75

So, this company really intrigues me; their blends are either fair trade and organic, ideally locally sourced and sometimes actually foraged from the wild!? That’s pretty interesting/unique and I love the attention to detail and that they focus so heavily on freshness. I actually got all my samples of their teas through Amoda because it was the easier way for me to get samples of their blends – but if I have enough success with the teas I got samples of the idea is definitely to place an order through their website and get some things in larger quantities!

This is my first one, and you know what? The dry leaf smells pretty damn good! I’m not entirely sure what a huckleberry specifically tastes like that separates it from a blackberry, but in my head a blackberry is what I’m picturing and the dry leaf smells pretty sweet and blackberry like.

Taste wise? I’m not immediately in love, but this is pretty solid! I imagine it’d actually be a far better iced tea so that’s probably how I’ll finish off the rest of the sample. It’s very sweet, enough so that I had to double check there wasn’t any sort of sweetener like stevia in the leaf, but nope – it’s probably just the blackberry leaf up to no good. Blackberry leaf is sneaky sometimes; it’s pretty sweet stuff. The berry comes through clearly; again I don’t know what separates huckleberry from blackberries, but it definitely reminds me of blackberries. Maybe blackberry jam, specifically? Like I said, it’s a pretty sweet tea! It’s also got a tarter finish, definitely from the hibiscus. I’m not the worlds biggest fan of hibiscus, but if you’re going to pair it with anything then I think berry is usually the right route to go, and in this case I don’t find it too heavy handed.

I think, for a new to me company, it’s a good start and introduction! I’m definitely excited to see what else they have to offer!

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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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