15545 Tasting Notes

79

Cold Brew!

Y’know, from the deep red liquor colour of this blend you would expect it would be like some kind of intensely tart cherry bomb but it’s actually surprisingly smooth. Definitely still cherry forward some some tartness/acidity from the hibiscus but it’s blanketed with an overarching softness and a smooth, silky vanilla undertone and finish. Very enjoyable, and very different than any other cherry teas I own.

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drank Milk Oolong by Adagio Teas
15545 tasting notes

Fresh, floral, and so, soooo buttery with a creamy coconut undertone. I unintentionally ended up drinking this tea mostly cold since I forgot it after straining my mug and it was actually much nicer at that cool temperate than I would have expected. Left a pleasantly light sweetness on the tip of my tongue with more of the floral notes coming out in the finish after the initial wave of smooth, butteriness. Hints of violet.

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drank Toffee Apple by The Tea Crew
15545 tasting notes

Finally getting around to trying this blend from Sewwie and it’s actually quite scrumptious and fantastic. I always get skeptical when I see toffee in a tea’s name because I’m so picky about my caramel/toffee teas but it was that exact right sort of dark and sticky sweet caramelized sugar flavour to perfectly convey it. Not too bright, with an overall “brown” dense quality. Though the baked apple finish was pleasant, it was the toffee element that made the tea in my opinion.

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81
drank Vanilla Sunrise by Zappyo
15545 tasting notes

Steeped this up Saturday morning because I just woke up with a super strong craving for a mug of sweet, bright orange flavoured tea. With a stash of over 2000 different teas you would think it would be quick to find a caffeinated orange tea, but you would be wrong. It took an embarrassingly long amount of time to find something to fit this craving and the added cherry on top is that the tea I found has vanilla in the name and not orange.

On the flipside, I’ve always wondered why this has vanilla in the name when it is so clearly a citrus blend and I finally made what is (I assume) the connection that it’s a “Vanilla Sunrise” as in a play on a “Tequila Sunrise” which is a citrusy drink. Sooo if that’s correct then I feel a little personally satisfied in connecting those dots.

The mug was perfect, though! Bright and juicy orange without being tart or hibiscus heavy with a soft, creamy finish. Any more decadent than that subtle vanilla note and it wouldn’t have been the type of citrus I was craving.

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Iced!

After a few days of experimentation I decided to just make a regular travel mug of this flavour – though I did do what I’ve done in the past and double up on the single serve packets to make twice as much in one go to fit my tumbler. Compared to the last few days drinks, which were a bit thinned out from using more water with less powder, this felt ULTRA tart and tangy with a really sweet, zingy strawberry kool-aid sort of vibe.

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Iced!

Continuation of my exploration in water ratios. This time I used one packet for one and a half times the recommended water, and I thought that was much better. Obviously still thinner than following the directions, but I still tasted all the normal flavours I typically get when drinking this. The main reason I’ve been playing with the ratios it just because, while I love these powders, I’m finding that the serving sizes just aren’t enough for me to feel satisfied by the end of the cup – and I don’t want to just double up on packets every time I make one. That’s just not super economical.

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Iced!

I’ve been dabbling with how watered down I can make a single packet of this so that I have more to drink without it tasting too noticeable weak/watered down. This was too big of swing because I essentially doubled up my water but only used the one single serve. It was a beautiful striking deep purple red colour but the flavour was thin. Kind of like a Vitamin Water. Good option if you don’t want to taste the apple cider vinegar at all, but I found myself missing that juicy tang.

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I’ve had this sitting in my fridge for months now because I hated the other two flavours so much when I had them that I was scared to try this one. Turns out that this is probably the best flavour. Yes, it is still obnoxiously sweet and cloying however with the peach flavour it almost gives it a candy type of vibe that makes it a fraction more acceptable to my palate. That or I was just properly braced for it. Anyway, I actually finished this one – but no shot I’d ever buy it (or any of the others) again.

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drank Unicorn Dream by DAVIDsTEA
15545 tasting notes

Cold Brew Sipdown (2526)!

Feels good to get rid of this blend – it’s particular style of very sweet cotton candy and marshmallow profile isn’t something I typically reach for often. It’s not that it tastes bad but it’s just so sweet and artificial tasting as, you know, is fair for the flavour it’s supposed to me. Definitely worse as a cold brew, also. Just was sorta… funky? Hard to explain, but I guess because it’s also got that very natural lemongrass note alongside such sweet candy flavours and the coldness seemed to make the contrast feel even more exaggerated.

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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Latte! …kinda.

So, this Superfood Latte powder actually released a few months ago, but I’ve been putting off writing the tasting note for it because it’s one of the handful of teas that have come out that I’m allergic to (the chaga – I’m allergic to mushrooms). It’s so incredibly hard and frustrating doing the research and development on teas that I can’t drink…

But, as I do every time we launch a tea I’m allergic to, I will drink a few sips of it once. Don’t worry, I do it in a controlled way. It’s just important to me to have more than a conceptual idea of the taste once we begin selling a tea so that I can take that into account when we start receiving feedback, seeing sales, etc.

Like all these Superfood Powders, this was developed with a specific function in mind. In this case, we were looking at more of a “mood boost” kind of vibe from the combination of the theobromine in the cocoa, the adaptogenic chaga, and chili which can cause the release of endorphins.

Honestly, it’s close to what I was picturing taste wise. Fairly rich hot cocoa kind of profile, though not too sweet at all. I think that’s kind of nice with a hot chocolate sort of blend because you get a little more control there with how you want the final cup to taste. Definitely can’t taste the mushrooms at all, though I do get maybe just a bit of the earthier undertone of the beets in the blend. I think it adds depth of flavour. The chili is the interesting part to me. It’s lighter than I expected, and without having more than just my few baby sips it’s hard for me to gauge whether it’s one of those kind of heats that stays a whisper or if it slowly builds in intensity on the palate over the coarse of a full mug. I’ve heard both from different coworkers.

So, anyway, this is officially in the flavour memory bank now!

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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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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