Kyle Stern

This is a very good all-around green tea. Good amount of grassiness, pale liquor, just barely sweet and a touch of astringency. The caffeine content and the taste serve up a nice kick in the pants during that afternoon lull, but I’m sure this tea would do well any time of the day. Re-steeps well so you can get the most bang for your buck.

1tsp./8oz water, 165º-175º for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 minute per re-steep

I received a bottle of this tea with my latest Adagio order. It was nice to drink iced tea from a bottle that didn’t also have around 25-30g of sugar per serving included. Very refreshing, slightly sweet. One way I would suggest improving this product is to say exactly which green tea is used to make the tea. I realize that by keeping it hidden, Adagio does prevent customers from re-creating the product for a much cheaper price but for those of us who are curious, it would be good information.

Regardless, if you’re looking for a refreshing iced tea and don’t want to make your own, this is a great product.

Not much can be said that hasn’t already been mentioned about this tea. Smooth, easy-drinking tea with very little astringency and a nutty sweetness. If you consider yourself an oolong aficionado you will not go wrong buying this tea. It is great for multiple steeps and each re-steep brings out more nuanced flavors that will continue to surprise your taste buds. As a bonus, this tea is very pleasant to watch unfurl in the water as it is steeping.

Method: 1tsp./8oz water, 185º-190º, 3-5 minutes. Add one minute for each re-steep.

Upon opening this tea a sweet aroma with hint of grassiness caught my attention. The very delicate leaves unfurl in the cup only slightly and the resulting liquor is pale green. The taste is almost exactly like the smell of the dry leaves. Very sweet, very little grassiness if any. This reminds me of a sweeter version of Adagio’s Green Pekoe tea although the leaves of this one are much thinner than the Pekoe. Bottom line: if you’re looking for a sweet green tea, this will be perfect for you.

Method: 1 tsp / 8oz water; 165º- 170º; 2-3 minutes.

This is a great tea featuring complex, woodsy flavors with that muscatel taste common to all darjeelings. Given that I’m not a fan of black teas (too astringent for me) this Darjeeling was interesting to me since it is a first flush and an oolong. There’s a mild astringency to this one, but it doesn’t leave your mouth high and dry. As with most oolongs this is great for multiple steeps and you’ll notice different flavors coming out of the tea with each steep.

Adagio recommends 212º for 5 minutes. This temperature brings out a lot of the muscatel notes as well as more astringency, so if you’re looking for more nuanced flavors brew this for the same time around 195-200º.

Ali Shan is one of my favorite oolongs, and this one from Adagio doesn’t disappoint. Vegetal, minty, light, buttery, complex, a bit grassy, and a little sweet, the flavors of this tea just keep you guessing. Each infusion brings something a little different out from the leaf. One of the most beautiful things about this tea is comparing the dry leaf to the infused leaf. Because of how tightly it is packed it really goes through quite the transformation as it unfurls. In my cup today there is even a stem with two leaves intact. It just goes to show how much care the growers are putting into this tea.

I have a couple different brewing methods I suggest you try.

For more vegetal, grassy taste: 205º-212º for 5 minutes
For sweet, buttery taste: 185º-190º for 3-5 minutes

As Adagio notes, this tea is good for many infusions. I’ve been able to steep this tea 8-10 times before noticing a decline in complex flavor.

Adagio describes this one as an “everyday” green tea. I definitely agree with their sentiments and would describe this as a gentle, delicate green tea that will offer a great introduction to green tea. Though I prefer my green teas a bit grassier I really like how buttery-smooth this tea is.

Steeping method: 1tsp per 8oz water, 175-180º for 2-3 minutes. Good for multiple steeps, just add a minute to each resteep.

What a wonderful, nutty green tea. I’m fairly new to green teas and this has been a wonderful introduction to such a complex world. I really enjoy the popcorn taste that is rounded out by the grassiness of the green tea leaf. This is definitely a tea I will buy again and again.

My preferred steep formula is 1 tsp per 8oz water, 170-175º for 2 minutes. This tea resteeps well a couple times, just add one minute to the steep time.

A fine take on the Moroccan Mint tea, the Darjeeling & Mint combination is very soothing and it is a great afternoon tea, especially after a large meal. The mint is definitely the high note and the Darjeeling kicks in at the very end, rounding out the flavors nicely by offering its buttery smoothness. Will definitely buy this again.

No notes yet.

This is a good solid oolong with wonderful earthy flavors along with the hint of peach. It’s smooth, long lasting flavor is memorable without being too sticky. It has a good amount of astringency but not as much as a strong black tea. As with many other oolongs this one resteeps extremely well. I’m on my second steep now and the flavors are just getting more nuanced. From what I hear the 3rd and 4th steeps are the best so I look forward to that.

The only other rolled Jasmine pearl that I’ve tried is Adagio’s Jasmine #12 so I’m basing my review in comparison to that one. This Jasmine is exceptional. The floral notes may overpower some but I say “bring it on!!” This tea steeps so well multiple times and the flavor just continues to get better. Like the Jasmine #12 the tea is expensive but it is such a great experience for all of your senses. From the feel of the “fuzzy” handrolled pearls to the sight of the leaves unfurling and to the amazing fruity and floral taste of the resulting tea. This one is well worth the experience, and the fact that you can steep it over and over means you can drink somewhere around 5-6 cups of tea without changing the leaves. That brings more and more value to this tea.

First steep was 185º, 3g leaves/8oz water, 3 minutes. Second was 1 minute longer and third was another minute longer. Extremely enjoyable tea.

Earlier this winter I stopped by a local tea shop and told them I wanted a recommendation for a good oolong. The barista asked me a series of questions (whether I added cream or sugar to my tea, what kinds of flavors I liked, etc.) and then came to an oolong I will never forget. I was so cold that day with the temperatures hovering around -2º F that I didn’t pay attention too much as she told me the name of the tea. I remember sitting at the table, reading a book, and taking the first few sips of this oolong and absolutely falling in love.

Today, when I took the first sip of this Ti Kuan Yin from Adagio I was transported back to that tea shop, to that wonderful cup of liquid gold. I’m so glad I have found this oolong again. The flavors are complex: floral, sweet like honey and crisp like an apple. The mouth feel is silky smooth and the aftertaste is wonderfully astringent. The second and third steeps bring out the sweetness even more and move into more of a honeydew flavor. This tea is such an enjoyable experience. To witness the unfurling of the leaves as they transform through the steeping process is a wonderful visual experience. I highly recommend this tea to oolong lovers and to those who would normally add sugar to their tea. This may be the leaf you need to stop sweetening the tea and to truly start enjoying the flavors of the leaves.

I took Adagio’s recommendation for the first steep. 3g leaves/8oz water, 185º for 4 minutes (the label said 3-5 so I shot for the middle). The second steep I added 1 minute to give the flavors a chance to continue to develop.

Got this as part of Adagio’s Maestro Collection Sampler 1 and have been eager to try it. My patience has been rewarded with this tea. The flavor makes me reminisce some vegetal green teas while being a very complex and multi-layered oolong at heart. The first steep resulted in a light liquor and a sweet aroma and the 2nd and 3rd steeps became much more floral while losing the “green tea” flavors. Very much enjoyed this tea and look forward to experimenting with it more in the coming days.

I followed Adagio’s recommendations of 205º for 2 minutes, using 3g leaves/8oz water.

Drinking this tea this afternoon to keep the energy levels consistent. The first few times that I made this tea I really didn’t like it to be quite honest. It was bearably bitter and extremely vegetal. There was a very quiet note of sweetness and ever since noticing that sweetness I’ve been trying to bring that flavor out even more. I’ve tried various amounts of tea, steep times, and steep temperatures in the attempt to get it right. Today I believe I have found a formula that works for my palate.

I brew in a 12 oz mug and use 1.5 tsps of tea leaf. I steep this tea for 2 minutes (really exact timing is essential) at 170º. The sweetness of the tea is still a bit hidden but it comes out more on the second steep. However, the bitterness and vegetal flavors have subsided a bit using this formula. I notice more of a balance in flavors rather than very distinct notes all vying for my attention. This formula has enabled me to raise my rating but not as high as other teas still because I just don’t know if this is the right sencha for me.

I absolutely love this Jasmine. Given how expensive it is, I don’t drink it unless I know I’m going to get 2-4 steeps out of it. Tonight it is fueling a study/ homework session and making my tastebuds dance.

Someone pinch me because I think I’ve died and gone to heaven drinking this tea. I love drinking Chai at Indian Restaurants and they always include sugar and milk. I rarely put milk, creamer or sugar in my tea but after tasting this Masala Chai straight up I knew that it needed something. After adding some generic non-dairy creamer and some PureVia stevia sweetener I began fading into tea bliss. It makes me wonder how much better it would be with actual milk instead of this non-dairy creamer.

I’m rating this one pretty high for its great flavors after being “doctored up” with cream and sugar. If I would have to rate this tea without the sweeteners, it wouldn’t be as high as it is now.

Method: 1.5tsps for 12oz cup, 5 minutes @ 212º. Added stevia sweetener and non-dairy creamer.

Time for another cup!

I think that I’ve found a good combination of tea quantity, temperature, and steep time for this one. After much experimenting I’ve concluded that my preferred way to drink this is: 2tsps, 2 minutes @ 170º.

At this moment I’m on a second steep of this tea and I did not change anything. The flavor is a bit weaker at this point so my next steep will be at least 3 minutes. I’m increasing my rating on this one by a few points now that I’ve found a preferred way to drink it.

Flavor profile: grassy, hint of asparagus, a subtle hint of citrus, and a tiny bit of smokiness (and a completely different smokiness than something like a Lapsang Souchong for example). Very light body, leaves your mouth feeling clean.

A great chai to really wake up the taste buds. Sweet coconut, refreshing lemongrass, chai spices, and ceylon black tea leaf combine to help you feel as though you’ve just sat down at a table at your favorite thai restaurant. I highly recommend this tea to anyone who enjoys chai because it is a completely different experience than your normal masala chai. Someday I’ll make this with sugar and milk but for now I’m enjoying it without any added fuss.

Brewed in my french press pot (24oz) this morning. 3 tsps, 5 min. @ 212º. Could have steeped a bit longer but still enjoying the flavors.

This combination of teas turns out amazing every time. I’ve described the taste as creamy and minty at the same time. I love having this tea any time of day but my favorite time is right after lunch/ early afternoon. The chamomile is really calming and the peppermint comes in and really gives that nice punch of flavor while the rooibos rounds out the flavor really well. This is another tea that re-steeps really well so you really get your money’s worth with this tea. There is no reason to put fresh leaves in for every cup. Just adjust your brew time by adding a minute to each steep.

I spent the most money I have ever spent on a tea buying a 5 oz tin of this Jasmine ($25) but it is worth every penny. The flavors are outstanding and the leaves re-steep so well. Typically I’ll get three awesome steeps out of this and the 4th and 5th are a bit weaker but they are very sweet tasting. Given the fact that I’m getting so much out of every serving of this tea the cost breakdown isn’t too bad. Plus, the visual experience of starting the leaves in ball form and watching as they expand is really fun. I’m always amazed at how large the leaves really are and I have a hard time imagining how difficult it must be to roll this tea into the pearls.

Something that has worked for me for re-steeping this particular tea is to add anywhere between 30 seconds to 1 minute to the steep time suggested by Adagio. So start with a 5 minute steep then go up to 6, 7, 8, and so on depending on how many steeps you do with this tea. I really feel like the more I re-steep this, the sweeter the tea gets so each cup is significantly different.

I’m on my second steep of this tea and I’m enjoying it more than the first. The astringency is pretty nice and the body is light. I’m enjoying the grassy, woodsy notes of flavors as well as the smooth ginseng flavors. I steeped 1.5tsps for 3 minutes at 180º as per Adagio’s instructions for both the first and second steep. Really liking my journey back into green tea.

I brewed this tea to accommodate my lunch and my first impression is that it has a very interesting flavor profile. I followed Adagio’s recommendations (1 tsp per cup of water, 180º, 3 minutes) and I’m getting grassy, smoky, vegetal notes along with as one user put it a “tolerable bitterness.” I’m curious to see how it does with a second steeping and the next time I do a first steep of the tea I’m planning to reduce steep time by one minute.

I haven’t been drinking many green teas lately so this tea is kind of becoming a bridge to more green teas that I’ll try in the future. I have good impressions so far but I’d like to see how I can customize this tea enough so that it gets a better rating from me.

Brewed this today with some Purevia stevia sweetener and I do not recommend it. Made the tea’s great earthy flavors really dull and it ended up tasting like I was drinking sweetened milk….not so great. Definitely going to avoid adding sweetener to this tea in the future.