78
drank Sweet Surprise by TeaTaxi
16841 tasting notes

Sipdown (146)!

Thank you VariaTEA for the sample! I THINK this may be the last one from Tea Taxi that you sent? But I’m going on memory so I could be wrong about that too. Regardless, thanks again for introducing me to the company! I feel like I got to try a really nice range of the teas they offer thanks to you.

I drank this one from a teacup while indulging myself with a bubble bath before bed. The caffeine may or may not be a bad idea; I guess I’ll find out soon. Regardless, I needed a little indulgence and “me time”. Even though I did pretty well nothing today but run down the clock until tomorrow could begin that’s really only because I’ve been trying really hard to keep myself constantly preoccupied and distracted this week. I’m not gonna lie; it’s been a really hard and painful week not having Kyle to talk to. I feel like I lost my best friends in a lot of ways. The parts that have been the most emotional, awkward and difficult in general like having to work with him and the fact he wont look me in the eyes right now are the things I would normally turn to him to talk about if they were going on with someone else. And that’s not an option…

Mentally, I know that my relationship with him did NOT define me as a person and I don’t regret ending the relationship in anyway but at the same time it feels like a big piece of me is missing right now and I’ve just been filling it with other things, like Netflix, icecream, and tea. And distractions. So many distractions. I haven’t told anyone this in person, but apart from the day I broke up with him I’ve only cried once and it was after waking up from a dream where he had started dating a friend of mine the day after I broke up with him. He was so happy, and all our other friends were so supportive and kept saying things like “This is so much more right for you” and it’s irrational, I know, because it was just a dream/nightmare but that hurt SO MUCH. I’m not ready to deal with that yet…

BUT ANYWAY:

This tea! It really hit the spot when I just tried to stretch out with all the bubbles in the tub and just release all of the pent up stress, and frustration, and hurt I’m feeling. The soft sweetness and silky flavours really matched up with the mood I was trying to achieve. I hadn’t looked at the ingredients of this tea prior to brewing it up so the flavour was a “blind one” to me. That said I felt like the maple element of the tea was really, really well executed. It was subtle but definitely very distinct. I WAS surprised to see there aren’t nuts in the blend: I was sure I was getting the rich, sweet flavour of pecans or maybe walnuts? I guess I was getting the sweetness of the chocolate; but still it really did taste nutty to me. As for the other elements of the tea, I can see how the honey was coming through in overall sweetness and the delivery of those sweet notes. However the jasmine/rose are totally lost on me: I didn’t get anything floral out of this.

I think this may be my second favourite of the Tea Taxi blends that VariaTEA sent my way though; tied with the Cranberry one with the green base and closely following Choco Blues which is my favourite overall.

Oh, and a song pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ideQmMCE7ws&list=LL1M1wDjmJD4SJr_CwzXAGuQ&index=7

Every good bubble bath needs mood music.

Mookit

I’m sorry to hear you are going through that. Am currently experiencing it myself. Nightmares can sometimes bring out the most painful emotions, it’s very strange.. If you ever need someone to talk to, PM me! In any case, sending you love and strength! :)

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Mookit

I’m sorry to hear you are going through that. Am currently experiencing it myself. Nightmares can sometimes bring out the most painful emotions, it’s very strange.. If you ever need someone to talk to, PM me! In any case, sending you love and strength! :)

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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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