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Cameron B. drank Chew-Brew by Adagio Custom Blends

3986 tasting notes

This is the first tea I selected to try from my brand spanking new Star Wars fandom sampler from Adagio. To be honest, I’m not expecting much from these teas and I mostly bought the sampler for the cute tins (I love Star Wars…). I chose this one because it smells fantastic! It’s very strong marzipan/sweet almond scent with other roasty nuttiness mixed in and a few spices. The dry leaf is a mix of a ton of various tiny brown things. Only a few tiny chocolate chips, which makes me happy because I generally don’t like chocolate in teas. On to the tasting! BRRWHHHAARGH! …sorry, I don’t know how to spell a Chewbacca roar…

The aroma of this tea is yum and yum! It’s a more toned-down marzipan mixed with hazelnut and nice roastiness. The taste is also more yum and yum! It’s much more subtle than the smell, but the flavors blend beautifully. There’s a lovely roasted nutty taste with little hints of sweet almond and spice. It also seems a little vanilla-like to me, but there is no vanilla in this so I guess it’s just the almond! I don’t taste chocolate, hooray! This is a very warm and comforting tea, and it reminds me of the holidays. I found myself inhaling with each sip to smell that amazing marzipan goodness. I added a bit of sugar to the second half and I think I may have liked it better without. I can see this being good with milk too!

Now, to the really important part… does this represent Chewbacca? I would say it does a decent job at least. Chewbacca is generally laid back, warm and fuzzy, just like this blend. Then there’s the hints of spice and the caffeine kick from the mate to represent his outbursts. Bravo, I say! I am so pleasantly surprised by this one!

Flavors: Almond, Marzipan, Roasted Nuts, Spices, Toasty

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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4 comments

Sami Kelsh
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This sounds so CUTE. I’d be sorely tempted to get this sampler for Gentleman if I could persuade him to like anything more exotic than breakfast tea, bless.

Cameron B.
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Hah, yeah he definitely wouldn’t like it then! There’s only one black tea and it’s a chai basically. :P

Sami Kelsh
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Maybe I should get it, drink the teas, fill the tins with English Breakfast, and THEN gift it to him. Such a thoughtful partner. :p

Cameron B.
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Not to be the bearer of bad news, but you can’t get it anymore after the weekend. :(

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Comments

Sami Kelsh
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This sounds so CUTE. I’d be sorely tempted to get this sampler for Gentleman if I could persuade him to like anything more exotic than breakfast tea, bless.

Cameron B.
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Hah, yeah he definitely wouldn’t like it then! There’s only one black tea and it’s a chai basically. :P

Sami Kelsh
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Maybe I should get it, drink the teas, fill the tins with English Breakfast, and THEN gift it to him. Such a thoughtful partner. :p

Cameron B.
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Not to be the bearer of bad news, but you can’t get it anymore after the weekend. :(

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing