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Roswell Strange drank Random Steepings by Various Artists

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Tea 108 Cuppings: Week Three

These cuppings were from the week I was super, super sick and basically not drinking any tea so they didn’t go over all that well (I’m feeling so much better though) but alas I guess I’ll write about them anyway.

Similar to the idea behind Week Two’s cuppings, this week I sampled four different bagged Green teas each of which was from a different company. I actually did this part of the week’s cuppings probably at the height of when I was most sick and I was so sick and so heavily medicated that I have no recollection what so ever of what each of the teas tasted like, though I did fill out cupping sheets for each tea just like I do with every cupping for class. Highlights from those cupping sheets include such vague and non descript notes as “Buttered grass” and “Teabag is trapezoidal”. It was honestly just so hard to do that set of cuppings – I was drained of all energy and ambition, and couldn’t taste/smell at all on top of that. At least my instructor was very understanding.

The last part of the week’s cuppings was a side by side of two different jasmine scented greens. I was pretty well on the mend when I did this cupping, so I got much more thorough notes for it. Jasmine greens really aren’t my thing, but these two were alright. The first was very potent but a little harsh in just how jasmine-y it was. It began to taste very chemical. It was also fairly smoky tasting. The second somehow felt “deeper” and had other floral notes like orchid. I definitely preferred that one.

Question: when other people drink straight up jasmine green tea do you get grape notes at all? It’s something I’ve casually observed before and not thought much of but both of these cuppings had really intense grapey notes to them that through me off a little bit. Though, I really enjoyed it in the second cupping because they were almost “black grape” notes, and that’s my favourite kind of grape.

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K S
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Teavivre’s jasmine teas often bring grape to my mind. So it is not just you.

sundaysipping
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Yes to the grape notes. I’m actually reminded of the grape Tootsie Roll lollipops every time I have jasmine tea.

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K S
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Teavivre’s jasmine teas often bring grape to my mind. So it is not just you.

sundaysipping
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Yes to the grape notes. I’m actually reminded of the grape Tootsie Roll lollipops every time I have jasmine tea.

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Hello! My name is Kelly, though many people in the tea community call me Ros or Roswell.

I am a twenty five year old proudly queer tea addict, blogger, and all around tea geek. 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 preperation 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.

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.

Tea Pet Reference Guide:

Clay Pixiu Dragons: Zak & Wheezie
Clay Goldfish: Dot
Clay Monkey: Enzo
Jade Pixiu Dragon: Whitaker
Ruyao Carp: Splashy
Ruyao Banana Man: Pheobo
Ruyao Dragon: Pablo
Ruyao Frog: Bebe
Sculpted Pig: Nelly
Sculpted Tuxedo Cat: Pekoe
Sculpted Tabby Cat: Marmalade
Ceramic Rabbit: Rupert
Ceramic Stringray: Irwin
Ceramic Horse: Bergamot
Ceramic Snail: Snicket
Ceramic Cat: Saffron
Wood Fired Man: Leopold
Brass Mouse: Stilton

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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