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First review, again…

This one smelled really interesting so I made it up to have as a sort of indulgent dessert like tea while binging on Nutella straight from the jar and applying to Fast Food restaurants. I also just got the sad news that my friend wont be coming up this weekend (though perhaps later in the month) because a family thing came up. I hope all works out for him, but I’m sad I’m gonna be on my own again this weekend.

I also just looked in my bank account and am really depressed about the lack of money considering I need to do some serious grocery shopping. I really need some call backs at this point. Just one really good interview.

I’m considering selling my art right now, but I’m not actually sure who would even buy it. Most of it is sculpture work, and not all of it is “top” quality. I do have a handmade teacup and teapot that maybe someone here would be interested in.

But anyway, I’m sure not everyone or probably anyone wants to hear about that, so on to the really interesting tea! This one has a really long suggested steep time: 10-15 minutes. I ended up going in the middle of that, with a 13 minute steep total. It seemed like a really long time, but I guess this is a fruit tea so no worrying about bitterness or anything.

Taste wise, it’s definitely a very rich fruit taste initially with notes of dark chocolate dipped dates and hints of currant – but mostly the tastes. It’s nice, and then is quickly heats up to this fiery hot pepper loops. I know this is meant to be hot – I mean “Chili” is in the name, and I can see the chili loops in the blend, but man is it a fast transition. It’s a really interesting and sort of unusual flavour palette.

At the moment, I’m appreciating it but I don’t think this could ever be an everyday tea for me. Definitely something fun for when I want something totally unusual and unique. So, we’ll see how I feel about it the next few cups in regard to restocking. Maybe I’ll use my better judgement and steep for a shorter time period next cup. An interesting taste experience for sure.

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more 2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
VariaTEA

I am sorry about everything. Hopefully people will respond to the job posting and your friend will visit soon.

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Comments

VariaTEA

I am sorry about everything. Hopefully people will respond to the job posting and your friend will visit soon.

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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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