Scottish Breakfast

This is a sample sipdown and was part of the huge box of Adagio and other teas that Nicole sent. Many thanks!

I thought Scottish breakfast teas were stronger than English, so I thought this might have a real punch to it. I was also hoping it would be very similar to Brigadoon.

This is milder than I expected, but good. The aroma says Assam first. The flavor is a real mix of exactly the teas they say are in it. The raspy, malty feel of Assam coats the tongue lightly and the Chinese black teas make a silky swirl that tones down the Assam.

I am a wimp when it comes to black tea from India and have to make it just so or my stomach hurts. This one sits well.

I did steep it for four minutes, pour that tea in a pot, then steep again and combine the two. I am sure mine is a little weaker because of the mixing but it is plenty strong enough for me as I don’t add milk or sugar.

Drinking more after breakfast, the Assam is more prominent. The body is creamy, which is nice.

It isn’t Brigadoon, but it isn’t bad. It is a serviceable breakfast tea, and a good afternoon tea for those who want a KAPOW cuppa in the mornings.

Another sampler sip down. Loved it especially on a second steeping where any astringency was steeped out and only the malty goodness was left behind. I think of all breakfast teas this may be my favorite. It’s somewhat reminiscent of Yorkshire tea but much less prone to astringency. On further reflection it’s like lapsang souchong’s much milder cousin, and I love a tea that tastes like kindling.

Adagio CommuniTEA – April 5th, 2023

Surprised to see another plain black tea so soon after the Assam a couple of days ago.

This is a nice enough tea, I can taste the savory sweet potato-y notes of the Yunnan black tea, and also the slight briskness and raisin of the Assam. Seems nicely balanced between malty, fruity, sweet, and savory.

Not sure I would order it as I think I prefer a plain Assam or a plain Yunnan, but still a very pleasant tea. I did expect it to be stronger and harsher, maybe my understanding of Scottish breakfast teas is wrong.

I got this for myself because I knew my advent calendar of teas was liable to have a fair number of herbals in it, and in the morning, herbal absolutely doesn’t cut it.

It’s a perfectly nice tea. It doesn’t jump up and grab me the way, say, a Golden Yunnan or other single-source really nice tea does, but it also doesn’t make me sad the way many other blends do. I’m happy to drink the rest of my sample of it over the next month or two, and I’ll buy more if my preferred breakfast Assams are out of stock. It will do very handily.

But it also isn’t Harding Spring. :-)

nicely bold black breakfast tea

Discovering Adagio teas, episode #4 (out of 12).

I can’t believe that this tea wasn’t in Steepster database.
Anyway, the smell is not very strong, but dark, very earthy, with very slight smoky character.
And so is the taste, rich and complex, very deep, slightly sweet, almost not bitter.
I like it more than English breakfast teas, but I probably wouldn’t like to drink it on the everyday basis. And for me it’s more an afternoon tea, not a breakfast one.