Candy Apple

It was almost too cool to have the door open like I did last night, but it really enhanced the feeling of autumn. This is not a tea you can drink when it feels like summer, that’s for sure. It’s a strong tea, kind of like spiced caramel apples, but made properly. Not too much caramel, not enough that it makes you feel sick. I absolutely love this tea, and I see myself drinking it far too often this autumn.

My friend purchased Adagio’s “Holiday Sampler” not too long ago and let me try each flavor. I was pretty excited about trying this one and I have to admit had my own ideas what it should taste like. I mean, it should taste like a Candy Apple, right? Mostly apple and a sugary sweet-maybe cherry background flavor? Not at all. I barely got a taste of apple and a strong cinnamon pungency overwhelmed it. Cinnamon has nothing to do with Candle Apples! It’s that nasty cinnamon that smells like those Christmas Reefs you smell during the Holidays. Apples don’t always have to be pared with Cinnamon.
I was very disappointed.

My least favorite of the holiday sampler pack.

Dry, the leaves smell sweet, a little bit like caramel. Brewed, the liquor has a weird artificial smell that I could not identify as apple. But one of my housemates correctly guessed it was apple so I could just be bad at picking out that scent. Whatever it was, that translated into the taste of the tea. No apple, just an odd sweetness.

I taste a strong apple, along with some cinnamon and maybe maple. Nothing about it really says candy apple, but it tastes good. I’m enjoying it sweetened with milk. The black tea is a good base for it. The apple is pretty authentic.

Advent sample. My first mistake was steeping this at work, where I couldn’t give it good attention. I definitely got a candy apple “shape” with it , but it turned out awfully bitter. (Shape—you know, the way you hold your mouth when you taste a certain food.) Added a little rock sugar, which helped, but sometimes you can’t undo the damage. Wish I could give it a second go at home, with better water and a little milk nearby. In that case, I’m thinking it would have been very creamy and tasty.

I received this tea in loose leaf as a sample in my last Adagio order. I’d read elsewhere that it was good without milk and sugar, but immediately the black tea bitterness hit me. The aroma was good and smelled like candy apples, but the taste was far from it. Will have to revisit this one with milk and sugar.

This is strong black tea, better brewed a little cooler because it tends toward bitterness. I get a caramel flavor with, unsurprisingly, a faint bit of apple. It’s not very strongly flavored, which is probably good because I suspect the flavor could easily taste artificial and sweet. However, since there’s just a hint of it, it’s actually pretty enjoyable.

Ok, I’ve had this cute little tin of this tea sat in the back of my office desk drawer for nearly 2 months, and I’ve finally got round to trying it.

Made it this morning with a few sachets of sugar and a splash of somebody’s milk (sorry, some other department in the building) and it’s actually really autumnal and lovely. There’s a sort of top note that reminds me slightly of a buttery flapjack, with a mouthfeel that becomes juicy as the apple flavour comes in (and it’s definitely cooked apple, but there’s a touch of sharpness, so it isn’t cloying), and the finish is lingering caramel. A warmth from the cinnamon hums over the blend without bringing masses of spice, and the hint of soft tannin is surprisingly nice. I dunno, I liked it.

Also, tomorrow I have to get up at like 5 to go to the BBC in London to interview some people who are VERY IMPORTANT and I’m utterly terrified. So that’s a thing.

I love this tea. It has everything going against it – I don’t like apple teas, I don’t like candy apples, and I’m straying away from Adagio.

I actually got it in the Holiday Cheer gift set to bring to the boyfriend’s parents’ house last year and it’s made its way back to me. It smells like autumn to me, kind of like oatmeal cookies and apple cider with caramel undertones. Mmm.

Definitely tastes more like caramel apple vs. candy apple. I was surprised I like this tea as much as I do because black tea is not my favorite. It’s just sweet enough, without being too much. Has a nice caramel aftertaste.