Cheryl

This is a black tea blend from Adagio that works for me. In other samplings of their flavored black teas, they always tend to turn bitter. Not this one. I already tested this before joining Steepster and have already purchased a larger quantity. It’s that good (if you like chai teas in general).

Black tea, cinnamon bark, ginger root, dried coconut, lemon grass, cardamom pods and natural coconut flavor.

On first sip, you really notice all the spices, with none really dominating over the other. If I had my way, there would be less ginger, but that’s neither here nor there in evaluating this tea. What sets it apart from a “normal” chai is the lemongrass and coconut. They play a major role in the overall flavor of the tea, and in my opinion make it special. The flavors are strong and yummy, and with the addition of honey, it’s nice and sweet. Would recommend a test to the chai tea lovers out there.

No notes yet.

No notes yet.

Having just tested Adagio’s Coconut (black tea), this is as good of a time as any to test this one. The aroma in the bag is more green leaves, less coconut, but it’s there. Brewing this up, the leaves really expand and are very pretty.

Sniffing the brewed tea, where did the coconut go? I smell melted butter. There’s no coconut taste either… ok, maybe a teensy tiny little bit in the aftertaste. The tea itself (if not expecting coconut, ha) is pleasant enough. At least it’s not bitter! Not tasting buttery (like it smells). This might be one that can grow on me, so it goes into my “try again later” pile (which is growing rapidly). If you’re expecting a strong coconut flavor, you will be disappointed. If you want a pleasant, light green tea, this may fit the bill.

ETA: I got busy with something else, and this tea cooled down completely in the cup. Now the coconut is showing up more, which is causing me to up the rating a bit. Will want to try this cold again.

Me and Adagio’s flavored black teas do not seem to get along. I ordered many to test the base teas that are used in the blends, before even thinking about making one (if I don’t like the ingredients, I won’t like the blends). This one smells amazing in the package (if you like coconut). Based on past experience, I decided to lower the steep time on this one (by 30 seconds), hoping it wouldn’t end up bitter like the rest.

The brewed tea has lost it’s strong coconut aroma, but it’s still there…almost buttery now. Gosh darn it, I’m still getting a bitterness with this (like all the other Adagio flavored blacks), but it’s not as bad (so maybe it helped to lower time). The coconut has morphed into an almost almond flavoring, if that’s possible. I added some honey, so that’s probably my fault.

Overall I’m not liking this, because of the bitterness. I’ve found so many other teas that aren’t bitter …

When looking through all my samples, deciding what to test next, this one popped out at me. I forgot about it. I just tested Stash’s Kashmiri Chai Green, so this is another green chai to compare it with. To be fair, this lists ginger as 2nd ingredient (after green tea), and that worries me. I much prefer cinnamon and clove (which were dominant in the Stash).

The package aroma is amazing. Upton seems to use strong flavorings when they flavor. The green leaves while brewing were more abundant. The first sip brings a familiar pause. This is just as light as the Stash one. Cinnamon and ginger…yep. Gosh, I wish I liked ginger a wee bit more. If it doesn’t dominate, I can tolerate it. But I never use it to flavor things on my own. If you DO like ginger and cinnamon, and a lightly spiced chai green tea, give this a try.

Upton’s samples start at $1. Their sample packages don’t reseal (foil that you can fold over, then I use a paperclip to seal). But they are great in that they label steeping instructions individually, with how much to use, temperature and steep time. I wish everyone did this (on full size packages as well).

I tried this one last night, with a tbs. of honey. Stash sent it free with purchase, and I must say that I wouldn’t have bought it by choice. Why? Because of the list of ingredients. Rum and I aren’t friends…and I don’t like gingerbread flavors.

Ingredients: blended black teas, cinnamon, ginger root, natural gingerbread flavor, clove, natural jamaican rum flavor, natural nutmeg flavor

This is the bagged version. I found it to be weak overall. And as expected, I didn’t like the flavorings. I’m not going to downgrade it based on personal taste, but overall it was a very weak brew.

This is another loose tea that I ordered from Stash, during their sale. Green tea with chai spices and almonds was appealing. The dry aroma is fantastic, with cinnamon and clove being the obvious spices.

This is a light tasting chai, as the spices fade after brewing. I can still taste the green tea (which is good), and cinnamon is the dominant spice, with clove being very noticeable as well. Aftertaste is clove (which I like a lot). If anyone has ever had Beeman’s Clove gum (think it’s still around, here and there), that’s the aftertaste. Not noticing the almonds…

While I usually like heavier spices in a chai, this is a very good milder version, which I can see a place for in my cupboard. Added tbs. of honey, so it’s on the sweet side. Yum.

Wow, this tea hasn’t gotten much love on Steepster, but I never let that influence my opinion. I like mint teas, love spearmint, and I’m on the hunt for that special one.

I got this in loose leaf form from the recent Stash sale. Opening the pouch and I can see why people think “toothpaste” or mouthwash. That’s not a negative to me though. This has spearmint, peppermint and wintergreen .. a 3-mint punch. There’s lemongrass and ginger too, but not noticing it. It smells wonderful.

After brewing, it’s a lot tamer than the dry aroma would make you believe. It’s tame. The green tea is a nice light base and the mints all meld together nicely. I added a tsp. of honey, so this is on the sweet side to me. I might be able to get by without any sweetener (will try next time). Well, I like this! But I’m very forgiving when it comes to this category. Do I love it? Well, no, but we are just getting to know each other : )

And ah yes, there’s the mouthwash correlation (aftertaste). But I like that … refreshing.

Had this last night after opening a can of sweetened condensed milk (for the Twinings Pumpkin Chai). In this blend, adding a tablespoon caused me to think I died and went to heaven…. well, you know what I mean! Excellent tea. Love it.

This doesn’t seem to have much love on Steepster, but I like it a lot. It’s different. Instead of the usual cinnamon/cardamom/ginger chai domination, this one employs the spices used to make pumpkin pie. No, I don’t detect pumpkin either, but the spices are very similar to the pie’s flavors.

I have made this before using a T. of honey, and it was very good. Last night I decided to open a can of sweetened condensed milk, and added a T. of that instead. It was spectacular. (I am trying to replace a 140 calorie/can Coke habit … anything that comes to about half of that is acceptable, which this qualifies for) : ) Sweetened condensed milk is 65 calories per T. (honey 60, sugar 50).

Oh Adagio, I’m trying so hard to love some of your teas. I love your customer service, entire company agenda/philosophy, love that you offer people an ability to make their own blends. So I keep trying…

But this tea won’t win me over. It’s ok. Just ok. A lightly flavored “chai” green tea, the aftertaste is better than the sipping. If I double the leaves, maybe this would get better. Will try that at a later time, but for now this sample is going into the “try again later” box.

First, for technicalities, Upton now calls this “Hearthside Chai” and it appears to be limited edition.

It’s a chai kind of night. Chai is something I can usually count on liking. For those of us who like the chai spices, it’s usually a matter of trying to find the perfect blend for our own personal preferences. Upton has already won me over with their Tropical Chai Spice, but there’s always room for more favorites in this category : )

Ok, the smell of this one is wonderful. It smells like it has vanilla (but does not, and doesn’t come through on the taste either). First sip, I’m thinking about a friend who likes her chai spices to be very mild. For me, I want a little more pow. The flavors are very well blended. Can detect the licorice, cinnamon isn’t dominating (common) and it’s a nice “mild” blend. If that’s what you’re looking for, this is worth a test (but hurry, it’s limited) : )

Does anyone know whether this is seasonal (will be back next year?).

This is described as a ceylon-based Earl Grey, blended with green tea. I am getting a green tea base with a tiny bit of orange (bergamot) and a background of vanilla, making it a “green” Earl Grey? Hmmm, I’m not sure what to think of this. I love Upton’s Earl Grey Vanilla, which has a black tea base that is more prominent. This is similar in flavor, put lacking of the same depth. If you are looking for a green tea based EG, this might be it? At least the sample only costs a $1 : )

This is the last almond tea testing for the night. The first two were from Adagio, and I found their black tea bitter, while their oolong variety was very nice.

This smells like Adagio’s Almond Oolong after brewing. It has a very similar tone to it. On first sip however, Upton once again blows Adagio out of the water on flavor (imo). There is absolutely no bitterness, it is much stronger overall and it makes me go “yum!”. As much as I love Adagio for their customer service/variety, Upton is quickly becoming a favorite for simply flavored teas.

Testing 3 almond flavored teas tonight, and this is the 2nd. The first, Adagio’s (regular) black Almond did not make me a fan (bitter). This one is much nicer for my tastebuds. The almond comes through, but is not overbearing. I added a tbs. of honey and this made this a mildly sweet almond flavored tea. Much nicer than the regular black version. Kudos to Adagio on this one.

Thought I would test some almond flavored teas tonight, starting with this one. I have to admit that I don’t have high expectations. I find Adagio’s flavored black teas (the ones I’ve tried, which includes ones before joining Steepster) to be bitter.

Well, this one smells nice…. love the scent of almonds! Oh gosh, there is that slightly bitter black tea taste again (sigh), but it’s not toooo bad this time. Could be the tbs. of honey that is helping. The almond sits back and blends well, if I could only get past that bitter black tea … oh well. For the record, I hate (hate hate) coffee, and am very sensitive to bitterness. This tea will not be my friend.

p.s. my tea does not have any almond pieces that are in that picture… doublechecked… nope.

Orange peel, vanilla bean and clove on a black tea. The black tea is well behaved in this blend (not bitter or overly strong). Having vanilla, I expected a creamier feel, but that’s not the case… I’m not getting vanilla, perhaps way in the background. The orange and clove are the basic flavorings here, and while I like clove more than orange, it’s an ok blend (personal preferences are clashing, nothing wrong with the tea). It has a mild spicy feel but not one that’s overpowering.

Having just tested Vanilla Green (which was weak according to instructions), I decided to make this stronger from the beginning. I haven’t had much luck with Adagio’s flavored black teas, but this one does not cause an immediate “blech” from me. It is strong, but did I overdo it? Not sure, but the vanilla is probably making this ok for my tastebuds. To me, the vanilla is in the background and not overpowering, only adding some sweetness. I added a tsp. of honey to sweeten further.

What happens when you fall asleep at 8 p.m. while watching TV? Well, you wake up at 2 a.m., if you are me. Three hours later, I’m ready to start testing some tea : )

Starting with this one this morning. The aroma in the package is sweet. Haven’t had much luck with Adagio’s flavored black teas so far, so starting off with a green.

My first impression is that is a bit weak (need to add a little more leaves I think). But the taste is very nice. I can taste the green tea first and the vanilla second. I added about a tsp. of honey, so it is on the sweet side to me, but not overly so. I wish it had more of a vanilla taste, so this falls squarely into the “ok” category for me. Will keep sample and play with it again (if I can ever get through all my samples).

No notes yet.

While searching mint teas on the Stash site, I pondered over this one. Peppermint and chocolate sounded good, but in tea? So I settled for a little 10-pack (what the heck).

The tea smelled wonderful before brewing. The flavors in the brewed tea is lacking though. Peppermint is there, but only getting a hint of the chocolate. Will need to tweak this next time, but for now it’s not living up to what I expected.

Winter is finally showing itself here tonight, with the winds picking up and temp dropping. Fully expect to wake up to see snow in the a.m…. not much I hope. But hearing the wind outside caused me to reach for a chai to test.

For the record, I love their popular chai/chai blend (haven’t had a chance to add review to site yet). And I added a tbsp of honey while brewing.

This chai is tamer to me than the blend. It’s missing that slight “red hot” element that makes it unique. But as soon as I said tamer, I realize that it really isn’t tame per se…just different. The spices are in the “medium” spicy category (preferred) and you can tell it’s a black tea background (not a favorite, but this one pulls it off). Not dominated by cinnamon, the other spices meld nicely. Enjoying this cup and warming up already : )

I was a bad girl and bought way too much tea from the Stash (online) sale. Most are chai teas or mint ones, so this one stood out on it’s own, so it’s tonight’s choice for testing. When I opened the package, the smell was Amazing! The lemon smell hit the senses and made me happy.

That happy feeling left after brewing. That wonderful lemony “thing” is gone. First sip reminds me that this lists green tea as it’s first ingredient…that’s what I’m tasting. Not getting any spice, even though I’m not sure where that was supposed to come from. This is a light “ok” tea, with maybe the tiniest hint of citrus, but disappointed.

Edit to add: the lemon/citrus shows up in the aftertaste, but not while sipping. It’s a sour/tart type of lemon taste.

Note to self: try this cold brewed, maybe that’ll save it (stay tuned).