17245 Tasting Notes

Sipdown (2924)!

I don’t really need more jasmine green teas in my collection since I have a shockingly large amount of them for someone who doesn’t like green tea and is pretty picky about jasmine teas. So, probably good to be finishing one off. However, this was definitely a more unique one, with a very smooth and lush feeling flavour that balanced the sweetness of green grapes with the fresh, Spring-like taste and aroma of floral jasmine. It was also personally quite satisfying seeing these flavours together as someone who usually tastes undertones of grapes when I drink jasmine tea.

Maybe my path will cross with this tea someday in the future, and I think I will be pretty happy if or when that happens.

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Tea Pop!

I don’t know when the last time B&B carried this matcha was, but I feel like it was such a hidden gem in their assortment. Not only is the combination of bright lime, sweet ripe pears, and soothing floral lavender very fresh, elevated feeling, and delicious but it does such a splendidly fantastic job of covering the unpleasant taste of spirulina and nettle to that point where I’d actually totally forgotten they were in the blend.

Like, that is SO impressive since neither are exactly tasty ingredients and you can’t really tell that they’ve been included based on gritty texture either. It’s just smooth, effervescent fruity florals that feel more like something I’d get at a really trendy and higher end cafe or bohemian sorta- leaning restaurant. It works well!

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A perfectly lovely Earl Grey with a bit of a brighter, almost coppery and autumnal sort of top note before settling into brisk black tea, malt, and the familiar heady citrus of the bergamot. What was missing, of course, was the pandan. I smelled it as I brought the mug towards my face for each sip, albeit delicately. A little of the coconut-like softness. But the taste just wasn’t there – and I even made sure to get lots of the pandan leaves into my mug too.

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Cold Brew!

Really, really juicy sweet lime flavour with a pleasantly tart and sour pucked/bite and just a bit of salinity on the backend of the sip. It nails the margarita vibe so completely, but I just find myself devastatingly disappointed about the last of heat. I want more from a spicy marg…

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This is something that I’ve absolutely tasted with other orange and spice blends and it’s such a weird phenomena, but as I was drinking this tea the sweet orange and the slightly numbing clove and other spice notes sort of melted together into something very, very bubblegum-like in flavour. Definitely still enjoyed the cup, but it was certainly a little different than what I’d had in mind because of that strange combo effect.

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This is one of two brand new additions to DAVIDsTEA’s Superfood Powder line up – both of which are actually superfood iced tea powders instead of the latte ones we’ve been releasing the last couple years!

The other has mushrooms in it (and I’m allergic) and I’ve yet to do my usual “sip and spit” taste test like I have in the past for other teas I’m allergic to – so deep dive on that one will have to wait. This one, however, I’m excited to finally talk about!

It whisks up such an absolutely gorgeous and rich deep purple colour and, although there’s some butterfly pea flower in the blend to support that enchanting hue, most of that colour is driven by the inclusion of different berries and hibiscus. Obviously maqui is the big one and, if you’re unfamiliar, it’s a very anti-oxidant rich purple berry with a darker, juicy flavour a bit like blueberry or currant with a bit of tartness. There is also blueberry powder in the blend, which of course compliments the similar tasting maqui but adds a touch more nuance and deepens this sort of rich mixed berry flavour of the blend.

The mojito part of the name comes primarily from the inclusion of peppermint! It’s probably a bit of a stronger mint flavour than an actual mojito, but those really crisp and cooling elements are so instantly refreshing. It’s a huge part of why I love this tea as a very easy to whisk up iced bevvie for the summer – you take a few sips during a heat wave or when it’s really humid out and you just immediately feel cooled down, refreshed, and more comfortable. Very hydrating, too!

Other things that are cool about this blend is that it’s totally sugar and sweetener free, so great if you want iced tea but less of that sweet feeling. On the flip side, starting with something sugar free means it’s super adaptable – we’ve been having a lot of fun in the office making different cocktail/mocktails with this blend and adding our own simple syrups or liqeuers. You can also add a bit like a shot to a lemonade and make a fun purple or layered berry-inspired refresher that way. Also so good as a tea pop with the powder whisked into a concentrate and then topped with sparkling water or club soda! Highly flexible!

I guess the one way I wouldn’t recommend drinking this one is with milk or dairy. The acidity from some of the ingredients like the hibiscus powder definitely cause some curdling, even if I wouldn’t describe this as a particularly tart tasting drink. You can make it hot, and that does bring out a little more tartness – though this was absolutely formulated specifically with the intent it would be consumed cold so I personally think that’s how it tastes best.

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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drank Mystery Tea by DAVIDsTEA
17245 tasting notes

Cold Brew!

So the flavour of this tea was actually revealed several months back, so I guess I can now officially share here for anyone who missed the announcement that…

It’s strawberries & cream and kiwi!!

A lot of people guess the strawberry flavour, and cream was pretty common too though sometimes more described as vanilla or yogurt. Actually, to that point, so many people said this tea tasted like those strawberry & cream Campino or “Creme Saver” candies from the 90s/2000s and I totally see it! Kiwi, however, was definitely the harder flavour for people to nail down – though over the coarse of the campaign I did see about two people get it spot on, and one person in our office also figured it out without any hints/background on the development.

This cold brew was definitely pretty black tea forward, but still so smooth and creamy with exactly that strawberry yogurt candy kind of vibe to it and just a kiss of the kiwi at the end of the sip.

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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Pulled this one out because I was craving a more smooth, buttery coconut tea but also wanted what ever I made to not feel too thin or light. So the dense, heavier body and slight earthiness of the pu’erh with the stronger notes of cinnamon, anise, and allspice here were the exact right addition to really lean into those kind of crepe-like cookie and coconut flavours while still having a substantial feeling cuppa.

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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drank Lychee Bellini by DAVIDsTEA
17245 tasting notes

Cold Brew!

I had such a strong lychee craving the other day so I pulled this blend out because I knew that (even though it’s older) it would majorly deliver on the intense, punchy and sweet lychee flavour I was seeking. It’s very strongly flavoured but also that just makes it even juicier and more mouth-watering. Perfectly fit what I was looking for.

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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drank Raspberry Yuzu by Mateina
17245 tasting notes

More early morning mate! Even though I think Guayaki’s Classic Gold is my current favourite in my rotation, this is a fairly close second. One thing that’s very clear is that I definitely have a preference for Mateina’s sparkling flavours. This one is just so much fresher and more juicy tasting than their other options, and doesn’t have the metallic/brassy note that kind of erks me.

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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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