Another new one!

Y’all know that I’m not a big Chai drinker, but this one has the type of super appetizing name that if I saw it from any other company I would probably want to try it out just to see if it lives up to the name…

So, does it live up to the name? Mmmm… I’m a bit undecided.

I will say, it smells quite heavenly to me – very sweet and buttery with a sort of butterscotch/caramelized sugar note but also lots of cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom aromas as well. Y’know, that really warming type of Chai spice mix. I can see the name and intention/direction based on the LLT smell, for sure.

My own experience in steeping this tea has been rather mixed. I will say that I have definitely had a few cups where I thought I was tasting that rich, sweet and buttery “butterscotch” flavour pretty clearly and others where I really didn’t taste it at all. From that, I conclude that this is probably the type of tea where either your steeping parameters or ratio of ingredients are going to come into play a lot. I rarely pay attention to what’s in my scoop of tea when I go to make one, but I have noticed that longer steep times seem to work better for me.

What is consistent about the profile is that it’s not overly spiced (in my opinion) but I’m not losing any of those trio of spice notes that I mentioned either. In fact, a reallllyyyyy good comparison is probably Monster Mash. I think if you enjoyed that this, this is quite likely really going to be a profile that speaks to you – it’s so similar in spice composition. I also think there’s a consistent sweetness (even if it’s not always Butterscotch) from cup to cup, and I personally think this quite often tastes very biscuit-y too. Like a sweet and spiced wafer type of cookie. I get a pop of slightly tart apple at the top of the sip, but it quickly fades. The finish is the most like butterscotch to me, and I like the slightly lingering and sticky sort of sweetness on the tip of my tongue after swallowing a sip.

I grabbed myself a small bag because I have a coworker who swears the butterscotch comes through when you make it as a latte (something I’ve not done yet) & I want to try and see if I agree. However, after I finish that little sample amount this isn’t the type of tea that I will personally want to get more of – unless the latte is life changing, of course, haha!

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.

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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 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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