Roswell Strange Send Message

606 Followers / 385 Following

Roswell Strange drank Frozen Raspberry by DAVIDsTEA

15678 tasting notes

Next iced tea in the collection.

First time I saw this one, I was not into it. It really looks like a raspberry version of Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait – there are A LOT of overlapping ingredients, and I don’t like SRP so I figured I wouldn’t like this one. Also, it’s got straight up sugar in it too, which isn’t a pro in my books. However, the closer we got to launch day the more the idea of it was growing on me, and when we finally cracked open the first kilo bag I found myself really into the aroma of the dry leaf: it was juicy raspberry, with this familiarity I couldn’t totally shake.

Steeped, I think this actually (and reluctantly) ends up being my favourite of the new teas after Passion Punch. Mostly, I like it because it reads as a very solid/pure raspberry flavour with a faint sliver of tartness and a lot of mellow/natural sweetness. Now, mentally I know that it ISN’T natural sweetness because there IS sugar in the blend, but it doesn’t taste super cloying/sweet and artificial to me despite that. The raspberry also tastes pretty familiar: in a way, it’s like the raspberry from Rainbow Sherbet but at the same time, it has the sort of mellowness and slight creaminess of Blackberry Blizzard. Then, while having similarities to both of those summer blends, there’s still a quality about it which is really familiar but I don’t think tea related at all. I still can’t place that aspect of it, which annoys me a little bit.

Unlike Passion Punch, which I loved, I likely wont buy any of this one for myself but I anticipate it being a “go to” to drink on shift when I want an iced tea.

But to sum up:
- Good raspberry flavour
- Tasted fresh and naturally sweet, despite not actually being “natural” sweetness
- Has a hint of creaminess to it (from the cream flavour/yogurt in the blend)
- Oddly familiar

Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts regarding the teas, and not the company’s.

I Like This

10 likes

0 comments

People who liked this

Profile

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...

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer