drank Blue Freeze by T Kettle
16875 tasting notes

I’m sooo tired, but also so close to catching up on tasting notes. Two more, and then I’ll finally sleep…

This is obviously T Kettle’s recreation of Magic Potion from DT. However, I’d like to call your attention instead to what I think might genuinely be the worst piece of copy writing that I saw on any tea throughout all of 2020. Like, it wins the award for “worst way to describe your tea”. So, I present the short copy on the T Kettle website:

Brrrrr…. this is so bluey good (incredible as a DIY Popsicle). Tends fruity with ‘into the wild blue yonder’ notes.

I’m sorry, but… INTO THE WILD BLUE YONDER NOTES!? What does that even mean!? It’s such a bad and confusing way to describe your tea.

However, with that aside… it’s not a terrible tea. Like, it’s definitely NOT a tea for me but honestly neither is Magic Potion, really. Both have pretty strong notes of stevia and a pleasant but ultimately pretty generic fruity berry flavour that I don’t dislike but that I don’t really like all that much either. I find this blend a little more distinct in what fruit, specifically, it tastes like – and that’s black currant, and maybe just a bit of anise? However, just because it’s a little more distinct to me doesn’t mean I think it’s better. Or worse, actually. What I do think is that black currant is a flavour that’s not super beloved in North America, and that when steeped too long can kind of read and medicinal. That said, the more intense flavour of Magic Potion coupled with the heavy use of stevia can just read as pretty cloying/artificial. So, I think whatever trade off of flavours you’re getting between the two blends probably cancels each other out.

Actually, thinking about it, the taste of this tea sort of reminds me of the black version of these Haribo candies: https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xjQdyDMKi1M/XLx_V8ZZjtI/AAAAAAAAZN4/q9dtlrydzi8To9mKhn01foJ9WyiCu7UqwCLcBGAs/s1600/0C09BAF4-DC16-4E0C-A25D-F4272ECBBDFE.jpeg

Don’t know if that’s good or bad, though.

Martin Bednář

I actually like those black Haribo candies more than their red counterpart. While it isn’t a tea I would say “must have”, I think I could enjoy it :)

Dustin

It looks like Into The Wild Blue Yonder is a US Airforce song. No clue how that translates to this tea!

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Martin Bednář

I actually like those black Haribo candies more than their red counterpart. While it isn’t a tea I would say “must have”, I think I could enjoy it :)

Dustin

It looks like Into The Wild Blue Yonder is a US Airforce song. No clue how that translates to this tea!

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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

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https://www.instagram.com/ros...

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