100

Sipdown (146/154)…

This is a dreadfully inaccurate sipdown number. My real sipdown number is actually much lower – but I’m very behind on recording notes, so this isn’t a true representation of what’s in my cupboard.

Alas, this was the last of this blend. I cold brewed it, and it was a pretty delicious send off. Rather black currant heavy, but still captured all the usual flavours really well regardless. This was definitely one of my oldest teas (almost a year old) and I feel that while the flavour did definitely deteriorate a little bit, this remained very consistent and true to the flavour when I bought it despite the age.

Side bar; I asked for wine recommendations a while back and I did pick out a red wine to try. Or rather, I had the really nice lady at the liquor store pick one out for me based on what you guy suggested and stuff (I tried on my own, but I was so out of my depth). I then got home with my wine, and realized that I do not own a corkscrew.

However, I “Life Hacked” the cork out of the bottle. Or rather, I should say into the bottle. Since I could find any of the commonly suggested tools for pulling a cork out without a cork screw, I pushed it into the bottle instead. It worked ok, actually. But it turns out, red wine might just not be for me – it tasted very nasty and overwhelming to me. And oddly enough had notes of french bread and very sharp cheddar. And that weirded me out, because aren’t those things you’re supposed to pair with the wine? Not taste on its own?

Anyway – Red Wine: Probably not my thing. This tea: Definitely gonna restock eventually, just not for a while. I’ve burned through a lot of this, and a break might be nice to spend time with other flavoured whites.

God, that sounded like a really fucked up breakup line.

Lala

What kind of red wine did you try, and what are your tastes (ie. sweet, bitter, astringent, smooth, what type of fruits, do you like chocolate…etc?) . I drink about as much wine as I drink tea. Maybe I can provide a different recommendation.

Roswell Strange

I should have kept the bottle, but I didn’t. But, it was a German Red Wine and I remember that on the store’s grading scale it was marked “Medium Sweet”. Their scale is Very Dry, Medium Dry, Dry, Sweet, Medium Sweet, Very Sweet. As for my tastes, typically I really like sweet stuff. Favourite fruits are lychee, pear, passionfruit, pineapple… And I like chocolate (milk or white) but not on its own.

Lala

Based on what you told me, I think you would prefer more of a white wine vs a red wine. You might also like more of a rose or a moscato. In very general terms red wine = red/dark fruit (berries, plums, etc.), chocolate notes, spicey notes and also tannins (the bitterness or astringency). White wine = light/white fruits (pears, apples, etc.), citrus, and more sweet. (Hint: read the back label and it tells you what it is supposed to “taste” like. Wine is also dependent on what you are eating with it. Depending what you eat, it will bring out different flavours in the wine. Based on what you said you liked, and based on that you like sweeter things, I would suggest a white wine. Something like Matua (New Zealand) is a cheapy white wine, very citrusy and fruity but not like juice. For reds you might like something like Sweet Red Sutter Home (USA). It is a sweeter red, without all the tannins, it still tastes like a red wine but not a fruity one. Also Blackberry Merlot Arbor Mist is a fruity-but-not-so-fruity red wine. Depending on what you are eating, ie. pizza, salad, etc, you can just look up online for what kind of wine would be best paired with it. In general terms, the more you pay, the better and smoother the wine will be, but not always the case. You can get some pretty good fruity ones. Hope that helps, let me know if you have anymore Q’s.

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Lala

What kind of red wine did you try, and what are your tastes (ie. sweet, bitter, astringent, smooth, what type of fruits, do you like chocolate…etc?) . I drink about as much wine as I drink tea. Maybe I can provide a different recommendation.

Roswell Strange

I should have kept the bottle, but I didn’t. But, it was a German Red Wine and I remember that on the store’s grading scale it was marked “Medium Sweet”. Their scale is Very Dry, Medium Dry, Dry, Sweet, Medium Sweet, Very Sweet. As for my tastes, typically I really like sweet stuff. Favourite fruits are lychee, pear, passionfruit, pineapple… And I like chocolate (milk or white) but not on its own.

Lala

Based on what you told me, I think you would prefer more of a white wine vs a red wine. You might also like more of a rose or a moscato. In very general terms red wine = red/dark fruit (berries, plums, etc.), chocolate notes, spicey notes and also tannins (the bitterness or astringency). White wine = light/white fruits (pears, apples, etc.), citrus, and more sweet. (Hint: read the back label and it tells you what it is supposed to “taste” like. Wine is also dependent on what you are eating with it. Depending what you eat, it will bring out different flavours in the wine. Based on what you said you liked, and based on that you like sweeter things, I would suggest a white wine. Something like Matua (New Zealand) is a cheapy white wine, very citrusy and fruity but not like juice. For reds you might like something like Sweet Red Sutter Home (USA). It is a sweeter red, without all the tannins, it still tastes like a red wine but not a fruity one. Also Blackberry Merlot Arbor Mist is a fruity-but-not-so-fruity red wine. Depending on what you are eating, ie. pizza, salad, etc, you can just look up online for what kind of wine would be best paired with it. In general terms, the more you pay, the better and smoother the wine will be, but not always the case. You can get some pretty good fruity ones. Hope that helps, let me know if you have anymore Q’s.

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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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