5 Tasting Notes
I was given this tea some time ago as a gift from Misty Peaks. It was a decent tea and I should really have saved some to age as I believe it would have done very well over the past few years.
Unfortunately I did not save any leaves and instead drank them all, so I imagine the tea was palpable and worth a purchase had I not received it as a gift.
My main concerns for this tea was not the taste itself, but the lack of brewing information and the cost (in Canadian bucks it was pretty pricey).
I ended up brewing about 6-10 grams and was rewarded with 8 infusions. The tea ended up being a mixture of sweet and bitter. Notes of raisins, plum, and apricot made themselves apparent.
Good tea? Yes, but the packaging was much better. I figure if you have the time to purchase a sample, go ahead and give it a try.
My full video review can be watched here!
https://worldteapodcast.com/videos/misty-peak-tea-puerh
Flavors: Apricot, Astringent, Bitter, Plum, Raisins, Sweet
Preparation
I’m a fan of pouchong/baozhong oolongs. That’s the only reason I chose this tea when Adagio contacted me with a gift card offer. I had in the past some incredible pouchong oolongs from Taiwan and they have set my standard and expectations. Did Adagio’s pouchong meet the ante? No. No it didn’t.
But that’s not a bad thing! It’s a reasonable tea for the price and again sets a decent baseline on how to measure your teas. I’m finding this a lot with Adagio, nothing spectacular, but nothing terrible.
These leaves offer a decent amount of creaminess and that telltale milky/grassiness that I’ve come to expect. Does this tea have a a returning sweetness? Nope. But its suffices in a pinch and I wouldn’t hesitate to brew some for my friends.
Overall the leaves do have a quality to them: unbroken, sturdy, and hardy. So at least you can be sure you’re not getting ripped off.
Try a sample and enjoy!
My full video review can be found on my website!
Flavors: Creamy, Cut Grass, Milk, Sweet
Preparation
It’s goods for the price. Admittedly I much prefer buying my own bancha leaves and genmai seperate and mixing to my own personal taste. Of course it doesn’t look like Adagio used bancha leaves here. Of course bancha takes a different definition depending on which part of Japan you’re in. Of course I come bearing my own bias. Of course, of course, of course.
Is this tea good. Yeah. Should you buy it. Sure, give it a shot. Is it special and will it take you to your happy place? No, and maybe……but there are much better genmaichas out there. I prefer older, thicker, and larger leaves in a genmaicha as they contribute to the sweetness of the brew. Using the sencha leaves here makes for a more bitter brew.
Again, like in my Adagio Gyokuro review, forgo the offered brewing instructions and brew much lower. 180F is much too high. Try 160F instead.
My full video review can be watched here on my website!
Flavors: Bitter, Grain, Grass, Sweet, Toasted Rice
Preparation
If in doubt, give this gyokuro a try. It seems to be lightly steamed (asamushi) and not deep steamed (fukamushi). At least not as deeply steamed as I would like it to be. This is of course a personal preference. Many do enjoy a lighter steamed gyokuro as it offers more of a “true tea taste”. Also, I disagree with the recommended brewing parameters given on the website. I’d much rather brew at 140F and not 165F so as to decrease the bitterness and up that umami charm.
Overall, I’ve had better. But if you’re starting out I’d give this sample a try to make yourself a baseline of sorts. What I enjoyed more than the tea was Adagio’s website and transparency via their ROOT program.
My video review can be found here and offers some more insight into this tea:
Flavors: Green, Seaweed, Sweet
Preparation
A delicious brew by Yunomi.life and Seikoen’s facilities. Definitely something to enjoy and check out. Check out my video review!
https://worldteapodcast.com/videos/2017/5/16/snow-aged-green-tea
Flavors: Green, Seaweed, Smooth, Umami, Vegetal
