cjlewis

I might have to get Adagio’s regular Earl Gray after I finish up this lovely ThinkGeek sample tin. The citrus notes are very nice, and make it that much more enjoyable. Going sweetened today just because my palate is craving sweet, but I think normally I would drink it without any sweetener. Maybe another cup later just because.

This was part of the Adagio flavor sampler I bought a while back, but I’m just now getting to it. The cinnamon smell is VERY strong, almost overwhelming. I could smell it even before opening the package. It’s not an unpleasant smell, just powerful. The taste… is mediocre. You smell the cinnamon much more than you taste it unless you add a fair amount of sweetener. Aside from that, it’s a “sturdy” black tea, but nothing particularly special.

This is a very tasty black tea. It has a bold, malty flavor without being at all bitter or overpowering. I started out drinking it plain, then added just a little bit of sugar to sweeten it slightly. Both sweetened and unsweetened, it has a very smooth flavor. Definitely one I’ll be enjoying more of.

Due to the hot water spigot on the coffee pot in my office not working right, this was a rather tepid steep. The water is nowhere near as hot as it should be. Consequently, I don’t know as I could count this as a valid test for this tea, particularly as it’s my first try of it. I tried to compensate with a much longer steep, but it just doesn’t have the same effect.

REGARDLESS… very sweet citrus taste to it from the blood orange. Definitely no additional sweetening required with this one. Beyond that, I can’t really discern much from it. I’ll give it a more proper judging when they get the hot water issue sorted out.

I’m kind of disappointed in this one. It came out tasting more like cinnamon flavored water. I couldn’t taste or smell the vanilla in it at all. I added a little skim milk, hoping to boost the flavor a little, but I think I only managed to dilute it. Might try it again with a longer steep and using an extra spoonful.

Added a little sugar when I made it this time, and it helps accentuate the citrus notes. Although I think I added too much and it almost leaves it too sweet.

The smell of the chocolate in this tea is wonderful, but the flavor of it is almost undetectable. The only real taste of it you get is a slightly bitter cocoa aftertaste. Even with a fair amount of honey added, it doesn’t really taste chocolatey. Still a solid black tea, but not really what I was expecting. All the same, I’m willing to try again.

EDIT: Hmm… I have to revise my original opinion. Once it cooled a little, the flavors mellowed a little, and it’s actually quite enjoyable. It’s still not a strong chocolate flavor, but definitely more pronounced than when it was freshly made. And after all, if you want a strong chocolate flavor, you’d just go make hot chocolate.

Never done chamomile before, so this one is completely new to me. The peppermint is definitely noticeable in the fragrance, but you smell it more than you taste it. The flavor is very light. A little on the bland side even. Going to try adding a little honey and see what it does for it…

Still pretty mild after a shot of honey. But I suppose that’s really what a chamomile is supposed to be. Considering it’s supposed to send me to dreamland, I guess it shouldn’t have a strong flavor. Worth trying again.

Wonderful smell to the tea itself, even before steeping. Although, it definitely has a strong cinnamon hit. I prepared this with honey and a little bit of milk, which I think helped bring some of the chocolate flavors to the surface, but the cinnamon was still quite strong. I enjoyed this, but the chocolate could have been a bit more prominent.

No notes yet.

I have to admit a lack of experience with green teas in general, and this is my first try of a jasmine. I’ve had one other green from Hawaiian Vanilla Company, which tasted VERY different from this one. Even in the tin, this smelled like cut hay to me. After steeping, more so. Not really my thing.

This tea smells wonderful, with lots of cinnamon and other spices, although one of my coworkers said it reminded him of potpourri. The spice flavors aren’t overly strong, and I added a dash of sugar to help make them a little more pronounced. Overall, pretty decent. I think I need to try again with a shorter steep time though, as it has a somewhat bitter aftertaste.

It may be my newness to the world of loose leaf teas, but this tea tastes like… well… tea. It’s a nice aromatic black tea, but the citrus undertone is very subtle, more smelled than tasted. But for all that, it’s still enjoyable. Not bitter in the least.