Roswell Strange Send Message

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drank Double Spice Masala Chai by Vahdam Teas
15662 tasting notes

The Vahdam Advent that I ordered showed up last week, and this was kindly added in the box as a free sample – the advent is really pretty looking, but dang is it a heavy box/lot of tea! I’m going to have so much extra after each day, for sure!

This tea is alright; spiced blends aren’t typically my style but I want to push out of my comfort zone so I’m glad it was included and I’m pleased enough with my takeaways on it! I thought it mostly came off as cardamom forward, but there was a solid medley of spices at work. The black tea is a CTC grade, and as such it steeps really strong/intense but the brisk malty notes and slight citrus pithy qualities of the black tea were a good compliment to all the spices, and I didn’t find this CTC to be bitter or that astringent.

‘m hoping after an advent of mostly spiced teas I’ll find a few new favourites. This is not a new favourite, but it’s drinkable!
4 comments
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Cameron B.
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I know, right?! So much tea! What was I thinking?! XD

Tiffany :)
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So this is a weird question.. but the photos of the calendar show tins of tea. They look similar to tins DT had awhile ago which are like my favorite tins of all time. (shape+size) Can you comment on this at all since you actually have the calendar?

Roswell Strange
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They are tins of tea for each day, but it’s a different style than the Skinny Tins from DT, or whatever we called them. I can picture exactly the ones you’re talking about, but blanking on their official name. These are smaller in general, but shorted/less wide around with a different type of lid (sort of like a “cap”).

tea-sipper
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Oh cool – I can’t wait to see your notes on the Vahdam advent, Cameron and Ros. :D (Well, notes on all the advents, really.)

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Comments

Cameron B.
Delete

I know, right?! So much tea! What was I thinking?! XD

Tiffany :)
Delete

So this is a weird question.. but the photos of the calendar show tins of tea. They look similar to tins DT had awhile ago which are like my favorite tins of all time. (shape+size) Can you comment on this at all since you actually have the calendar?

Roswell Strange
Delete

They are tins of tea for each day, but it’s a different style than the Skinny Tins from DT, or whatever we called them. I can picture exactly the ones you’re talking about, but blanking on their official name. These are smaller in general, but shorted/less wide around with a different type of lid (sort of like a “cap”).

tea-sipper
Delete

Oh cool – I can’t wait to see your notes on the Vahdam advent, Cameron and Ros. :D (Well, notes on all the advents, really.)

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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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