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drank Cranberry Gingerale by DAVIDsTEA
15662 tasting notes

Okay. Okay. Okay. Let me just say… I am excited!

This brand new Yaupon blend just released last week and I am so incredibly thrilled and delighted that it’s out and about in the world now! Here’s a fun behind the scenes fact for you all… way back three years ago when I first came to DAVIDsTEA’s head office as a data assistant in the R&D department this was the very first profile I suggested that the R&D team worked on. Now, it’s not my first development – at the time I wasn’t actively working on new teas so Pumpkin Earl Grey still has the honor of being my first concept that I got to work on. However, it still kind of feels like my first tea in that sort of “I knew this could work/be a thing” sort of way!

So lets stop a think about that for a moment. That means that for almost three years now I’ve been very patiently waiting for this tea to launch. I’ve gone through probably close to a kilo of it just on my own in that time frame because not only is it special to me in terms of my own tea story/R&D journey but it’s also just really good! I know I totally have a bit of a bias for cranberry teas, but I also generally don’t like ginger so I feel those two biases must cancel each other out leaving the stone cold truth that this tea is just damn good. Or, at least, that’s what I’ll be continuing to tell myself.

What I really love most about it is how well balanced all the flavours are. The top notes are really tart and bring that lovely crisp cranberry quality to the blend while the body has a lovely and almost effervescent sweetness that really makes this taste like a cranberry gingerale and not just a cranberry ginger tea – and speaking of that ginger, it’s aromatic it’s just a little spicy and it brings such depth to the blend while also making the sweetness more sweet and the tartness more tart.

I drink this tea hot, iced, cold brewed – it’s one of my regular cupboard staples now after the last few years and I’m actually so relieved that it’s out because I was getting close to running out and I’ve REALLY needed a top up.

Plus! It’s DT’s first yaupon tea in years – and it’s no secret that I wasn’t really a fan of our last one so I think this is a dramatic improvement. Yaupon is a very cool ingredient native to North America (Texas specifically), and with the cranberry in the blend – which is also from North America – it’s unintentionally become this nice sort of homage to North America as well, which is maybe appropriate because I think actual Cranberry Gingerale is most popular around Autumn/Winter in the USA and Canada’s prairies.

So yes… Cranberry Gingerale. I love it. A lot.

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 and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.
2 comments
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gmathis
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Part of the joy of creating anything is sitting back when it’s finished and basking in “hey! I did that!”

Cameron B.
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I saw this one on the site but hesitated when I saw that there’s more hibiscus in it than yaupon… But I’ll definitely keep it in mind for my next order, I always have rewards I need to use from my teaware purchases! :P

And congrats on it finally getting released! \o/

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gmathis
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Part of the joy of creating anything is sitting back when it’s finished and basking in “hey! I did that!”

Cameron B.
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I saw this one on the site but hesitated when I saw that there’s more hibiscus in it than yaupon… But I’ll definitely keep it in mind for my next order, I always have rewards I need to use from my teaware purchases! :P

And congrats on it finally getting released! \o/

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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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