SimplyJenW

I did another side by side sampling of lychee tea kind of like I did with the rose teas. I thought this one was a little light on flavor, but then I was tasting it along side the Lichee Congou “Extreme” from another merchant. I definitely need to try this one on its own before passing judgement. All in all it seemed pleasant. Looking forward to it iced in the warmer weather, which will probably be June around here…..

Having second thoughts about the perfume level in this tea. You would think the perfume would dissipate a little once the tea is brewed and the leaves removed from the cup (or premisis?). Not the case with this one. I think I am going to blend it with something else to cut the flavor a little. I do see this making fabulous iced tea when blended a little.

Drinking this because I need to use it up. There is a new Breakfast Tea in my life. This is good, but it is just slightly too smokey for me. I think I will add some milk next time…or did I say that the last time I drank this, and I forgot? Maybe lighter on the tea?

Now after going over my last note on this….I liked milk in the first steep, and the second steep without. See, tasting notes really help!

I probably have about one more big mug of this tea after my cup tonight. I do plan on enjoying it down to the last leaf! It is good, but I have so many others that are like it, so a repurchase is not likely.

This is one I mix up as I go along…maybe a tablespoon or two of each at any given time in a small tin. You never know when you might want the flavors separate as opposed to together.

My evening cuppa for the day…….Lovely, relaxing cup that won’t keep me awake.

I found the Custom brand. Now I have a real space to put all of the crazy concoctions I like to drink. None of my blends are official at Adagio, so this is where all my blends will land.

Listening to my kids practice music and sipping a cup of this blend sweetened, and with milk. This one definitely falls into the favorites, but I still like the Chocolate Mint Black tea from The Tea Table slightly better.

Good. Relaxing. Reliable. Need to brew another cup ASAP. ’Nuff said.

My afternoon tea with milk and sweetener. I really enjoy this one on occasion. I am not a lover of Masala Chais as they tend to be overly spicy for my taste. This one is perfect, and I think the coconut and lemongrass add a nice dimension to the flavor of this tea.

I recently purchased this as a sample from Upton. I thought the flavor profile sounded like it would be perfect for me. I was surprised at how much of the tea looks to be yellow tipped. Also, it brews up into a lovely flowery smooth black. I would say the smokiness in this one leans toward a berry note. Definitely enjoyable.

Mmmmmm. A great afternoon pick me up. Definitely a good balance between the bergamot and vanilla, and the smell is divine!

Edited to Add: Darn that this only comes in 250g offerings.

This one definitely requires milk. I was surprised at the tea leaves in that they were kind of chopped up. I know..I am a breakfast tea noob, because it looked exactly as most breakfast teas look in pictures. I guess I am a full leaf gal, who prefers tea (that is not bakery-type dessert flavor) without milk. This one reminds me of coffee.

I think I am going to go with Mincing Lane for now….at least until something better comes along.

This one is not quite the one for me….since I prefer my non-dessert flavored tea without milk, this is just not working. Right now I am wishing I had sampled a single leaf version of each of the components of this tea to know which one is not fitting for me. If I had to guess, it would be the Ceylon, as the Assam and Yunnan blend I had yesterday was stellar. All in all, this tea just makes me miss Mincing Lane…..

I have been a good girl lately, and decided to treat myself to a tin of Marco Polo. Thank goodness they carry it at Williams-Sonoma, and I was able to get some without ordering. I have to be quite honest in that I was not wowed. But I think I had this built up in my mind to be the perfect tea for me…..overblown expectations…I could definitely taste the strawberry and fruits, and it had a round and full flavor that was incredibly smooth, and something creamy going on. In the words of my heroine Elizabeth, it was “quite pleasant.”

Now that my initial taste is out of the way (I am sorry Marco, that my expectations were a little out of line!) I will have to try it again for a better read on it. But I am thinking it will take several tins for me to get the full effect. Better start saving my pennies…..

I am writing this one in retrospect…..all the way to yesterday! This was my evening tea….and I quite enjoyed it. It is too funny in that I was pretty sure I had Decaf Strawberry rather than Mango, but it was the Mango that was out this morning. I am pretty sure since I thought it was Strawberry, I had probably better stick to that one, and forgo the larger size once my sample is gone. It was definitely pleasant, and probably slightly less sweet than Adagio Decaf Strawberry. I do remember thinking that this was a similar flavor to Marco Polo (which I had my first cup of yesterday) but not quite as full and rounded tasting. Hmmm. Maybe I will need more once my sample is gone…….

On the search for a new breakfast tea. Yes, ever the bargain shopper, I was pretty certain I could replace my $10 for 3 oz. tea since I was not over the moon for it. This is my first breakfast blend sample from Upton.

I like this one, and can see it being the one, but I have to ‘date around’ a little more before I am certain. There is the very slightest hint of smokiness, but it really is perfect. My current breakfast tea smokes a little too much to meet the perfectly steeped bliss quota. Definitely in the running!

I ordered a sample of this because it was quite a bit lower in price than the China Rose Petal I had been buying at another vendor. Normally, I am not too concerned about a little cost difference here and there, but this time we are talking half the cost. Since samples were available, I figured it would be a fun experiment. The chemist in me took over, and I prepared them identically, using the same kettle boil, and duplicate infuser baskets (man, am I thankful for my tendency to overbuy on having two of the same infuser!) The dry leaves are very similar in appearance, down to the color of the petals in the tea. The smells are also comparable. In side by side tastings, they seem incredibly similar. I say seem, because I am not an expert tea taster having only been really into tea since last September.

All in all, I think I have found myself a new source for my rose scented tea. Price often is an indicator of quality, but not always. I am determined to find the exception where I can!

My morning tea. Amazingly, I have given up my morning cup of coffee. Really, I don’t miss it much. As for the Adagio English Breakfast, it is lightly smokey, but still smooth. I don’t think this one will make my all time favorites, but it is good.

My evening cuppa. Yummy with milk and sweetener.

This was my afternoon cup for the day. It is a little more perfumed than I remember from the sample (I just opened this larger size today.) It brewed up to a pretty pleasing slightly sweet-tart cup. Overall, I am pleased.

4 bags in a 6 cup teapot filled to 3/4….added ice after a 5 minute steep. And then put it into my pretty glass pitcher. Good for iced, but I am pretty sure I will not repurchase once this tin is gone.

My morning cup for the day. The base is rich and full, just like I would expect in a Harney tea. The cranberry definitely smells heavier than it tastes. I take mine sweetened.

My evening tea of the day. This one has a light apricot/honey taste and is quite relaxing a pleasant. Definitely high on my list of decafs.

My afternoon pick me up, and boy is it working! I had forgotten how wonderful chocolate hazelnut is all blended happily together. It just feels like a warm, rich, relaxing hug. The chocolate is light, and the hazelnut is about the same level of flavor, but maybe slightly stronger. I am sure that took some master blending as chocolate flavor has the potential to be overpowering. I am drinking mine with milk and sweetener. Dessert in a cup.

Trying to come up with something close to my beloved Chocolate Mint Black Tea from the Tea Table. While this tea with a splash of peppermint is close, and will have to do for a while, I still hold a special place in my heart for the one from Tea Table. The chocolate is darker, and the mint lighter. Actually, it is pretty good.

Since it is a blend, I won’t give it an official rating, but the blend is about a 81.