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Sipdown (128)!

The ‘original’ tea I started drinking today; and if we’re getting really technical I actually started it yesterday – though I only had a sip from my timolino after getting home from work before popping it back in the fridge.

This one comes from MissB though, and because it smelled really fun and fruity I cold brewed it! It definitely smell quite lime-y. I’ve got to admit that I was kind of naive in that when I saw “Cacao” in the description I just assumed, like, chocolate without even realizing that cacao is an actual fruit with a flavour separate from chocolate. It wasn’t until I actually tried it today and didn’t taste chocolate that I took the time to do a bit of research.

Taste is pretty good; it’s super lime-y with a little bit of bitterness and pith; but not enough to make it unpleasant or affect the mouthfeel in any way. I also taste other tropical fruit flavours like guava or a really punch-like orange? And, my first impression was slightly tart raspberries – though the more I drink the less raspberry like this tastes. I don’t actually know what the cacao fruit is supposed to taste like though? Anyone who does know want to fill me in, because I feel like I’m missing out on a pretty integral part of what this tea should taste like…

But overall it’s good, if not a little perplexing. I don’t really taste the base at all which I know would be a negative for some though for me it’s almost a positive. I don’t understand why this is “Christmas” themed though. NOTHING about it makes me think of Christmas; it’s actually a borderline piss off. You can’t just go “This is my Blueberry Muffin flavoured tea – I’ve named it Halloween Scare” and not an explanation to back it up. Just ‘cause it might ’go well’ with holiday food doesn’t seem good enough to me. I think apple juice is tasty with stuffing – I don’t call AJ a Thanksgiving beverage…

Flavors: Guava, Lime, Orange

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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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