Adagio Teas

Loose black tea. This tea reminds me of Yunnan Sourcing’s Jinjunmei sampler somehow. Dry leaves smell like spicy chocolate, the tea came out malty when I was expecting a wine like profile. This taste similar to YS’s Premium Grade AA Jin Jun Mei but a tad less malty. The wet leaves have a similar burnt smell too but not as potent.

I don’t hate this tea, but it’s weird how much this tastes like a souchong.

sold for $10/ 2oz

https://www.adagio.com/black/keemun_concerto.html

Loose oolong tea. Dry leaves smelled like dried carrots, the brewed tea smells like a standard bai hao oolong. First sip did not have muscat flavor, I left the grandpa style brew on the table to vacum the house and had another sip afterwards, the tea then tasted like a bai hao. The tea tastes like a very standard bai hao with a tiny bit of astringency.

Very odd that this didn’t immediately taste like a bai hao, never happened to other bai haos I own. It did deliver on flavors though.

sold for $14/1.5 oz

https://www.adagio.com/oolong/formosa_fancy.html

Loose black tea. Dry leaves contains visible gold hair, smell of chili chocolate. The taste….it’s like a muted puer tea. A bit of cocoa, light astringency, a bit of wood rose afterwards, it doesn’t have a lot of other flavors and it’s lacking in sweetness. Leaves are pretty broken. I’ve had tea bags that tasted better than this.

It’s not expensive so I’m not extremely upset, I bought the Black teas of China sample pack but this can be bought separately.

sold for $9/2oz

https://www.adagio.com/black/yunnan_jig.html

Sipdown 63 – 2024

Meh. This was fine. Inoffensive, but forgettable.

Sipdown 60- – 2024

Chocolate covered raisin. Really easy to drink.

Sipdown 59 – 2024

Another Adagio sample sip down. A pretty decent jasmine pearl! Good jasmine flavor, well-balanced.

This was much better than the other Adagio oolong I just tried. The peach flavoring helps cover the tea itself, but this was decent overall. Probably would’ve made a better iced tea, but I didn’t like it enough to repurchase and try.

I’ve never really been impressed with Adagio’s offerings, but they lured me back in with a 75cent sample offer. Sadly this isn’t good. The charcoal flavor is overwhelming and I’m not getting much flavor otherwise. I ended up dumping my cup.

August Sipdown Prompt – Strange Music Day

The music and the tea came from someone else!

This was a sample packet in the box from Nicole – many thanks! But there were TWO packets of this so I was able to make enough to have with Ashman for breakfast.
I decided strange music could be music you haven’t heard before or music that is strange. I didn’t want the algorithm to choose music for me and give me the same ol’ same ol’, so I assigned my daughter and her friend from Morocco the task of choosing a song for me. One if the comments called this “the Despacito of the Middle East”, and apparently it is an older song, perhaps from the late 1990’s?

https://youtu.be/J9PQ1dEJi0Y?si=YGnUCuFaalfXGETC

It is a very cool morning for August – only 59F – and we are celebrating this very unusual streak of cool morning weather by dining outside every time we can. We had bagels with cream cheese and cinnamon sugar so I thought this would be a good pairing.

This is a super typical Christmas tea along the lines of Constant Comment but it is milder. I am not a huge fan of clove but don’t mind it as long as it is not too prominent, and this one is in the right range for me. Clove lovers would want more.

Otherwise it is a typical black tea with cinnamon, orange, and clove that so many companies put out as their Christmas tea. It’s good for when you are in the mood for that, but this one is a bit mediocre. It doesn’t have any great attraction that would make me seek it over another brand.

Edited to add: Sent a message asking “what made you choose this particular song?” and the response was “because it is a song white people like.” Absolutely rolling in the floor laughing!

Another sample from Nicole’s big gift boxes – many thanks!

I made this to go with lunch, two steeps combined.

This is really heavy on the hazelnut and light on the chocolate. Ashman doesn’t like Harney’s chocolate flavoring, so of the two he would prefer this one. I didn’t hate it and I didn’t mind it, but it wasn’t special enough to me to purchase it.

Aroma of the dry leaf was hazelnut, same for the steeped tea. Amp up the chocolate, especially with a heavy hand dealing out cacao nibs, and you might have me on board for this one over Florence.

A nice enough tea, but no fireworks for me.

Another tea from Nicole – many thanks!

I made this to drink with lunch, and with the meal I thought it was very tasty. There is a lot of lemon aroma and taste and it went nicely with my turkey and dressing and spiced apples. (Stouffer’s, having frozen dinner today) As I drank it, it seems so mild that I thought I would probably never be tempted to make it with milk and sugar in a traditional chai style but just drink it plain like this. It was very nice.

After the meal, reading and chilling out, the ginger is much more noticeable. I am not a fan of much ginger. As a tea with food, this was quite good. As a stand alone, I would prefer something with less ginger but most people would probably like this just as it is.

This is another Adagio sample from the giant stash sent to me by Nicole – many thanks!

I had this was lunch, and honestly my mind was elsewhere so I wish I had another sample to try again. I DO know that I was worried about the fact that green tea is mentioned first and then black tea, because sometimes those two don’t play nicely in the steeping temps.

It was surprisingly smooth and flavorful, with no bitterness from the green tea and the black tea was not washed out from having been steeped cooler than usual. The chocolate flavor was somewhat mild, the rose was not cloying or overpowering, and the fruit flavors were nicely balanced.

It was a much better cuppa than I anticipated and I wouldn’t mind trying it again when I can really pay attention to it. It is a low caffeine option, which I sometimes need.

This was in my big box from Nicole a while back – many thanks, Nicole!

My daughter brought me a Milka chocolate bar (Kuhflecken) tonight and I wanted something caffeine free to go with it. I have really enjoyed the cacao nibs in the Adagio blends I have tried recently so I thought I might enjoy the hazelnut and cinnamon here.

It is decent, but not something I will seek again and that is mostly because of my personal tastes. Hazelnut doesn’t always thrill me. There is some cinnamon in the aroma and honestly I am glad it isn’t a huge blast of cinnamon like in Harney’s Hot Cinnamon Spice, which is a bit much for me.

The hazelnut is the strongest flavor. I am not getting the orange or cocoa nibs listed on their packet, and that disappoints me because those are two of their flavorings I have enjoyed and have also enjoyed them together, for instance in Chorange. So hazelnut, hint of cinnamon, wisp of cream, and that is about it. Not terrible, but not one I would purchase. Glad to get to try it, though, and it went well enough with my chocolate bar.

Sip Down and Backlog

I bought more of this for my upcoming birthday gift. This is one of those teas that bring me back to the Teavana days…they had a Samurai Chai Mate which I’d drink during every shift. I remember purchasing a full 2lb bag prior to the store closing with both store and work discount stacked. Like this sample, it didn’t last long. I absolutely love this tea and will be happy to have a whole bunch of it soon :)

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.

Backlog/Sip Down

Last Sunday, we hosted a surprise retirement party for a friend that we met through my wife’s place of employment. She thought she was coming over for a bit of cake, but we had a whole bunch of teas and food prepared. We brewed her some of the Chestnut tea since she typically will request a cup of this or chamomile when she’s over playing cards. We had a lovely time and she seemed quite pleased with everything!

Tea notes: Chestnuts, caramel, and vanilla bean.

This was a sample packet in the box from Nicole – many thanks!

I was in the mood for a hot tea before bed a few days ago and this one sounded promising. It says pomegranate in the name but the first ingredients listed are apple pieces and rose hips.

I was hoping it wasn’t just going to smash me in the face with hibiscus because honestly SO MANY tisanes all taste alike to me because the hibiscus overpowers everything else.

This one was an exception, though. The cinnamon is really front and center here and it is more of a tart apple and tart fruit vibe, but without being super puckery.

I wouldn’t buy it, as I don’t purchase much along these lines, but it was a decent enough evening cuppa.

This was an Adagio sample pack that I received from Nicole – many thanks!

I wanted a caffeine free cup of tea that would be a nice follow up to a bowl of ice cream. This sounded dessert-y and fulfilled the requirement of having no caffeine. Much to my surprise I really liked it – enough that I will probably order it for a friend who is having trouble with caffeine.

This is banana bread with chocolate chips, and spot on. I didn’t expect so much chocolate flavor, but it isn’t too much. Everything here was really just right for what this tea is supposed to be. I bet it will be great with milk and sugar for a cozy winter cup of tea, but it was super good plain.

Sharedown

Forewarning – I generally don’t care for chai. I don’t like much ginger in tea, I am not a fan of much clove or really heavy cinnamon use, I don’t love black pepper in tea, I try not to add milk or sugar because I have plenty of sugar elsewhere in my diet. So take this tasting note with a grain of salt if you love chai.

I had it first for breakfast, served with an omelet and buttered English muffin. The omelet was made with a fresh olive egger egg with a lovely green shell, cherry tomatoes from our garden that I dried last summer, and chives and German thyme that I picked this morning.
With all that going on, the tea had to compete.

It wasn’t horrible. I didn’t hate it. The chocolate seemed almost chemical-y at first but I decided it might the ginger adulterating it. It was fine and I drank a small pot of it with no problem.

This afternoon I thought I would give it a fair shake and prepare it a little more how chai is intended to be served. I steeped it western style and then added milk and sugar. The chocolate aroma now seemed much more natural and more prominent. It smelled a bit like a chocolate eclair. But it was still a type of tea I don’t love and adding milk and sugar did not turn it into the cozy comforting cup I was hoping it would.

I am rehoming this to my neighbor who I think will like it very much indeed.

At first, I quite enjoyed this one. The cream really comes through, and the decaf black base isn’t bad at all. With sugar and milk, this becomes a desserty tea. The resteep was strong too. My mistake was buying 3 oz, and I unfortunately got pretty tired of it since it’s a simple flavor profile. The cream just started tasting thin and fake to me.

Yesterday I received two amazing boxes of tea in the mail from our Nichole. Thank you so much!

I am shocked that this tea wasn’t already in the database because I think it is the best tea from Adagio that I have ever had.

The aroma of the dry leaves is fruity and the bergamot and pomegranate are so balanced that you don’t get a snootful of bergamot sharpness but rather a bright and exciting fruity scent.

The steeped tea is rich and the caramel and vanilla come through more here than in the dry leaf aroma.

This isn’t an exact rehash of the popular Paris by Harney and Sons. Instead of blackcurrant we have pomegranate and the bergamot is lighter in this to me.

It is delightful and deserves a place on shelf for breakfasts as well as solitary sipping cups sans food. Would definitely purchase this.

Picked up a sample of this one the last time I ordered from Adagio. I’ve been enjoying cold-brewed fruit tisanes lately, and since this is a limited Spring flavor I figured I would try it while it’s available.

It’s a nice enough mixed berries & hibiscus sort of blend. I did add a bit of sugar to the pitcher, as I usually do with hibiscus-heavy tisanes. I taste blueberry and blackberry in fairly equal measure. Strawberry gets a bit hidden by the stronger, darker berries, but is subtly present in the background. I don’t really get cream though – there is a bit of a smoothing of the edges, but I wouldn’t specifically call it creamy.

Good but nothing special to my tastebuds, and I already have some other berry and hibiscus blends that are similar, so not a reorder for me.

Another single serve portion that I got from cards.

This was pleasant enough. I could’ve sworn I was tasting cream flavor, but I guess that creaminess must’ve just been coming from the white tea. It was giving me a peaches ‘n’ cream vibe, but with apricot. The apricot was a bit too subtle for my tastes though, I would’ve liked a more juicy and concentrated flavor. Otherwise, a light and pleasant tea with the soft hay notes of the white tea and a touch of honeyed chamomile. I didn’t seem to notice the lemongrass, but the sample was so small that it’s possible the ratio of ingredients was off.

Not something I would order, but has me thinking about finding myself a tea with apricot and cream…