drank Maple Chai by DAVIDsTEA
15575 tasting notes

New teas today!

So, Kittenna actually beat me to writing about this one – stores were handing out teaser samples of it for a while, and then it was soft launched along with the rest of the Chai collection, but I waited until today (the official launch date) to put up my own tasting notes!

As I’ve said for the last few year’s Chai Collections – I don’t like Chai. It’s just really not my thing; spiced teas have to be really particular to speak to me. However, I understand why we put out new Chai blends every year – it’s a very autumnal thing, and it makes a lot of people who aren’t me very happy. I can respect that! However, I’ll keep my note minimal because this isn’t a collection I’ve tasted a lot/will be tasting a lot…

I think this is a pretty well balanced Chai – it’s a little cinnamon heavy, like a lot of Chai from DT tends to be – I think this is because cinnamon is such a commercial flavour on top of being a spice that a lot of people tend to feel VERY comfortable and familiar with. However, aside from being slightly more cinnamon dominant it’s also got notes of ginger, cardamom, and a tiny, tiny bit of pepperiness. I think it’s got a lot of body, and has a really full and brisk flavour. The maple is present, but it’s not really all that sweet/intense – my first experience with this tea I was basically expecting it to be oozing sugary sweet and rich maple the same way that Maple Syrup Oolong does, but comparatively this is really subdued and less ‘sticky sweet’. If you were in the camp of people who found Maple Syrup Oolong too rich, this could be a better maple tea for you! Not to say it’s not sweet – but it’s a deeper, denser sweet tempered by the spice and a subtle, but aromatic, citrus note. It reminds me of “old school” DT blends a little bit too – like Glitter & Gold meets Maple Sugar!?

I’ve had it hot and as a latte at this point – I actually like it better hot because I think you get a bit more complexity. However, it’s still a damn smooth latte and I think that adds a nice thickness and creaminess to compliment the full bodied spices.

Not my favourite blend (as I said, I don’t do Chai very much) but I respect this one a lot compositionally – and I’m excited to see what other’s think of it!

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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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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