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...
haha I like how you are devising strategy now. I typically sit in my room however I decided this morning I could make tea faster if I sat in the kitchen by the kettle. Thus I am sitting at my kitchen table doing work and as my cups get low, I start the kettle.
Heh. I’m trying to catch up to you two… and doing the same thing. Brewing as I get low, and small cups as well. ;)
Part of what’s driving me crazy is my tooth too – I’m in so much pain right now that it’s getting incredibly hard for me to drink anything because of the sensitivity. But, I have no idea how to go about finding a dentist and, even if I did find one, no way to pay them.
Right now I’m in too much pain to physically eat or drink anything, so if that doesn’t let up then I may have to humbly bow out of our competition – despite the fact I’d love to continue. Like, it’s so bad and I’m so close to being broke that I’m currently googling how to pull your own tooth, and if that doesn’t yield satisfying results then my pay from my day at Tea Desire may go towards some alcohol to numb the area.
My brother once decided to yank a tooth out with pliers. I DO NOT recommend it. There has to be a way you can get in to see a dentist.
Also don’t do anything that will put you in pain. Especially not something for a silly competition. I hope you feel better soon!