222 Tasting Notes
I don’t know why I keep doing this. I am not a fan of smoky teas, or smoky anything really. But I keep trying out flavored teas with it because the idea sounds so appealing.
The dry leaf smells kinda like . . . unsweetened powered Kool-aid mix (the kind where you had to add your own sugar) that had spent a number of days beside a fire. That made me a bit nervous.
The steeped tea smells like smoke. It tastes of whiskey so much that I had to double check there was no alcohol in the ingredients list. It even has that similar bite I would get from alcohol, though in a much more mild fashion. Oh, and it tastes like smoke.
I think there is some astringency though its difficult for me to tell if this is the whiskey flavoring or the tea base. This makes it seem harsher of a drink than I would normally desire.
On second steep its pretty much just the same, maybe a tad weaker.
Overall, I’m not a fan. The smoke is too much as is the whiskey. But honestly I just didn’t have high expectations given my preferences.
a number of years ago I had tried Adagio teas and found every single one I tried harsh and bitter. but as time went by, my tastes changed and I like bitter now. So I decided to give them another try to see what I think.
So for this. I’m not seeing any bitter here. It seems rather smooth to me actually. It has a slight spice like taste to it but I don’t know if I would exactly say its ginger, cinnamon, or orange that is shown in the ingredients. Its more like a bland general spice flavor. In fact its so bland that 30 minutes after drinking I honestly can’t remember what it tastes like and have to take another sip to remind myself.
It also does not resteep well. This might be a tea that works better with a single long steep time, which I don’t tend to do. I’ll try that next time I give it a go.
I have been eyeing this and other similar teas for a few years now. I adore orange and similar citrus fruits (not including bergamot), but I never seem to be making orders with companies that have them.
I had also tried Adagio many years ago very early in my journey and found everything was just way too bitter and harsh for my tastes. And then I went and developed a taste for bitter. So one night of absolute madness I decided to try Adagio again. And this was one of them.
For today I have put half of one of these little tangerines, including peel, in my little pot and steeped in boiling water for about 1-2 minutes. I am honestly surprised on how much I enjoy this. The tangerine flavor is pronounced of the peel, which I adore (though I am les fond of tangerine than I am orange). The tangerine peel gives everything a nice sweetness without things being too sweet, which I am enjoying.
Using my steeping parameters, the flavor is every bit as pronounced on the second steep as it was on the first. I plan to drink on this all day and I am curious how long the flavor will last until it fades away.
-update-
I got 5 solid steeps from this over the course of the day. The last two were 2-3 minutes long. The flavor was still staying pretty steady and I likely could have kept going
On the down side, the sweetness of this got to me after a while and by the time I was on my way home, I was actually feeling a little queasy. Not something I can drink much of, or often really, but its certainly something I will enjoy once in a while.
I steeped for longer this evening and this is much better. The orange is actually standing out now. Its also increased the sweetness as well.
I’m really liking the orange, but wow, its pretty sweet. I likely won’t drink this frequently, but I can see wanting it now and then.
I’m curious how this will be as cold brew. If I have some of this left come warm weather, I may give it a try.
Yesterday was a complete failure. Things went so poorly here at work that as of this morning, we’re still a little behind where we were supposed to be yesterday morning. And because of “The Great Revert of 2022” (ONE day before our deadline for release) today is going to be hectic to see if we can still meet our deadline.
And so this morning I went straight for this tea and its exactly what I wanted. As I’ve said before, its not something I want all the time, but when I do it really satisfies.
The flavor can seem to vary a little between times and orders, as would be expected. Some times I can detect the pu’erh more than others, but its never overpowering. The scent is divine and the flavor has been working well for me.
I’ll most likely pick up some more with my next order.
The smell when I opened the packet was delightful. The smell of orange peel was so lovely. Its something I enjoy so much.
After steeped its not so much. The smell is much less and I’m just not getting much flavor. Maybe i needed to steep this for longer.
Not rating until I have a chance to try it again after giving it more time.
This turned out to be uneventful. I could taste a little roasty toasty, but it was rather mild. Otherwise it seemed to be nothing special but also nothing bad either.
I’ll definitely finish the sample I got, but I’m not currently interested in getting more.
I knew from the outset that this would be chancy. I’m not a fan of floral flavors, but I’ve never tried violet before so I thought what the heck.
The smell of the dried leaf reminds me of cool-aid packets with a tinge of soap maybe? Steeped, its not so much cool-aid though there is still a hint of a generic fruity scent/flavor.
What gets me the most however, is usually what happens with floral teas. Its very reminiscent of what i refer to as old lady perfume. You know, those ones that say they are of some floral scent, but the scent smells more like it came out of a chemistry lab than a flower. Even just smelling it leaves that chemical like taste in your mouth. Black Metallic reminds me very much of that, including that odd taste in the mouth.
I may try this again later, as I have found its always best to try things twice. You never know. But I don’t have high expectations.
As soon as I opened the packet, my first thought was, WOW! ameretto! Its really there in the flavor as well. I can detect a little anise, though its not overpowering, just nice and subtle.
Not sure if I can detect any of the other ingredients, but wow, I am liking this tisane. Actually the description mentions flavors of muddled cherries and I can see that as well.
There is a nice subtle sweetness to the flavor that is not a dominating and I think I am enjoying that as well.
This seems perfect to curl up with on a cold night. I’m sure I will be buying more.
