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“I’m in a no-frills mood today. My husband had knee surgery on Monday, so I’m pretty much running dead on my feet. I need the warmth, the simplicity, the CAFFEINE to make it through the work day...” Read full tasting note
“Almost a sipdown on this one today — two cups worth left. This has been languishing in my desk drawer for a while, so I might take it home and finish it off this weekend. Then I can replace it with...” Read full tasting note
“I’d rather drink Adagio’s Irish Breakfast. I’m not sure what’s going on in this one but it seems like some thing is wrong. I find that “tea” taste with quite a bit of bitterness. I swear I’m...” Read full tasting note
“Another sample comes to an end. I’m digging this more than usual this morning, I usually prefer Ceylons cold, and like to drink maltier blacks hot.” Read full tasting note
Ceylon Sonata is a classic black tea from Sri Lanka. In colonial times, this island nation was known as Ceylon. This name is still used to describe all teas grown here. Ceylon tea is bright and lively, medium-bodied and delightfully tangy. Our Ceylon Sonata hails from the renowned Kenilworth Estate, located in Sri Lanka’s Kandy region. Fresh, citrusy aroma, sweet juicy notes like mandarin peel or grapefruit, refreshing texture, and balanced astringency. The perfect afternoon tea.
The first tea plant was smuggled into Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon) in 1824. While it was not intended for commercial uses at the time, it wasn’t long before more plants arrived, and by 1867, the first tea plantation was founded by Scotsman James Taylor. By the 1880s, following a severe blight in the 1870s, nearly all coffee plantations had converted to tea. Now, Sri Lanka is one of the world’s largest producers of tea, with six main growing regions across several elevations and growing conditions.
Black Tea | High caffeine | Steep at 212° for 3-5 minutes.
Adagio Teas has become one of the most popular destinations for tea online. Its products are available online at www.adagio.com and in many gourmet and health food stores.
I am still developing my tea vocabulary so forgive my ineptitude.
This tea is surprisingly smooth with a small hint of citrus in the background. The flavor does not flatten when it cools, but almost gets more dynamic. A really nice tea for after a heavy dinner.
I was digging through my Adagio sampler drawer looking for a tea to take over to my friend’s house to brew in this nice overcast weather, and I came accross a tin of Ceylon Sonata. I opened it up, smelled it, and thought that it would be a nice, sweet, black tea to brew.
Boy were we in for a pleasant surprise when we brewed this up. Once steeped, the water is a beautiful amber color. I smelled like a sweet Earl Grey with a sweet side. It had a very smooth, pleasantly sweet taste. Until now my favorite black tea had been Earl Grey Creme, but Ceylon Sonata may have taken its place.
Backlogging this mornings doings…I went all out with Ceylon Sonata this morning. about a teaspoon in a large mesh ball (plenty of room) and HOT water at a full roiling boil! 4 minutes and I had a perfect cup of tea. As I’ve noted in the past, this is a good tea, not an outstanding tea…I’ve had better “Kenilworth’s”, but all things considered, I’m talking about the difference between really good and really, really good…not between trash and good.
