60
drank The Buzz by DAVIDsTEA
15575 tasting notes

From my queue.

First time I had this one was when I was just starting to get sick and it hadn’t quite sunk in just how sick I was gonna be – I decided I was going to try this cold brewed because it has a few qualities to it that seemed like they’re work for a ‘preemptive’ sick tea; AKA ginger and lemon.

Steeped/brewed up, this is super super foggy. And I know that’s ‘cause of the matcha in the blend – but damn. It looked like swampwater; very gross. And the smell, ugh. I don’t know why but the word “antibacterial” comes to mind. Which I suppose is what I was hoping for in a way; but also very much not.

Taste wise, this is really, really lemon-y with a strong ginger aftertaste. I also registered licorice, which didn’t really mesh well with the other flavours. I’m quite sure that licorice flavour was from the ginseng in the blend. The matcha and green tea are a little less robust; it’s hard to compete with that intense of a lemon flavour, after all. On the whole; I found this pretty gross – it reminded me of lemon scented Pledge or Neo Citron or a mix of the two.

However, at the time of having this I wrote off the distaste as more of a combination of my being sick and of the ginger, of which I’m not the biggest fan to begin with. Having tried this again; I think I can definitely say more confidently that it’s just not good.

One thing is certainly true though; it is super caffeinated. DT basically went “yeah, just dump in everything that’s even sorta caffeinated – that’ll do the trick” and while it created a potent, gnarly flavour it’s a shift workers savior. Like an “instant pick me up”. So, that does redeem the flavour at least a little!

M

Good info. I was planning on trying this one next. Maybe I still might, just to see how powerful the caffeine boost is.

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Comments

M

Good info. I was planning on trying this one next. Maybe I still might, just to see how powerful the caffeine boost is.

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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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