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Cheryl

Cheryl drank White Symphony by Adagio Teas

Disclaimer: Really out of my element on this testing. Having nothing to really judge it against, will just record impressions and opinion (but take it for what it’s worth right now). This is a white tea (unusual for me) and I’m testing it without additions (eeeek, lol).

The brewed tea aroma is floral (can’t place which) and vegetal…mostly vegetal (like a pot of fresh green beans boiling on stove).

First sip impression: eh, going to take a few more sips to adjust to “no sweetener” added. Sip sip sip … this does taste like a vegetable broth of some sort (not green beans). There’s a slight bitterness to it (slight, slight). Not really liking the aftertaste, even though the tea itself is quite drinkable “plain”. While it’s still warm, going to run and add a little honey (wimping out, I know)…. Added a tsp. of honey, and it justs seems to get more vegetable-like. Since I’m not one to drink vegetable broth, this isn’t for me. Not going to give it a number rating (wouldn’t be fair). It’s probably quite good for what it is … not a weakling by any means.

2012-02-11 15:18:21 -0500

180 °F / 82 °C

7 min 0 sec

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Autumn Hearth 2012-02-11 22:57:32 -0500

For godsake woman shorten your steep time! ;) i can only imagine that’s why you were getting so much veg and that hint of bitterness. For a straight white I would steep 5 mins tops, I don’t trust package recommendations, especially after tonights green debacle.

Cheryl 2012-02-12 00:24:26 -0500

Yea, and it’s not Adagio’s fault (they said 3-5). I was reading other tealogs about this tea and several said 7 (and liked it). So I do need to give it another try, perhaps at the other extreme :)

Amy oh 2012-02-12 12:40:13 -0500

I never steep white teas past 2 minutes usually…

Daniel Scott 2012-02-13 03:57:13 -0500

Hi! Got here from my own tealog, and I had to laugh – I, too, am trying to kick a Coke habit with tea. Well, maybe not entirely (I can’t actually bring myself to imagine a life without pop), but it seems to have worked, largely, since I mostly drink tea now.

I “wimp out” on the no-sugar thing, too. I’ve gotten down to as little as one packet of raw sugar for a cup, but haven’t made it to clear; even when I promise myself I’ll drink a cup clear, I inevitably end up adding a sweetener anyway.

I would also try a shorter steep. A low-quality white might stand up to 7 minutes – I recently had a Tazo white that turned out to stand up to a combined steep time of 2 minutes, 4 minutes and 6 minutes on three steeps, but that’s a bagged tea. Better quality whites I also keep to 2 minutes, max. Sometimes I see reviews of tea where people are listing steep times that are so long that I think they’re just wacky!

Cheryl 2012-02-13 16:58:42 -0500

Truthfully, I haven’t given up Coke either completely, but drinking a lot less now. My problem comes from being a sipper and I always end up drinking hot tea quickly, needing more : ) My water consumption is up though…ha.

But yea, this is in my “try again” pile (not the “OMG no!” pile) so will go for 2-3 next time. Matter of fact, a lot of things I tested as a newbie probably needs retested (now that I have a vari-temp kettle and realize time and temp do matter a lot).
p.s. chocolate brownies are better with (homemade) peanut butter icing (tell your Mom…lol).

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Originally started testing teas, to replace a lifelong Coke (Coca-Cola) habit. Now I’m just amazed at all the choices. Still in beginner stage of tea education. Until I get really good at iced/cold tea, the Coke habit remains, but is down to a minimum.

My cupboard here on Steepster was ridiculous, containing each and every sample size that I have been accumulating. It now only contains non-sample size teas. Loose leaf outweighs the bagged teas, but it doesn’t look that way by the list (over 100 samples).

I started my tea journey testing flavored teas. My favorites are chai and mint flavored teas, along with Earl Grey. Also like chocolate, caramel, coconut, almond, vanilla, cinnamon, clove and some others. Most flavors are better with a nice black tea base. The mint ones seem best paired with greens. I’m branching out now to unflavored teas and it is way more overwhelming then the flavored category. Phew.

My (grown) son has decided that he wants to try to find tea that he likes too, so I’ll be passing along the ones I don’t care for to him (with instructions to then pass them on to his sister…evil plot? yes!). So I’ve removed my shopping list from Steepster and moved it to a spreadsheet (swaps are out for now). My shopping list had grown to 197! By going through each one, I was able to split that in half (since many were added in beginning, before I knew what I like/don’t like).

While not swapping, if there’s something in my cupboard that you’d like a sample of, please feel free to ask : )

Ratings (for now):
90s: Must have in personal rotation. Crave it.
80s: Makes me a happy tea drinker. Very good. Unsure of long term relationship.
70s: Like this. Will drink what I have (sample/tin/box), but unsure of whether I’d buy again.
60s: Probably a good tea for what it is. Just not to my personal liking.
50s and below: Do not like…at all. Either poor quality, yuck flavor or … (see tealog).

Old (and still current) obsessions: books, music and fragrances. ~~Hopefully my tea collection stays much more “normal” then those.~~ (too late)