Every year, my friends and I do a Secret Tea Swap – you can either send tea from your stash, or you can order something to be delivered. This year, a friend sent me Adagio’s Chestnut tea along with a bunch of others. (Golden Yunnan, which I already knew I adored, and several others.) Having had mixed luck with some of Adagio’s teas, I tried it carefully.
And I was absolutely delighted. I’ve reordered it twice at this point. There is a lovely nuttiness to this tea, not bitter like walnut or sweet like almond, but truly hazel-chestnut like. I love it with a splash of milk, and I brew it quite strong – 4 minutes at 180F. (Not hotter, it gets unhappy at a full boil.)
This is now one of my staple “OK, I need a tea that’s going to last me all morning,” teas, and I can rebrew the leaves twice, though usually I’ll only do it once. Definitely a keeper.
Flavors: Chestnut, Hazelnut
Awww a secret tea swap sounds fun!
We do it every year, around the winter solstice. It makes for happy tea drinkers.
What a cute idea, I love tea swaps!