Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Tea Description:
I wanted something to help break away from the heat and humidity of summer so I opted for cool peppermint candy (candy cane) tea. I also wanted to be enveloped in a silky creamy sweet dream so I added cream and vanilla flavored black teas. I want this to be comforting, relaxing, a tea that can transport you to fresh powdered snow atop a serene mountain. An escape from reality to a place you dream of.
Learn more about this custom blend here.
Taster’s Review:
This Peppermint Ice Black Tea Blend from Adagio Teas is a custom blend created by one of my favorite Adagio Tea custom blend creators, Rachana Carter. I’ve “chatted” with her a few times via Steepster, and she’s one of the coolest people that hang out at Steepster (and that’s saying something because there are a lot of cool tea drinkers who hang out at Steepster! I call Steepster the facebook for tea drinkers, which probably makes me more nerdy than cool, but that’s OK, I guess.)
Anyway, I’m not really sure how long I’ve had a sampling of this tea on hand, I was going through some of my stash and came across it, but I’ve got to say that it’s held up very well over the course of time. This is really tasty.
I’m not a big fan of Adagio Teas, as I’ve mentioned at least once or twice. Their black tea base that they use for their flavored black teas tends to be very … aggressive and harsh tasting. However, I’ve found that when the flavors are blended like they have been in this Peppermint Ice blend – a blend of candy cane, cream and vanilla flavored black teas – the black tea tends to taste less harsh. I’m not sure why that is. But, it’s been my observation, and so far, of the various teas that I’ve tried, I’ve found this to be true more often than not.
This is a lovely blend of sweet creamy, vanilla-y flavors and just a hint of peppermint. Really, with a flavoring like peppermint, that’s all that’s needed because peppermint can really overpower a blend very quickly. Here, the peppermint is soft and while it does have that crisp, minty taste to it, it doesn’t overwhelm the cup nor does it give the cup a mouthwash-y sort of taste. It’s really nice.
The black tea is strong, but with this flavor combination, I’m not finding it to be a harsh tasting black tea base. Invigorating, sure. But not so astringent that it leaves my palate feeling as though it’s been dried off with sandpaper. (Yeah, that’s the way sometimes a black tea can taste from Adagio. Fortunately, it wasn’t the case here.)
Overall, I’m finding this to taste a bit like someone had melted a scoop of peppermint ice cream and then added it to my morning cup of black tea. It’s rich, smooth and creamy. Minty and fresh! I like this one – another great blend from Rachana Carter!
