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Probably my last tea of the day…

The dry leaf for this one smells amazing – really screams Cherry Cola, with hints of sweet and creamy vanilla. Makes me think of drinking an amazing float in some old school malt shop/diner. I was all kind of excited to steep this one up in the hope that it would be even half as tasty as it smells.

The taste is awesome; the cherry and vanilla notes both come through quite strongly and clearly and really balance each other out. I don’t think the cola is quite as strong in taste as it was in smell, but it is there and I have so say that it’s better than a lot of cola teas I’ve tried – and I have had my fair share. It’s a little bit citrus-y too, and that makes me wonder if this is one of those blends that uses a combo of citrus and spice to recreate the cola flavour. I don’t taste any spices though, so maybe not. Rooibos base comes through fairly strongly also; pulls you out of the cherry cola illusion a little bit but doesn’t completely shatter it. Thanks for sharing VariaTEA!

Ultimately I really like the taste of this one, the only problem is that as I finish off the mug that nausea/queasiness is coming back in full force and I’m starting to feel really sick. That strong feeling of being right on the verge of gagging or full on throwing up. I’ve felt this sensation so much over the last four days that I know it has ZERO to do with the tea itself, but it’s hard to not wonder what’s triggering it and if that trigger has any connection to the tea…

It’s making the last bit of the mug hard to finish off though, and that’s why this is likely the last tea of the night. Don’t need anything else adding to the nausea. Bleck. Ick. Ugh.

VariaTEA

Glad you liked this but sorry to hear about the nausea. Sometimes it helps to actually throw up but I’m not sure if that’s the case with prolonged nausea. Hope you feel better soon.

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VariaTEA

Glad you liked this but sorry to hear about the nausea. Sometimes it helps to actually throw up but I’m not sure if that’s the case with prolonged nausea. Hope you feel better soon.

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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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