Reichenbach Recovery

I would like to apologize for my lack of reviews in the past couple of days/weeks. I’ve been super busy but come the end of April I’ll have more time to write on here. Trust me, I’ve still been drinking tea. Lots of it. But, I’m not going to kill your feeds with my backlogs as that wouldn’t be that fun now, would it?

Anyways, I got a generous amount of this tea from Emilie in our swap. I’ve been reallllllllly wanting to try the Sherlock and Hunger Games blends from Adagio as I’m a fan of both series and I think that not only are the blends a fun way to celebrate your fandom, but they also look super tasty!

The dry leaf smells oddly like Captain Crunch. That’s not actually bad, because I really like Captain Crunch! In fact, it smells quite enticing! One thing I don’t like about Adagio’s custom blends is that they don’t include any brewing instructions, so it’s up to you to kind of guess what to do. I knew that this was an all black blend, and those are more forgiving, but I also know that Adagio’s blacks are easily embittered, so I decided to go with a safe 195 (next time I will do 185 to 190 as this still did have just a hint of bitterness) for 4 minutes.

The result is amazing. I added milk and sugar (it seemed fitting as it is British, afterall :P) and it’s very good and I really hope all the blends by this “author” are as good! The earl grey is definitely the forefront flavor and the hazelnut and caramel add a nice extra creamy sweetness in the background! I really like this one a lot.

Thanks again Emilie for this and your other sample, they will both be enjoyed! Also, I know that you stated that you were having problems with this tea and I would recommend going with a lower temp for 4 minutes-it really creates a nice flavor.

Sipdown (211/214)!

Time for the daily backlog of teas now that Tre’s gone to bed and left me with his computer. Not much eventful today, no new listing for me to apply for which was sad though I did fill out a survey for the local University for an ongoing research study on the “transition to adulthood” so that was something.

Also, grocery shopping (which was painful financially but necessary) and I briefly had a friend over but she was ill and left a little early. So, I’m gonna call in a semi-successful day. At least I did something.

This blend was good. It steeped up nicely today, and had a happy departure from my cupboard. It was odd though, I really tasted the orange in this cup and the caramel/hazelnut was doing this odd thing where it sort of tasted like licorice? If I didn’t have the blend’s description and my first cup to go on I don’t think I’d have had any idea this was an Earl.

EDIT: Also, I guess this was tasting note 650. And also, I should really thank the lovely MissB for the sample.

Still yummy, though.

Oddly, I thought I’d tried this one out already. It seems I’ve just parsed out some to the lot of you. ;)

This smells a lot like the TARDIS blends. It’s definitely got an EG feel to it, plus some caramel and perhaps a nut of some sorts for good measure. It’s creamy, bright yet full, and I like it, even if there’s something in it that’s missing for me. Perhaps it’s that I just love TARDIS so much.

i do not…. understand.

i got not licorice.
i got no orange.
i got caramel? caramel…. is that you? where have you been? have you been hiding out with adagio playing favourites with MissB? if so, i will admit my feelings are moderately hurt… but really i’m just glad you came back for a quick stop by!

i didn’t smell caramel either…. i have to conclude it really was taste. i had a sense of nuts (nonspecific) and caramel.

maybe MissB put some sort of voodoo over it? lol. sadly i was so distracted by amazement that my entire review consists of ‘I COULD TASTE IT!!!! WOW!’. not much else. (sorry….. but it was very good!)

it also had a warmth that was not generated from heat or spice. riddles upon riddles!

Sipdown!!

Every time I see Adagio’s fandom blends I want them. Instinctively I press shopping list just because I like the show/movie/cake/etc. that inspired it. Then I need to rethink my choice and actually look at the tea and ponder if it is something I would actually drink. Unfortunately most of the Sherlock blends, as much as I want them, don’t see like something I would actually enjoy. This was the one exception and of course MissB was right there to satisfy my curiosity.

I am actually very glad I got to try this because it is a really good cup. The bergamot is not overpowering because it is balanced by the caramel and the hazelnut. Moreover, the hazelnut lends a nuttiness to the aftertaste while the caramel incorporates and burnt sugar sweetness. Tasty indeed! Unfortunately, I used the whole sample in one 16 oz cup. So long wonderful Sherlock tea! Our relationship was brief but pleasant while it lasted. Perhaps we will meet again soon. And thank you MissB for introducing us :)

Sipdown #58

I decided to give this tea another chance before passing the rest of it along to a friend. This time I used only 1 tsp and steeped it for 2 minutes. I enjoyed it sooooo much better! I added a splash of skim milk but no sweetener, and it is delicious! The hazelnut is much lighter and more authentic tasting this go-around. Now I understand what everyone has been raving about. Upping the rating from 44 to 76. Thanks again for the sample, Shmiracles!!

Right. So. I officially hate the “Undo” button on my tablet keyboard. Also, I REALLY miss having an actual keyboard. Something about typing essays on a piece of glass leaves a lot to be desired. I haven’t hit that button in almost the whole year I’ve owned this tablet, and I’ve hit it three times while typing this review.

So. I’m SO flat that Sherlock season 2 is currently airing in the US. I’m currently without a computer, stuck using this tablet, and while it’s a cool toy, it’s not really meant for typing essays on. It also means that I can’t watch anything stored on my computer that isn’t in in iTunes. I watched Reichenbach when it aired on PBS earlier this evening, and of COURSE my dad comes in at the MOST dramatic moment and talks / theorizes all the way through. Not that he’s ever seen the show before! Fortunately, it’s airing again right after… Sooo… Three hour Sherlock marathon. Right.

TEA.

I have to admit, I’m not actually drinking this tea. BUT. I have the components and I know the ratios so I’ve blended up an approximation of it, using Earl Grey Cream from DAVIDs instead of the Earl Grey Bravo. It really is good. It’s warm and full-bodied, nutty in just the right places and the caramel gives it a sort of sweetness that flows over it without overpowering it. Next time I order from Adagio, I’m definitely adding some of this.

God, Benedict Cumberbatch just looks like a little boy and I just want to hug him.

Wow! The last time I had this was 5 months ago, when I still thought the flowers in this were making it bitter. A lost has changed since then. Someone recommended I try a lower temperature and longer steep time to help with the flavor. Unfortunately even with their recommendations, it’s still too strong. Once I add milk and sugar, it’s good. But I don’t like the fact that I HAVE to add things. Good teas should be able to hold up on their own and just be enhanced by additions.

With milk and sugar, this is creamy and comforting. The hazelnut and caramel are both there. It seems like the milk subdues the bergamot and lets the tea taste more like it should anyway. This tea is almost perfect for me, and the fact that it is so close just makes me sad.

Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge January 2nd: National Science Fiction Day Tea #2

additional notes: Another of my favorite geeky things: SHERLOCK. The flavors are fading now, but I’d love to restock this favorite. It’s almost gone. It’s such a comforting blend. I also want to re-watch the last season of Sherlock again. Is it done though? Is it really done?

I keep thinking I’ve reviewed these teas that I have and have drunk but I don’t see the reviews on the pages. Oh well, here it is. Not a sipdown, but significantly closer.

The Earl Grey in this really overwhelms the other flavours for me and I’m not a huge fan of bergamot anymore so this makes the taste somewhat unpleasant for me. Not undrinkable but if it were available (I haven’t looked) I certainly won’t be buying any more. I drank it today because all of the teas that I’ve had today contained caramel flavouring and I wanted to continue the trend. Unfortunately, this one does not at all stand up to the others.