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Cold Brew!

The lovely VariaTEA sent me a WHOLE BUNCH of this one since it’s not a blend she was big into, and I really enjoyed the sample she originally had sent to me. And, since I’ve got well over 50g of it now, I thought I’d play around and try something new but seemingly appropriate for the blend; a cold/iced version!

I was pretty generous with the leaf and so that could play into the flavour a bit, but this was pretty strong/boldly flavoured – and not just the robust grape flavour. The black base came off as very brisk and weighty next to the “Icewine”. Overall, that detracted a bit from the natural sweetness of the grapes (no grape candy this time), but it did contribute a fuller flavour palate at the same time. It was a little conflicting.

I absolutely enjoyed this but I think that if I go the cold brew route again I’ll either leaf less or will have to consider a sweetener of some kind; I’d like the juicyness of the fruit to “pop” a little more. In fact, the next route I take with this might be literal pop? I think this would make a KILLER grape tea soda!

Kittenna

Does it actually taste ice-winey, or more grape? I’ve sampled a few different ice wine teas and they generally taste more like grape crush (I still think Butiki’s Gui Fei is the most ice-winey I’ve had!)

Roswell Strange

It’s pretty “Grape Crush” like, but then again I’ve only had one Ice Wine before and am definitely not an expert on the nuances.

Kittenna

I’m not an expert either, but the ones I’ve had were definitely more syrupy with a bit of muscatel than grapey.

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Kittenna

Does it actually taste ice-winey, or more grape? I’ve sampled a few different ice wine teas and they generally taste more like grape crush (I still think Butiki’s Gui Fei is the most ice-winey I’ve had!)

Roswell Strange

It’s pretty “Grape Crush” like, but then again I’ve only had one Ice Wine before and am definitely not an expert on the nuances.

Kittenna

I’m not an expert either, but the ones I’ve had were definitely more syrupy with a bit of muscatel than grapey.

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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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