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Roswell Strange drank Orchard Twist by Murchie's Tea & Coffee

17939 tasting notes

If we would have been in Vancouver for longer or had less planned during the two days we were there then there’s so many tea places I would have wanted to check out. Thankfully, we did at least find ourselves in the proximity of one Murchie’s location. I would have wanted to stop into one anyway, but I’ll admit that I had an added layer of curiosity/interest after reading many of AJ’s tasting notes!

I bought a handful of teas, so I’m sure I’ll have tasting notes for them scattered over the next week or so – but in addition to just smelling everything in getting my small little haul I also took advantage of the fact they had a little tea bar in the back of the store to get a latte to go. I almost got the “Asia Swirl” just because the name had made the person I was with (who is mixed race) raise her eyebrows a bit in a not totally on board with the idea kinda way. Obviously this is not the intention (I hope not, anyway) but something people refer to mixed race babies using the word swirl in sort of either an infantilizing or fetishizing way, and that’s what the name made her think of.

In the end I ordered the “Orchard Twist” which, I believe, is made the same way you would make a London Fog but with an Apricot Black tea. I was impressed with just how flavourful and distinct the apricot was as I was sipping on it, since that’s a particularly challenging flavor to convey. The level of sweetness was great, and I thought the stonefruit with the creamy vanilla was very delicious and well balanced – even with the simplicity accounted for. I wish I would have got some more distinct notes from the black tea base, like malt or even floral undertones, but you have to have a pretty intense and full bodied black tea to start off with to expect that to come through with the addition of this much steamed milk.

Overall, lovely latte though!

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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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