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19 Tasting Notes

Pi Lo Chun from Adagio Teas
73

I would definitely buy this one again. It makes a smooth and mild cup that is good for two or three infusions.

Citron Green from Adagio Teas
80

Nice stuff. The perfect proportion of citrus flavor. Downright tasty. This is really good as is, but my wife has found a way to make it even better. She created a custom blend on Adagio, mixing the Citron Green with Oriental Spice making “Citron Spice.” Delicious either hot or iced. I think Citron Green would mix well with other flavors as well.

Raspberry Green from Adagio Teas
27

I’m an Adagio fan, but this is probably my least favorite green I’ve ever gotten from them. The raspberry flavor impresses me as being very artificial. It may very well be natural, but it comes across as artificial and ultimately disappointing.

Valentines from Adagio Teas
37

I agree with Shanti’s assessment of this tea, right up to the point where she started actually liking it. Smells great in the tin, but disappoints in the cup. I really wanted to like it, but I just don’t. I only like to smell it.

Coconut Pouchong from Adagio Teas
80

Kind of expensive (especially since it only makes one solid infusion), but it is a delightful treat. The coconut flavor is distinct without being overbearing. I like it a lot. Just wish it was more affordable.

Masala Chai from Adagio Teas
92

This was my first “real” chai. All the others I’ve had were the powdered, syrupy sweet, instant varieties. Wow! What a difference! I love this stuff. I hit it with some hazelnut coffee creamer and Splenda. Can’t wait to try Adagio’s other chai varieties. They all sound great.

Peppermint from Adagio Teas
80
Peppermint from Adagio Teas
80

I bought this one for it’s medicinal properties. My wife has frequent sinus problems. We bought a pound of Peppermint. When she opened it up and took a deep sniff she said, “Wow! I want to buy another pound of this just to use as an inhaler.” It cleared her up instantly. Works pretty well as tea, too, straight or blended with other teas.

Green Chamoflage (Custom Blend) from Adagio Teas
100

Shameless plug alert — I’m the creator of this Adagio custom blend. It was my first time trying to formulate a blend and believe me when I tell you that this was pure beginner’s luck. To find it in Adagio’s blend section, you have to search for it by tea name (Green Chamoflage) or by creator (Phil Hovatter).

And yes, I know that Chamoflage is misspelled, but that was intentional to reflect the ingredients of the tea: 50% Green Pekoe + 20% Chamomile + 30% Mango Melange = Green Chamoflage.

This tea is good through three infusions. The first infusion produces a pinkish liquor due to the presence of some blood orange in the Mango Melange part of the blend. The blood orange also gives the first infusion a hint of tartness, offset by the sweetness of the mango. All in all, the first infusion is definitely the most fruity. I like it.

The second and third infusions have the fruitiness and pinkness cooked out of them. This is when the chamomile steps up to the plate and begins to assert itself — rich, mellow, and fragrant. I typically steep the second infusion for five minutes and the third infusion for up to seven minutes.

This is just one crazy tasty little blend. I’m a heart attack survivor on a low caffeine diet, so the 50% green tea – 50% herbal mixture is low in caffeine by design. Makes a great nighttime tea, but be sure to stay awake for the second infusion.

I struck gold with this first attempt at crafting a blend. Everyone I’ve served it to likes it a lot. This is one that I will always have in my cupboard. Stop by and I’ll brew you a cup.

1st Place Hiker's Nighttime Tea Blend from Adagio Teas
100

I don’t know the guy who formulated this custom blend, but I know that he has a knack for crafting an insanely tasty tisane. I’m on my second order and will continue to stock this tea as a staple in my collection. The chamomile is fragrant and the fruit flavors complement the main ingredient perfectly. All herbal, completely caffeine-free. One of my favorites. If you love yourself, buy a tin today. (You can thank me later.)

Genmai Cha from Adagio Teas
18
Genmai Cha from Adagio Teas
18

What the heck? Am I eating a bowl of cereal or drinking a cup of tea? (Not very tasty cereal, at that!) The toasted rice flavor totally dominated the tea. Could it really be as bad as this and still have so many fans? Different strokes for different folks. This one just isn’t my cup of tea. But you know me. I’ll try anything…twice. I’ll let you know if my opinion changes.

Mango Green Decaf from Mighty Leaf Tea
100

Mighty Leaf Green Mango Decaf + Adagio Gunpowder = A Marriage Made in Heaven!

I’m nothing if not a man of science and adventure. I’ll try anything…twice. As much as I love my dirt cheap Adagio Gunpowder, I’ve been pondering ways to shave off a little of the vegetal edge it presents (even though I like it) and soften it with a flavor of some sort. But what to blend it with???

The outstanding feature of the Gunpowder is that it goes down bitter, but leaves an incredibly sweet, lingering aftertaste. Which tea in my cupboard could pair with that bitter-sweet nectar and possibly enhance it?

I went with the Mighty Leaf Green Mango Decaf. When I bought this tea I had high hopes for it as a fruity, tropical dessert tea. Opening the pouch unleashed an aroma that could only be called a mango tsunami — it filled the whole room. Imagine my surprise that this tea came out bitter and harsh in the cup, regardless of how gently and carefully I brewed it. The second infusion was much less bitter, but you have to get past that first cup. So I risked mixing my two most bitter teas to create a tea gestalt — an end product that was greater than the sum of its parts.

The first infusion was just as expected — bitter and slightly astringent, but with a nice fruity punch from the mango. But I wasn’t here for the first infusion. That was just the cross I had to bear to reach the second infusion.

Ahh! The exalted Second Infusion. I’ll cut to the chase and just say that it exceeded my wildest dreams. This was one of the finest cups of tea that I had ever experienced. Smooth, fruity, decidedly green, no bitterness. It was a party in my mouth!

The bottom line is that I took a tea that had been an initial disappointment (the Mighty Leaf Green Mango Decaf) and blended it with something else in such a way as to produce a cuppa that transcended the properties of each component. Yes, friends, a disappointing tea can be redeemed and brought to new life when judiciously joined together with a compatible product. It is a new creation, a revelation, an epiphany.

Gunpowder from Adagio Teas
93

Still a noob, so this is the only Gunpowder I’ve tried. There are others I want to sample, but I’m happy with this one right now. Really happy.

I was warned about Gunpowder by my sister — too late. I had already ordered it. So I had this whole approach/avoidance thing going in my head when it arrived. Never fear. It became one of my faves from the first cup.

I get three infusions out of my Gunpowder, each one different. The first steep (3 mins.) renders a brash brew with a bit of bitterness and nice complexity. The second infusion (5 mins.) is my favorite. The bitterness is greatly reduced and the flavor is rich and mellow. The third infusion (7-10 mins.) is well worth hanging around for. The long infusion time is necessary to coax the last bit of flavor from the leaves. Round three is mild and tasty.

The thing I like best about this tea is the incredibly sweet after taste. It lingers long after the last sip is drained from the cup. Gunpowder afterglow. It keeps me coming back for more.

The other thing I like about Adagio Gunpowder is that it is the cheapest tea in my cupboard. Dirty dirt cheap. It’s almost like drinking for free.

And did I mention good?

Hojicha from Adagio Teas
37

Not all Hojichas are created equal. Hojicha isn’t a commodity — there are real differences between brands. I gave Mighty Leaf’s Organic Hojicha a 93. I might have been more positively disposed toward Adagio’s Hojicha if I had never tried Mighty Leaf. As it is, I found Adagio’s comparatively dull, listless, almost stale tasting. I don’t mean to rip on Adagio — I love them, most of the time. Just not at Hojicha time.

Ginger Twist from Mighty Leaf Tea
86
Ginger Twist from Mighty Leaf Tea
86

What do you do the first time you encounter a new tea? Look at it, then smell it. I was intrigued by the variety of ingredients. There’s a lot going on in that little silken pouch. Bonus points for that. But then I sniffed it — and it smelled like cleaning fluids!

Somewhat put off by that, but adventurous nonetheless, I brewed a cup. I’m happy to report that the industrial chemical scent was significantly abated by the hot water bath. Then the taste test: Not bad. A little medicinal, but not bad at all. Then it occurred to me — the “medicinal” comment was more of an emotional reaction than a taste sensation. As I pondered this, it seemed to lead me to an innate sense that this tea was good for me, that it would be a go-to when I’m fighting a cold or sinus problems.

I shared it with my wife. She drank three cups of it the next day. Her stand-by for years when fighting allergies or cold symptoms has been Lipton Honey Lemon black tea. She’s not a tea snob (yet), but since I’ve been buying and trying good teas from Mighty Leaf and Adagio, it’s gotten so that she wouldn’t wash her feet in Lipton, much less gravitate toward the stuff. This one will definitely go on our re-order list. Try it with clover honey.

Organic Hojicha from Mighty Leaf Tea
93

My favorite among the (few) unflavored greens I’ve tasted so far. Slightly smoky and nutty, it produces a rich and comforting cup. I’m a cardiac patient on a low-caffeine diet, so I appreciate the miniscule amount of caffeine in this medium-bodied brew. I could drink this one every day.

Peach Oolong from Adagio Teas
93

I’m still a teanoobie, but this has become one of my “go-to” teas. I don’t know what kind of drugs they lace this stuff with, but it literally makes me feel good every time I drink it. I love the peachy fragrance. I sweeten it with clover honey. Love it, love it, love it.

Profile

Bio

Perpetual tea noob. There’s just too much to know and too many to try. So many teas, so little money! I have definite likes and dislikes. I survived a major heart attack in Feb 2009, so I avoid the higher-caffeinated brews. I’m the happiest married man in human history and a Christian by choice.

I started two websites in 2009 to be used as a fundraiser for churches, ministries, missionaries, and non-profit organizations ( www.ShopOnline2Give.com and www.ShopOnline4Charity.org ). Each organization supported by my sites has their own online shopping page with about 150 popular online stores. Select an organization from the left sidebar and visit their shopping page. I have several major online tea shops on each site (more on “2Give” than on “4Charity” right now). Click on a link, shop ’til you drop, and half the commission from each sale goes to the organization whose shopping page you linked from. The other 50% compensates the considerable time I spend on managing the site and supports my tea habit.

If your ministry or non-profit would like to be included on “ShopOnline” contact me (Phil@ShopOnline2Give.com) and we’ll see what we can do. Zero cost to participate. Free money. The more the merrier, the less the scarier.

Location

Norwalk, OH

Website

http://www.ShopOnline2Give.com

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