a bit sweet with some more tart, aromatic high notes but also with that complexity and peppery undertone that is more distinct and unique to yuzu. Maybe a little like grapefruit too. So fresh, and just an explosion of natural citrus flavours.

Glad I nabbed this! It’ll be nice for cold brewing in the summer or experimenting with mixing into other teas.

gmathis

The first taste of a summery tea (whatever it may be) after a long winter is just beautiful.

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Profile

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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