80

Well, I’m back to sobbing like a baby – but this time because I just finished watching Chuck (finally done the series!) and it was really emotional and made me a blubbering mess. Also, I hate that ending! Fuck open endings – I want happy conclusions!

Anyway, I made two new teas to drink with the last episode and this was one. Sample is courtesy of VariaTEA. This is something I was curious about, but not enough so to have bought for myself – so getting a sample of it was great. Dry, it smells a little like peanut butter and has a sort of sour “tang” to it that I imagine is intended to be the cheesecake.

For steeping parameters, I went with just shy of 2 tsp. in 10 oz. of boiling water. I’m not sure how long this was steeped, but it was a while. At least five minutes.

Taste wise, at first I wasn’t getting a whole lot. A little bit of very light chocolate and peanut butter flavour, and a sort of peppery taste from the honeybush. Then, the more I drank the more flavour I got. The honeybush lost the peppery quality it had, and the peanut butter got a bit more intense, though the chocolate stayed about the same. I also started to pick up a tangy and almost sour flavour in the aftertaste which would be the “cheesecake”. The colder the tea got, the stronger I found both the cheesecake and peanut butter notes to be, so that by the end of the cup I would say that, yes, this was a cheesecake tea (especially in the aftertaste).

I’m quite happy I have one, maybe two, more cups of this because it did get a whole bunch better by the end of the cup. My mind isn’t made up yet about whether I’d want more, so I’m glad to have a few more cups to decide that as well. In any case, I’d have to wait for a reblend and I’d want my cupboard to be more under control.

Thanks, VariaTEA!

VariaTEA

I will have to let this cool a bit because I was not overly impressed with it. Also, I started watching Chuck but then got distracted by Covert Affairs. Perhaps I should return to Chuck.

Roswell Strange

Only watch it if you’re ok with becoming way too emotionally involved with the characters – because I’m just so heart broken right now. D:

VariaTEA

haha. I will keep that in mind.

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Comments

VariaTEA

I will have to let this cool a bit because I was not overly impressed with it. Also, I started watching Chuck but then got distracted by Covert Affairs. Perhaps I should return to Chuck.

Roswell Strange

Only watch it if you’re ok with becoming way too emotionally involved with the characters – because I’m just so heart broken right now. D:

VariaTEA

haha. I will keep that in mind.

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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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