For Father’s Day, Adagio came up with three promotional blends to give out at their retail locations. The other two were named “Sugar Daddy” and “Man Cave Tea”. This one sounded the most appealing, so I opted for this one. It came in a handsome 4 oz tin box, and the bottom of the lid had a wood grain print, which I thought was a nice touch.
Upon opening the lid and smelling the dry leaf, I did get a strong impression of tobacco. However, this is mostly due to memories of my friend smoking cherry cigars from the corner store. The blue cornflowers added a nice dash of color, but didn’t look very appetizing; I tasted one and it confirmed my suspicion that they were merely decorative, and would add nothing to the brew. In fact, once I brewed my first cup, I was horrified at how sickly cornflowers look once steeped: they’re like white, translucent, unappetizing bits of silk.
The liquor is mostly smooth but starts to get bitter after a few sips. I can’t pick up on the smokiness of the lapsang but as a whole it does remind me of tobacco—specifically my friend’s aforementioned cherry blunts. Towards the end of the cup, a bit of caramel comes in strong, rounding off the flavors nicely. A commendable experiment, but not my cup.
