Behind on tasting notes again, but alas…

This is a new holiday blend for the year, and it’s exclusive to only Super Steepers. There have been a few Frequent Steeper only teas this year so far (Forever Frosty, and Hazelnut Chocolate) but this is the first only for Super Steepers…

Y’all know I don’t love Chai so it’s safe to say this isn’t my jam. I do really love the name of it though – and that’s not a humble brag, because I didn’t have anything to do with the naming of this blend. I just think it’s really cute, and I’m also all for more Chai throughout the year instead of it all being bunched into a few months. Of course, that’s pretty wishful thinking because so many people still view Autumn as “Chai Season” but a girl can dream, right!?

Anyone who remembers White Chocolate Chai from a few years ago will have a pretty good idea of what this Chai is like – they’re different but very similar. Same more traditional mix of Chai spices (heavier on the ginger and cardamom) mixed with a creamy note from the white chocolate curls. I think this is more spiced that White Chocolate Chai, with more ginger and a peppery undertone from the peppercorns throughout. I haven’t found anyone else who agrees with me about this, but something in the blend also really vaguely reminds me of cola – I think it’s just the citrusy notes of the cardamom mixing with the other spices because cola is basically just citrus and spice. The sweetness of the white chocolate hangs in the mouth after each sip, carried throughout the cup by the stevia…

I guess a quick note on stevia – I get that it’s a really polarizing ingredient even though I don’t personally have an adverseness to the flavour. I also, on a personal level, prefer that teas don’t include stevia or other forms of sweeteners (sugar, sprinkles, blackberry leaf – to name a few) because I think people are capable of sweetening their own tea if they want.

With that said, if you look at the most popular/best selling teas from the last few years most of them do have stevia in them – so clearly there are a large number people who either don’t care or even enjoy/want that level of sweetness. It’s frustrating for sure, but at least for me I have to remember that it’s demand that drives direction and so… if stevia keeps selling, the odds are it’s going to keep being used. This is a big area of conflict for me personally when it comes to tea development, and I’ve debated back and forth saying something about it or not because I know how polarizing stevia is…

But that’s just where I stand on stevia, and how I think about it.

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.

AJRimmer

I’m a stevia fan, but I also sweeten my teas a ton automatically so I guess to me personally it doesn’t matter if companies pre-sweeten or not since I always like my teas even sweeter.

tea-sipper

What about selling two versions of a blend – one with stevia, one without?

tea-sipper

I also think that stevia is one of those ingredients that ages terribly, which could be part of the reason I dislike stevia (though that’s my fault for keeping teas around forever.)

Tiffany :)

Thank you for your thoughts on stevia. Here is mine/general ramblings..

So I am finding that I generally prefer no stevia put in the tea. I am not allergic and there are teas (DT and not DT) that I like and dislike with stevia. I, like tea-sipper, keep my teas for a long time so there is that. I also I prefer to drink my teas plain(hot, cold-steeped, or as a hot/cold latte).. I rarely put any sweetener in them.

As far as DT is concerned, Goji Green & Magic Potion are two that come to mind that’d I’d probably enjoy if it wasn’t for stevia (or Just Peachy for the blackberry leaf?). But there are other blends I don’t mind it (can’t think of any specific examples). Since 2016 I’ve owned/tried most of the flavors that have come out.

But for 2020 I’ve not tried the majority of the blends that have come out this year because they’ve sold out too quickly or I’m not interested in the profiles. I do have to say that with SO MANY FALL/WINTER/HOLIDAY flavors that DT has put out since Sept(?) the shopping cart I have right now is basically 1 kilo of cranberry pear and maybe half dozen teas 1 bag worth just to try them and stevia helped me knock some off my cart even though I’d probably enjoy the tea (chocolate chip cookie comes to mind).

Anyway, thanks for listening to my ramble. :)

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AJRimmer

I’m a stevia fan, but I also sweeten my teas a ton automatically so I guess to me personally it doesn’t matter if companies pre-sweeten or not since I always like my teas even sweeter.

tea-sipper

What about selling two versions of a blend – one with stevia, one without?

tea-sipper

I also think that stevia is one of those ingredients that ages terribly, which could be part of the reason I dislike stevia (though that’s my fault for keeping teas around forever.)

Tiffany :)

Thank you for your thoughts on stevia. Here is mine/general ramblings..

So I am finding that I generally prefer no stevia put in the tea. I am not allergic and there are teas (DT and not DT) that I like and dislike with stevia. I, like tea-sipper, keep my teas for a long time so there is that. I also I prefer to drink my teas plain(hot, cold-steeped, or as a hot/cold latte).. I rarely put any sweetener in them.

As far as DT is concerned, Goji Green & Magic Potion are two that come to mind that’d I’d probably enjoy if it wasn’t for stevia (or Just Peachy for the blackberry leaf?). But there are other blends I don’t mind it (can’t think of any specific examples). Since 2016 I’ve owned/tried most of the flavors that have come out.

But for 2020 I’ve not tried the majority of the blends that have come out this year because they’ve sold out too quickly or I’m not interested in the profiles. I do have to say that with SO MANY FALL/WINTER/HOLIDAY flavors that DT has put out since Sept(?) the shopping cart I have right now is basically 1 kilo of cranberry pear and maybe half dozen teas 1 bag worth just to try them and stevia helped me knock some off my cart even though I’d probably enjoy the tea (chocolate chip cookie comes to mind).

Anyway, thanks for listening to my ramble. :)

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

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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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