87

Big thanks to the Wize Monkey team for sending me a VERY generous sample of this to experiment with!! I look forward to trying several different things out – I already have a bunch of ideas bouncing around in my head.

To start, though, I wanted to just whisk this up in hot water and see what I was working with. Now, I know this powder doesn’t seem to be in any way advertised for drinking in this method – in fact Wize Monkey’s recommendation was to use it for culinary purposes such as baking. So I’m not at all expecting a really fine grind/texture and I don’t want to be critical of that – this is more an exploration of the flavour; how strong is it!? Do I need a lot of powder for an intense taste!? That kind of that…

So I’m treating this more like I would a straight matcha in terms of ratio – 1/2 tsp for my mug of tea, whisked up with a matcha whisk. The one I use for non-matcha powders, so like the turmeric powders or black tea matchas I have. It doesn’t really froth up too me, and it settles quite quickly because of the larger grind – but again, that was expected since that’s not what the powder is advertised for. In terms of taste? It’s really good. I might have nailed a ratio I’m happy with right off the bat; it basically tastes exactly like making a cup of straight coffee leaf, but maybe a little heavier on the roast/nuttier notes? There’s a pleasant sweetness, a slight grassiness – it’s good. I’ll probably try this same test with a slightly lower and a slightly higher ratio just to see how that changes things, but this was a very nice starting out point!

And actually – if we are going to talk about the texture, obviously you can feel the coffee leaf when you drink it, it’s not perfectly smooth like matcha. However, it’s not gritty or overly rough either; I’ve actually had low, low grade matcha that was shittier in terms of texture!! What it reminds me of the most is the Kale Matcha put out by DT which also had that slightly off texture or the Mermaid Matcha from Bird and Blend with the ground up Butterfly Pea Flower – all of which had the same issues with settling/separation. I actually think you could make this in latte form though and the thickness of the milk combined with the foam/froth of a latte would hide most of the strangeness of the texture.

So, I’m adding lattes to my list of stuff to experiment with. Also on the list is some type of cream cheese (because yum!), and since Wize Monkey recommends this specifically with cookies I want to do a type of cookie recipe as well.

I’m psyched! This is going to be all kinds of fun to experiment with!

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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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