Here’s another Irish breakfast that TeaEqualsBliss sent me. It’s been a while since I had the one from Adagio and all I remember about that one at the moment is that I could pick up the cardboard-y Assam and that the Assam and Ceylon, none of which I’m completely sold on on their own (especially the Ceylon), came together to show me whole new levels. We shall see how this one fares in comparison.
The leaves are all golden and large and pretty so that’s a good start right there. After steeping it has that honey-y Assam smell and it’s pretty strong in the beginning, but once the cup has been sitting for a bit it it goes away and becomes more of a hint. Underneath that it just smells rather like a Ceylon and it’s making me hesitant to taste it because it makes me expect that wildly astringent, tannic flavour.
Oh well, here goes.
Yes. Ceylon. Definitely. Not as astringent as I had feared, but there is definitely some of it there. The Assam cardboard-y quality is there too, but it’s just sort of flat and it gives me a funny aftertaste. Normally I like it when a tea lasts, when there’s a lingering aftertaste, but this one is really kind of odd and borderline unpleasant.
I don’t have any milk around the place at the moment which I believe would improve that a whole lot, but half a teaspoon of cane sugar seems to bring out the honey note of both teas a little more and that helps.
Astringency levels are rising though, which I could definitely have lived without.
I have a smaller sample of this than I do of Adagio’s Irish Breakfast, and I’ll have to say that I really prefer Adagio’s here. I’m planning on investing in an Irish Breakfast from AC Perch’s rather than getting Adagio’s, but this is making me wonder if it might not be best to stick with Adagio and not rock the boat. I probably will still get AC Perch’s because I’ve been otherwise so pleased with their teas, which is definitely not something I can say for Adagio, but I’m feeling a bit apprehensive about it all right now. I do wish AC Perch’s would offer samples instead of that 100g minimum limit.
