62
drank Monster Mash by Adagio Teas
3986 tasting notes

Home – 7:00 PM

Another one from the Adagio Wicked Teas sampler!

I must say, I find the fact that this tea contains candy eyeball sprinkles to be most excellent. I’m generally not a fan of sugary or oily things in tea (like chocolate), but I feel like the cute sprinkles are half the fun with these themed teas. They are mostly for aesthetic purposes, after all! ❤

Anyone else find it weird when companies don’t specify what type of black tea? I do. This one is almost assuredly at least part Assam, it is brisk and already has some bitterness and astringency at a 3-minute steep time.

So this is a caramel and cream black tea. It’s quite decent, the caramel and cream together remind me of a light caramel sauce that you would drizzle on ice cream or apple pie. The base tea is brisk, with dark wood and molasses notes.

There’s some bitterness and astringency at the end of the sip, but it’s not unpleasant. Maybe a little more bitterness than I’d prefer, but I did let the tea cool to room temperature before drinking, so that likely exacerbated the bitter taste.

Not bad, not bad. And the eyeballs! Fantastic.

Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Caramel, Cream, Molasses, Sweet, Wood

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML
LiberTEAS

Actually, I have contacted Adagio (several years ago, before I took over 52teas, when I was a tea reviewer) about the base that they use for their black teas, and they told me (assured me, even) that it’s a straight Ceylon base. I’m not sure which Ceylon it is, but it is the strongest Ceylon I’ve come across.

Cameron B.

Wow, they use the same base for all of them?

LiberTEAS

I don’t know if they continue to – but back when I had contacted them (again, this was probably at least 5 years ago) they told me that their black base is a Ceylon only base for all their flavored black teas. I was very surprised because the tea was quite astringent and bitter and most of the Ceylon teas that I’ve come across tend to be a little more mild than what I experienced with Adagio – and because I found it so surprising is why I remember it so vividly.

It could have changed since then.

Cameron B.

I agree, that is surprising. Perhaps it’s partially because the leaves are quite broken up.

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LiberTEAS

Actually, I have contacted Adagio (several years ago, before I took over 52teas, when I was a tea reviewer) about the base that they use for their black teas, and they told me (assured me, even) that it’s a straight Ceylon base. I’m not sure which Ceylon it is, but it is the strongest Ceylon I’ve come across.

Cameron B.

Wow, they use the same base for all of them?

LiberTEAS

I don’t know if they continue to – but back when I had contacted them (again, this was probably at least 5 years ago) they told me that their black base is a Ceylon only base for all their flavored black teas. I was very surprised because the tea was quite astringent and bitter and most of the Ceylon teas that I’ve come across tend to be a little more mild than what I experienced with Adagio – and because I found it so surprising is why I remember it so vividly.

It could have changed since then.

Cameron B.

I agree, that is surprising. Perhaps it’s partially because the leaves are quite broken up.

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Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

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