541 Tasting Notes
Woot! My teas came today and this was part of the Orchard Sampler. This tastes like juice! I think there may be hibiscus in it because it is a bit tart. There are lots of fruit flavors in this with some sweetness. I really loved this and it would be a great staple in my cupboard because I just adore straight up fruity blends. It was also one of the least artificial smelling of the bunch. Two of the others got me a bit worried, but I’m still excited to try them out!
Preparation
So I’m still craving that lemon flavor and found this sad little sipdown in a box. I didn’t know I still had any left. I accidentally steeped this too long so it may be really bitter. Not too bad actually!
This tea is predominantly black tea with hints of crystallized, sugary lemon bits. It is pretty good and always gives a kick of caffeine. I’m always surprised that I like this one so much, but it really is one of Adagio’s better flavored teas.
And speaking of Adagio, I wasn’t supposed to get my next box until tomorrow, but I just saw that it is out for delivery today! I’m actually really excited that I’ll have something to look forward to tonight. My husband is going to be out and so I’ll need this little push to get me through my essay.
edit blah. As this cooled the bitterness seemed to come to play. The last sip of this was pretty bad. I have to say, the black base on some of their teas are very finicky and sometimes not worth the risk. I love the flavors when they are steeped correctly, but can be a terrible mishap as well.
I picked this one up last night because I’ve been craving lemon tea. It was $2.50 a box. I was supremely disappointed to find that most store brands aren’t just straight up lemon (which is what I wanted). There were many more honey or spice variations though. I think I’ve had this one before, but I was unsure. The smell of this one is very strong! It smells a bit like cleaner if I try to sniff to much…but also like these lemon+honey cough drops that I had recently. To be honest this freaks me out a bit. A small note: this also seems to have an added 20% vit. C. O.o interesting move there.
This is…interesting. I think what is wrong here is that yes, it is pretty artificial tasting. The ginseng is the most distracting part of the whole cuppa because it imparts this kind of granular taste/feel that I only like with particular teas. The first half of the sip really isn’t that bad and the lemon takes the forefront. It is when you realize that the other players (honey and lemon) want in on the gig that it is a bit unpleasant. The white tea in there really isn’t helping either. If I was sick I bet this would be great because it is kind of soothing on the throat and I wouldn’t be able to taste it so well…
Preparation
This one is just okay for me. It has some chai notes, the green tea really gets buried and it is a bit potpourri like. I’m sad the pomegranate taste is not there because it would bring a really interesting element to this one. I’d suggest this to people who would like to try a green chai.
Today: extra leaf, accidental long steep of ~7 min. This creates a very deep, mahogany colored brew. The flavors are smooth, herbal, woodsy, and lightly citrus. This long steep actually reduced the amount of citrus flavor in the tea. The flavor becomes much deeper and brings out the chamomile. A very good tea.
Huh. I just had a cup of this and it has been quite a long time since I last had a sip. It was actually pretty good! I still would argue that Adagio’s oolongs are oily and it is nothing compared to other renditions of coconut pouchong, but it is pretty thrifty and not all that bad. I think as a newcomer to tea someone could enjoy this one. The leaves are large, wiry, and dark. The flavor is consistent and you do not need too much leaf to get a good cup. I guess I feel a bit half and half on this one. On one hand I have a pretty satisfying cup of coconut, but on the other it doesn’t wow.
I just realized that this is my 403rd tasting note!!! balloon drop
So today I have been trying to get to work on my paleopathology paper. I only have 1/10 pages down so far, but that is a great start! :)
This tea tastes mainly of burnt sugar, black tea, and a hint of bitterness. Now, I know most of the time bitter=bad when it comes to tea, but I’m starting to get that it may just be a part of the experience type thing. It actually is not too prominent that it is terrible or anything, but it gives it a bite that I may just be starting to appreciate a little (think coffee). I’m going to be getting my next $10 Adagio card tonight so I should probably go search what is in stock!
I can’t believe I never logged this tea! I’ve had it for quite some time and although it says that the expiration date is 6 months after shipment, these smell beautiful much after that. This is a truly beautiful tea. In the back the tiny flowers have a smell of light umeboshi, salt, plum/cherry, and floral hints. It is simply amazing to watch them steep. I wish I had a decent camera because you can see the veins in the translucent skins of the flower petals. As much as I enjoy watching blooming teas, this feels much more organic. Since I couldn’t find any official steep times quickly I treated this very similar to an herbal. I used only 6oz of tea for one slightly larger and one medium blossom.
Once steeped this actually has a much strong smell than expected. It has a very light liquor that reminds me of white wines. It has a very unexpected ume plum smell. It is very distinct and reminds me of my favorite Japanese ume gum. Any sense of floral smell is very subdued. The flavor is very much the same, very light, subtle, and most of the flavor is on the back end of the sip. It is a very fun and amazing tea that I would advise people try at least once.
