Meghann M

Art of Tea sample 3/24

This tea is a beauty to brew. It is the perfect essence of fall. A marigold mixed with changing oak leaves. The color is an amber mixed with orange.

These herbal fusions taste more “grown up” than others I have tasted by Teavana. Instead of being overly fruity and syrupy (which I love, and they have their place), this is like a wine full of apricot and pear notes, rounded out in taste by the rooibos. I really like how the apricot flavor comes out in this. I didn’t even know this tea had rooibos in it until I read the description. The leaves were hidden in a tea sac style tea bag that was closed on all sides.

I would certainly buy more of this tea. Especially for nights where I need no caffeine. Thanks again, Jaime, for making these samples possible:)

2/24 Art of Tea samples

Brewed up a big mug of this early last night to share with my husband. Wow was the liquor a deep crimson. There must be more hibiscus than I had pictured in this blend. I’ve never had a black tea blended with hibiscus, so I was very curious to try this blend. Thanks to Jaime I have the opportunity.

I can certainly taste the fruity tart hibiscus when sipping this tea, but it isn’t the foremost flavor. The black tea base shines through, and there is a fruity, almost an apples and peaches fruit flavor, the end of the sip certainly brings out the rose and floral aspects to the tea. Unfortunately, this floral rose flavor is brought out way to strongly as the tea cools. Sipped hot, this tea is a great blend, the cooler it gets the less I want to sip. The flowers overwhelm the tongue.

Try it, but try it hot and drink it fast!

Art of Tea sample 1/24

What a refreshing citrus aroma coming from the brewing tea! I chose this because of it’s fresh citrus scent and the fact that it had ginger in it. I love the mixture of the lemongrass and verbena, it is very pleasant. I almost don’t want to drink this tea, it smells so good I am enjoying just sniffing, I don’t want the nose pleasure to be over!

The taste is very smooth, lemon but not in your face mouth cringing lemon, just a smooth lemongrass taste with a faint ginger sweet tingle. This was a good morning cup after a night spent with family and flowing wine.

Thank you Jaime for the wonderful package of samples. I’m having fun sniffing each one and drinking them!

Brewed up 3 bags of this with 12 oz boiling water to serve over a cup of ice. This is enjoyable iced, however the currant flavor is tasting quite artificial. It might be the splenda I used to flavor the cup without tasting the plain tea prior to adding. I think this would do better without the splenda. I will rate once I try it with no additives.

Thanks to RachanaC I get to enjoy a few cups of this.

This is a great morning cuppa. It’s minty herbs, bold black tea, a hint of a sweet rum and almost cake-y goodness. Very nice hot cup to enjoy this morning. Happy to have enough to try the next cup iced, as I can see this being quite the refreshing drink. Thanks for all the fun samples Rachana!

This is the first of three samples I received that I am trying from Tea Forte.

I love Tea Forte’s packaging for their bagged teas. They are in a nylon/mesh bag, with a bendable leaf that sprouts out of the top of the bag (which allows you to hook it over your cup while steeping).

The leaves look to be a good size within the teabag, and they have room to unfurl once the water hits them. I steeped this cup in 170F water for two and a half minutes. The wet leaves have a hint of sweetness to them, but I’m not getting much else in the aroma.

Green Tango steeps up a bright marigold with a greenish tinge. Getting the slightest sweetness to the taste with a bit of hay on the aftertaste. This is a very subtle tea. The cup finished quickly, but nothing memorable in drinking this. I’m not sure if I’d purchase this tea, but I certainly wouldn’t refuse a cup from a friend.

This was given to me as a free sample with my purchases at the Adagio store. I didn’t remember trying it previously. The dry leaves smell delicious, like mulling spices. I really like this tea today. It would be perfect to steep in apple cider. I am enjoying the cinnamon and spices in this blend. A perfect morning cup!

After seeing Franks flavor of the week, White Chocolate Grasshopper Honeybush, all I have had on my mind is thin mints, candy cane ice cream and buttermints. These were all on my mind as I was browsing Adagio’s new store in Naperville, IL. The store looks amazing btw!

I found this jem in a section of custom blends and after sniffing the leaves, I had to have it. The leaves smelled like everything I’d been envisioning in my head. I grabbed samples of several other teas, and a few larger bags of tea, but this was THE tea I had to have tonight.

This blend is very creamy and mint tasting. Like those delicious after dinner mints that just melt in your mouth. The aroma is fresh mint and vanilla. It is naturally sweet and leaves a tingle on the tongue. I’m loving it!

Another tea from a swap with Jaime. Thanks for all the wonderful samples.

This tea is surprisingly enjoyable for the combination of flavors I am tasting. I didn’t know how well passion fruit and jasmine would work together, especially with the green tea in there too, but this works really well. I love how bold and citrusy this cup is. The aroma is more floral than is the taste. This was a great pick for after dinner tonight. Refreshing and relaxing.

3rd and final steep from the leaves. Enjoyed with a tiny bit of cream. Still getting a nice floral berry flavor from the tea. Will be picking up a full tin of this soon. I can’t see being without this tea.

I need to work on the brewing temps for this tea. I used 165 for 2 minutes and the pineapple is great, but there is an almost peppery taste that hits the tongue two seconds after the sip that wants me to dump this cup. It smells so good, I’ll just have to play around with the next cup more.

I won’t rate this tea for now.

2nd steep with no additives with boiling water for 4 minutes.

This is steep has a floral aroma with a slight hint of strawberry and a very fine black tea base. I really enjoy this tea both with additives and without. I feel more sophisticated drinking it without the cream and sugar, as it really brings out more notes in the tea.

I hope I can find marco polo vert in the near future. Will have to search the interwebs.

Thank you Jaime for sending me a very generous portion of this wonderful tea!

I made the first steep up with cream and sugar. I remember sampling it this way and it was remarkable. This was like liquid strawberry ice cream blended with black tea. Like a strawberry nesquick, but much more fancy and made with real strawberries. This was utterly sinful with my breakfast yogurt. Definitely buying this soon!

Another kettle fail this morning. Seems that I have blown the whistle on my tea kettle. I let it boil waiting for the whistle to blow. I never heard the whistle but water was boiling out of the top and spout of the kettle all over the stove. Reason #47 as to why I need a breville:)

I was surprised I hadn’t logged this chai yet, as I’m pretty sure I’ve had it several times. I’m halfway through the tin. I love this chai plain. The vanilla is sweet and delicious. The spices are tantalizing my tongue!

This made a great breakfast tea this morning! I made a large travel mug full to take on the drive to work this morning. Sure made the dark, foggy roads seem more easy to travel. Love how tasty this tea is.

Wow, Jaime was right, this is very Magenta!

I love the scent and color of this herbal blend. The taste is very berry, with a hint of something herbal/minty (maybe the blackberry leaf). I really enjoyed how fruity this was. I’m glad to have another herbal bagged blend that I can enjoy at night.

These leaves are so fragrant of Irish Cream! Thanks to Adham I had a wonderfully scented mailbox this afternoon which included a package with this tea.

The aroma transfers over to the scent of the brewed tea, such a decadent treat before dinner! The brewed tea has such a strong base tea flavor, and quite impeccable astringency for a sweet scented tea. It reminds me more of an Irish whiskey than a Bailey’s Irish Cream. This seems to work in it’s favor though.

This would make an excellent morning tea, as it is such a strong, rich flavor, it would hold up to any of my breakfast teas. Thanks again Adham for sending a sample of this to me!

Hoping this will help me ease into my morning with a light bit of caffeine. Yesterday I started off with a bang (3 coffee’s a latte and a large black iced tea). I think my body needs a rest. Love the ripe pineapple aroma of this blend.

Thanks to a swap with Rachel I am trying this tea. Also, thanks to TeaEqualsBliss for posting that it was really awesome brewed double strength.

Brewed double strength this is just the eye-opener I needed this morning. It’s like a shot of adrenaline in waking me up and giving me energy…although maybe a little too much energy according to my sleepy husband. I love that the earl grey bravo isn’t the only player in this tea, it is still there in flavor, although not as creamy as alone, and is added to with the other blends. Great morning cup. May try with a splash of cream next time.

Now if only Adagio would open their retail location so I could go and play with my own blend creations….I’ve heard a tentative date of tomorrow, but not sure on any updates.

Hubby and I finished up the last two bags of the tin of this tonight :( Another trip to Whole foods/World Market needs to happen soon. I don’t know if I can go long without this tea.

I was happy that he liked this without any sweetner, as he usually has to put 3-4 packets of splenda in his tea to enjoy it. Finally found something he will drink without additives :)

This tea is delightful, refreshing and oh so pineapple-y hot. I think this may be the first cup I’ve had hot. I’m glad I enjoy it this way as well, since it is getting cooler out.

Thank you Jaime for sending me a sample of this to try. I was very curious to try this after your tasting note!

This tea is so sweet and it tingles so nicely down the throat. I have to be careful to take small sips or the fire is a bit too much and I cough.

I enjoy this the most when it is at it’s hottest. It’s almost syrupy in flavor. I like it!

This tea became mine in a swap with silvermage2000. I was curious about this one after reading others tasting notes, but it wasn’t available any longer. I’m so happy to get to sample some…well, more than some, almost a near full pouch!

The dry leaves of this tea smell just like cola. They even have an effervescent scent to them, I don’t know how tea can posess this, let alone the leaves, but it is so cool!

I brewed this for 3:30 mintutes at boiling. I think this may have been a tad long, or maybe I just need a little sweetner, because it is quite potent. There is something in the flavor of this tea that makes it tingle on my tongue. It really does have many similarities to cherry vanilla cola. I taste a sarsaparilla note in the tea, maybe that is part of the natural cola flavoring? Something reminds me of the sarsaparilla flavoring in the Root Beer Float tea that was made not too long ago. Yum!

This tea is great, I can’t wait to try it iced!

Used the last of the pouch for a few hot cups on this cold night. I’m in a sweatshirt and jeans with a fleece blanket and my husband has shorts and a tee shirt on and is sweating. Hot spicy tea for me, iced watermelon tea for him :)

Used the last of this to make a pitcher of iced tea tonight. Hubby and I both have been drinking it constantly. I will have to purchase another pouch.