New Tasting Notes
Sipdown! (6 | 83)
Finished off this delightful infusion from Murchie’s, which really does taste like carrot cake IMO. Even though I’m not a rooibos lover, I think the base here works well because of the addition of green rooibos and honeybush. It certainly doesn’t have that traditional rooibos woody/medicinal flavor. It’s sweet but not overly so, and has nice subtle warm spices with a touch of cream cheese creaminess. I’m not a fan of chocolate chips in tea, but there don’t seem to be a ton included here, and they also don’t melt all that well, so it’s not an overly oily cuppa.
I made a Murchie’s order a few days ago, as I want to try their summer orange tea, and another bag of this made the cut!
Flavors: Butter, Cake, Carrot, Cinnamon, Creamy, Earthy, Frosting, Smooth, Spices, Sweet, Woody
Preparation
Received a loose-leaf sample of this last week from Adagio. Appearance, taste and fragrance indistinguishable from “Jasmine Dragon Pearls” sold by Tealyra. Plenty of reviews on the Adagio product here to inform you, and I rate it a 75 (just like the Tealyra product).
My major complaint is Adagios inadequate labeling on the packaged tea— specifically the ingredient listing. I have uploaded a photo of the foil packet, which lists “ Ingredients: jasmine phoenix pearls”. That is not a legal ingredient list! Green tea is not included as an ingredient! Jasmine is not present, only the infused floral volatiles. Phoenix is a mythological creature, not an ingredient! Pearls are a marine product, and are not in this blend. Ingredient lists should be technically precise, complete, and accurate! People depend on this information, and I do believe it is a legal requirement. Adagio could be more accurate here. What they are showing on their product is IMO insufficient.. The website lists green tea as the only ingredient, which is incomplete because the jasmine volatiles are not shown. And I question whether the website is the proper place for the ingredient list.
My secondary complaint is the photograph on Adagios website which shows the pearls, along with what appears to be dried jasmine flowers or petals. There were no jasmine flowers or petals either mixed with or inside the pearls of my sample. I have attached a photograph of my steeped leaves, clearly showing their size, beautiful green color, and the absence of any jasmine petals. While it conveys the concept of a floral component, the photograph on their website could be misleading.
Preparation
I think it’s a bit of a special case because the tea is scented with jasmine, which is different from jasmine flavor or oil being added. On their website they don’t bother to list ingredients at all, probably because it’s considered to be an unflavored tea.
There appear to be jasmine petals in the photo, so I would think they would at least list that? In any case it would be clearer to say “jasmine-scented green tea” or something.
Cameron, after posting my review I noticed those apparent petals in the photo, and examined my steeped leaves closely, and found absolutely no jasmine petals present. I have further edited my review now to include that information, and uploaded a picture of my spent leaves. I agree that it is a bit of a gray area on how to describe a volatile infusion, however, I think there is a proper way to do it.
Chiming in to say that from a regulatory standpoint “green tea” is correct ingredient labelling because the petals (or essential oils) of the flowers themselves are not physically present in the blend. Scenting is a processing step that impacts the taste of a tea, sort of like how roasting impacts the taste of a product but is not adding an ingredient either. It’s definitely better to list as “jasmine scented green tea” or, in the case of roasting, “roasted green tea” but to simply declare as “green tea” is just as compliant.
The petals in the photography are interesting to me because they fall into a more grey area. Bare in mind I’m certainly looking at this from a biased lens given my position within the industry, but a lot of people aren’t very capable of looking at pure tea leaves and picturing a flavour to go along with them – so, at least to me, the photo reads more as “set dressing”.
Like if the name of the blend was “Yunnan Berry Bliss” and I saw a photo of a bunch of black tea with fresh sliced strawberries around then I think it would be a reasonable assumption to assume that the company was trying to evoke the tea has a strawberry note and I wouldn’t be buying a tea with unprocessed strawberry in it. The grey area here is that flower petals are a fairly common ingredient in tea blends (processed or not) but also can just be a tasting note. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely don’t always have the warm and fuzzies towards Adagio – but I genuinely don’t think the intent here was to be bad/deceptive. Just to paint a better flavour picture for the average consumer (of which most of us on Steepster are not).
Honestly, the fact there was even an ingredients list on the packaging for a straight/traditional tea is more than you’d get from most tea companies. Truly, the amount of straight up non-compliant tea products I see from companies in North America from both an ingredient/nutritional declaration perspective is STAGGERING…
Thank you for your feedback and insights, Cameron and Ros! I have softened my wording accordingly in the review note.
Interestingly, as I explore the Adagio site, I noticed that the page for these jasmine phoenix pearls uses “dragon_pearl” in its URL. I surmise that Adagio has re-named the product, possibly to obscure their supplier and comparisons of this tea with the identical product supplied to other retailers:
https://www.adagio.com/green/dragon_pearl.html
Furthermore, Adagio sells another product “Jasmine Pearls” in pyramid sachets:
https://www.adagio.com/teabags/jasmine_pearls.html
and on that page, reader Rachel asked how they differed from the dragon/phoenix pearls. The Adagio reply was “They are the same tea, different packaging.” and actually gave a link to the phoenix pearls page! And yet, the two teas have different photos: one with visible jasmine petals and the other without petals! This kind of sloppiness in documentation really aggravates me, as I am a scientist who has worked in a food chemistry laboratory!
Finally, of possible interest to Steepster user ashmanra, I see that Adagio offers, under their “Masters” section, yet another grade of jasmine pearls called “yin hao long zhu”, said to contain more buds and to have a more delicate flavor in a paler yellow liquor. I have not tried it yet.
https://www.mastersteas.com/teas/yin-hao-long-zhu.html
All the barbecue flavors with none of the calories! Initial steeps are dominated by complex smoky, sweet, bacon-y notes. There’s also a pleasant fruity aftertaste which complements the smoky flavors. The white tea is also a lot easier on the stomach compared to other smoky teas I’ve had from White2Tea, like 2022 Boat Captain and 2025 Northern Grown.
Flavors: Fruity, Savory, Smoke, Sweet
Preparation
I am ashamed to admit that I have had this tea in my cupboard since it was released (around December of 2022 I think) and had still never tried it until today… Oops? Nazanin has just released her third tea blend (Joon), and I think that was probably on my mind as I was selecting my first tea of the day.
So obviously, it’s been sitting around for almost 2.5 years, so the flavors are probably more subtle than they originally were. But I can still taste the citrusy bergamot, a touch of rose, and subtle cinnamon. It’s a very nice if somewhat unexpected combination – I don’t know that I’ve had cinnamon with bergamot before, though Prince Vladimir’s clove is pretty close. The cinnamon also gives it a lovely sweet aroma. Thankfully the rose is gentle enough that I still enjoy it, even though it’s not a floral that I generally like.
It’s a very aromatic and refined black tea blend that I could see being lovely for the afternoon. Someday soon I’ll have to order a new bag and actually drink it while it’s fresh, heh!
Flavors: Bergamot, Cinnamon, Citrus, Floral, Lemon, Rose, Smooth, Spices, Sweet
Preparation
Once again restocked and back in rotation. I adore this tea. I prefer the decaf one and enjoy it in the evening. Brew ~3 minutes for optimal balance between bitter and flavourful. Add milk and you get something super creamy, malty, sweet, with a strong maple flavour. It reminds me of those maple leaf cookies with the buttery cookie and maple filling.
Flavors: Creamy, Malt, Maple, Sweet, Tannin, Vanilla
Preparation
I’m enjoying this tea brewed quite hot but not boiling, a longer steep than usual (4-5 minutes? Lost track of time)
It’s got a nice deep cocoa note but only at the first part of the sip. Then, as you search for sweetness, it turns almost a bit fruity. It is a little bit astringent, but not in a bad way. It smells a bit like apricot or stone fruit and toasted barley.
Flavors: Apricot, Cocoa, Fruity, Stonefruit, Toasty
Preparation
I very much enjoyed this tea! I agree with other reviewers that the taste reminds me of autumn leaves, however the smell is like a strong apple cider vinegar, which makes for a stimulating brew.
Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Cider, Earthy, Vinegar
Preparation
Ever find yourself throwing a halfhearted tea bag into your out-the-door tumbler because you don’t have time to make good tea? This morning I did, thanks to ashmanra and this really, really nice breakfast tea.
The steeping instructions are right up my alley: boiling water, 45 seconds for a good cuppa; 90 seconds (and I quote) for “profound.” I went straight for profound. Beautiful fruit and cherry wood veneer. The proprietor recommends milk, and I’ll give that a go later, but it was so, so nice on its own!
Part of a sampler set I bought at the Chicago Tea Festival.
Dry Leaf: Some are slightly twisted and open, while others are twisted a bit more tightly. Long leaves. Dark brown with a few silver buds.
Dry aroma: Milk chocolate.
Quick rinse because a friend of mine said all Chinese teas should be rinsed. He’s also Chinese.
Initial aroma: My mouth is watering. Hot chocolate. Chocolate mousse. Plums. Wood.
Flavor: Ooo… DANG! That’s so good! Chocolate notes, some Palo Santo, and other woody notes like oak and cedar. If this were a cedar chest, it would be a really nice one.
Mouth Feel: Incredibly smooth.
While this one can be steeped in a mug, I highly suggest a gaiwan. You’ll get more satisfaction.
Smooth, thick earthy caramel taste with complex wood and herbal notes. It’s also warming like being able to experience a campfire without any of the smoke. The leaves have a comforting old forest smell with hints of herbal flowers.
Flavors: Caramel, Earthy, Herbal, Woodsy
Preparation
10 years later, I’m reviewing this tea again.
A new batch, of course. (Though I’ve been known to still enjoy tea several years past the best before hah.)
Sweet potato with floral and citrus notes. The mildest bit of astringency at the back of the tongue, not unpleasant at all.
The citrus note is providing some focused energy, which is nice and quite helpful while recovering from flu/grief symptoms.
But I find myself wanting the comforting cocao notes of the Teavivre Golden Monkey. I know what tea I’m having tomorrow.
A thoughtful work friend brought me back a little souvenir from a tea shop run in Springfield, Missouri (Chabom Teas + Spices). This is a new-to-me brand.
The Holy Grail of Decaf Black Teas does not exist. It is a myth that I will chase down until my poor old heart gives out. It’s either next to the pot of gold under the rainbow or with the black sock I’ve been trying to hunt down for two years. Ty-Phoo Decaf is the only tea I’ve tried that’s a contender.
That said, this one isn’t bad. Like all unflavored decafs, most of the flavor has been leached out in the treatment process, but it has a nice color and a nice, hefty body. Puts a little weight on your tongue. With an additive—little milk; little mint; little something—it might just fool me.
I might be the only one but I can’t tell the difference with most decaf teas. I just brew it a bit longer, usually. I was going to say that I usually drink Yorkshire or Typhoo decaf when I want plain decaf black and I find them pretty good compared to the regular versions. My vanilla comoro from H&S is decaf and it tastes identical to me compared to the regular version.
Day 12 of the Inoki Bathhouse advent calendar. This was pretty but I found the flavor a bit meh. Sort of a generic “Chinese green tea” flavor with maybe a hint of floral if I really look for it. I really liked the flowering rose, but this one just didn’t have that same vegetal-floral balance.
I feel like flowering teas are meant purely for aesthetics, they always taste so bland and similar to each other.
I got some jasmine flowering green when I was in Taiwan and, while it wasn’t the absolute best I’ve ever had, it was a solid jasmine that held up well to grandpa-style brewing. I haven’t had that experience stateside, though. Maybe it’s also a freshness thing?
Day 11 of the Inoki advent calendar. This is a nice ginger – zingy with a hint of sweetness. It reminds me of Fever-Tree ginger beer, just without the sugar. It even resteeped well, which doesn’t always happen with ginger. Just needed a long brew time on the resteep.
Sipdown
I like this one best full strength and not making a resteep and combining the two. You seem to get more rich chocolate that way. Some teas I don’t notice a big change in flavor doing the “two steeps and combine” method, but I do with this one.
I am not the world’s biggest fan of Earl Grey but I do like it on a Keemun or other base with deeper notes, and I also like it with orange, cream, or vanilla flavor added. The chocolate was good, too, and I shared a sample with a friend who adores almost all Earl Grey and she really loved it.
I recently added a random weekly tea selector to my spreadsheet, which chooses two random teas when I reset it for the week. This is one of the two chosen for this week!
I haven’t had it in ages, so it was fun to see it come up. Full-size teas that I’m not actively trying to sip down tend to get neglected in my cupboard, at least until they’ve become old enough to make it into my oldest teas basket LOL. This is pretty close actually, being from fall 2022.
Anyway, I really enjoy this flavor combination. The oolong has both fresh green and toasty grain notes, and strikes a nice balance of the two. The blueberry reminds me of the dried version that I used to enjoy in Blueberry Morning cereal, and is quite sweet with a syrupy, concentrated quality. I do taste a hint of banana, but it’s mostly adding creaminess. Still reminds me of some kind of blueberry granola!
Flavors: Banana, Blueberry, Dried Fruit, Floral, Fresh, Grain, Green, Milk, Oats, Silky, Sweet, Syrupy, Toasty
Preparation
Sipdown! (5 | 82)
Wasn’t a big fan of this (and it looks like I’m not the only one). I find it a bit harsh as green teas go – it does have some beany/vegetal notes but there’s also a lot of mineral and smoky flavors going on, and a bit of astringency. It’s also a bit bland overall?
Was interesting to try, but it’s not one that I would repurchase.
Flavors: Astringent, Dry Grass, Earthy, Grain, Green Beans, Mineral, Sharp, Smoke
I can’t resist a carrot cake tea! I really need to go ahead and make a Murchie’s order!
Always happy to be an enabler! XD
The honeybush sounds like a really nice touch.
How does it compare to Simpson & Vail Carrot Cake Cupcake, one of our fave caffeine free teas?
@gmathis – I like honeybush so much more than rooibos so it makes the blend so much better IMO!
@ashmanra – I was wondering that the other day, it’s been a while since I’ve tried that one, but I don’t think it was a favorite for me. I think this is the first carrot cake blend that I’ve actually repurchased.
Good to know! Thank you!