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This is an incredibly good tea, though I’m not really sure why. I steeped it for 4 minutes, per NMTeaCo’s website. The initial smell I got was classic barber shop, some kind of hard candy, and a little bit of old man cologne smell to it. Very strange.

Upon tasting it I found a pleasant light flavor, with hints of mandarin orange in there. It isn’t a dominating taste of orange, which is good, considering that it was encased in orange peel. Still tastes a little old man cologne-ish, but I guess that’s the aged pu erh at work, right? There’s a very light yellow tint to it as well, a bit different from most greens I have brewed in the past.

Overall I really do enjoy the subtle-ness of this tea, even if it has barber shop/cologney overtones to it. It has some kind of charm to it, that inspires me to drink it; weird. Definitely a tea to try, I’m going to give this guy a 90 Rating on the TeaCast scale. Just excellent!

I received this from Adagio along with the other holiday blends, and I have to say, this is MUCH better than the previous Pumpkin Spice blend I had earlier today.

It’s taste does resemble chestnuts, though I would wager that it has more Vanilla in it than anything. I also got an oak-like, or “smokey” taste in this tea, which I am guessing is the chestnuts. I get the smokey taste after I swallow it, so it has that sense of an aftertaste.

I really do enjoy this tea (even though it is a black tea), but I can’t help think that it derives from the Pumpkin Spice. Perhaps it is in my mind/palate from earlier in the day, but these two are definitely similar. Yes I realize that they are the same type of tea, but the taste is all too similar.

Steep Method: IngenuiTEA
Steep Time: 4 Minutes even

As usual, heated water and poured it on top of the leaves. Used Steep.it again, but setting it to 4 minutes instead of 3:30. Good call.

Sip, sip, sip! Opinion and Reaction
The chestnut flavor and the earthy tones of the black tea blend well with he subtle Vanilla-Caramely flavor of the tea. Excellent tea, especially for those just getting into black teas. Not overwhelming, but has a consistency throughout the entire experience.

Certainly reminds me of chestnuts (and caramel) over an open fire?

TeaCast scale: 86/100.

Though I contemplated reading my Computer Organization literature, I decided to take a break to try one of Adagio’s fine seasonal products. Though I have had seasonal teas in the past, none quite compare to this Black Tea, that which is full of flavor.

I’ll admit, I’m not really a big fan of Black Teas (though ironically it is the type of tea I started on), but I am always willing to try Adagio’s flavored stuff, as it is usually pretty decent. There was that one occasion where I bought their Pineapple Black Tea, which I am still afraid to touch, let alone DRINK! Anyway, I digress.

Right now my window is open a crack (Allegheny likes to CRANK the heat, which is bad when my door is closed), and I can smell the faint sense of Autumn. Leaves are falling and that chilly air is just creeping in, though not as bad as winter, that’s for sure. So, the mood is set for some Fall-esque tea, am I right people?

Steep Method: IngenuiTEA
Normally, when making some tea from Adagio, I use their/my trusty IngenuiTEA steeping mechanism. I figure since they sell it, they’d want you to experience their teas in it. Also, I feel that I get a better, more thorough taste, than with my Zarafina, or some other auto-teamaker.

Steep Time: 3 Minutes, 30 Seconds

I heat the water first and when it’s boiling (about 200° F) I pour it into my steeper, the Pumpkin Spice already in there. Decided to have some fun and use Steep.it for their recommended amount of time for teas. A good thought, but I should have set my own time (3:30 was too short for this black tea).

Sip, sip, sip! Opinion and Reaction

This tea is surprisingly light for it’s type (black) and certainly has that “Fall” attitude to it. The taste is definitely there, a plethora of Vanilla and Oriental Spice-ish taste, as well as some Pumpkin flavoring to it. I’m actually surprised that there wasn’t MORE pumpkin flavor. I swear I need to steep it longer. I’ll try that on the next steep, but man it definitely needs MORE punch! So, Adagio, if you are listening, I am giving you the Thumbs Up on Steepster.com, but for next year (or even your next batch) please please add more Pumpkin flavor! Maybe there is a lot in it, but the Black Tea tastes overwhelms it? If so, use White Tea or even Oolong (my favorite!). It does go well with my mood at the moment, but there’s simply not enough Pumpkin flavor, I expected Pumpkin Pie! It’s more like Oriental Spice with a twist of Vanilla and a little hint of Pumpkins. Just sayin’.

I like it, but I don’t LOVE it.

TeaCast scale: 81/100.

Love the little “balls” of tea, especially when they unfold. Something about that just makes it taste better… ESPECIALLY when steeped in a traditional teapot (something I definitely don’t do enough of). There’s a few different types of Oolong Jasmine, they all taste almost the same, with some subtle differences. This is a lighter Jasmine, not as much flavor of the flower, but more of a mix between Jasmine and Oolong. Still very good though.

Can def. taste the Rooibos blend in this Chai. It is an almost striking flavor of cinnamon to it (like most Chai) and the sweet taste of Rooibos definitely shows through. Has a nice, dark orange tint to it (which makes sense, since it’s Rooibos). Interestingly spicy, though I am not a huge fan of spicy tea, it definitely will spice your day up, wow.

Leaves a type of “grainy” feeling in my throat and I can feel it going down. Do. Not. Like. Teas should be strong, but not grainy like this. It almost burns on its way down.

Not sure of the taste, maybe a little buttery? Kind of a light carmel flavor with BUTTERSCOTCH. Light butterscotch, definitely… wait, isn’t that was carmel and butter IS?

6/10, not great but not bad either.

Pretty good, tastes like a mix of old bubblegum (from the trading card packs) and blueberries. Pomegranate = Bubblegum!

Pretty good tea, love the subtle taste of the melon, very complementary with white tea. Doesn’t leave one’s mouth dry!

Steeped with Zarafina Tea Maker by Sunbeam