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Cameron B. drank Wizard's Grey by Adagio Custom Blends, Aun-Juli Riddle

4265 tasting notes

Home – 4:30 PM

Well I finished tasting all of the teas from the Wicked Teas sampler, time to start on Tales and Tea Leaves! I just watched one of The Hobbit movies last night, so this is perfect timing.

In theory, this tea sounds like a tasty combination! Earl Grey cream, chocolate, and blackberry. Unfortunately I’m not generally the biggest fan of Adagio’s teas and only get these samplers for the “cute & fun” aspect so I’m not expecting greatness. ;)

Meh, it’s okay. The flavor is very muddled – I can definitely pick out bergamot and chocolate, but it’s definitely a cheap and waxy chocolate. Perhaps there’s some bitter cocoa as well.

I feel like I never like any tea that combines bergamot with berry – they all taste chalky to me and remind me of Tums chewables. Needless to say, not a great association. I do like Kusmi’s St. Petersburg, but I suppose that’s red fruits which isn’t necessarily the same as berry.

Anyway, it gets a meh from me.

Flavors: Bergamot, Berry, Bitter, Chocolate, Cocoa

Preparation

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

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3 comments

annie
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TALES AND TEA LEAVES!!! oh man, I remember these teas…the Lembas one was my favourite.

VariaTEA
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I feel the same about Adagio. Fandom blends and fun samplers get me for their names or their cutesy factor but Adagio blends are never great.

Cameron B.
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I was pleasantly surprised by some of the Wicked Teas, so hopefully I enjoy some of these as well. :)

People who liked this

Comments

annie
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TALES AND TEA LEAVES!!! oh man, I remember these teas…the Lembas one was my favourite.

VariaTEA
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I feel the same about Adagio. Fandom blends and fun samplers get me for their names or their cutesy factor but Adagio blends are never great.

Cameron B.
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I was pleasantly surprised by some of the Wicked Teas, so hopefully I enjoy some of these as well. :)

Profile

Bio

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, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- December sipdowns: 1
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 157

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.

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

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

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