I have recently been introduced to LOTS of tea by Adagio, and honestly I had no idea that they had such a huge selection.
I decided to share this pot of tea with someone who has actually had chestnuts since I never have so I would be able to tell you how authentic the taste is!
My impression of the tea is that it tastes exactly like the company description – black tea with a pleasant dryness. It is nutty, but the company says their teas are safe for people with nut allergies. The facility is also gluten free.
I took it plain but it definitely could take milk and sugar if you prefer. It had that raspy dry feel on the tongue that many Keemun teas give, a cocoa powder vibe without chocolate. It reminded of the feeling when a wee bit of the “bitter” from inside a pecan or walnut shell gets in your mouth. That may sound bad but as they said – it is a pleasant bitterness.
So what about the person who has had actual chestnuts? She said it was so authentic that she was transported back to Eastern Europe at Christmastime, buying roasted chestnuts from vendors in the street. She was quite nostalgic and I am pretty sure she would be pleased to find a box of this tea in her stocking this year!
This also gave a decent resteep. Many thanks to the Sisters for sharing this one with me!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Description
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Cherry Almond Black Tea/Stash Tea- Ashmanra-
Cherry and almond are almost inseparable flavors, and immediately bring sweet, decadent desserts to mind for me. I knew I would like this tea before I ever opened the pouch.
The smell of the leaves confirms it. This is going to be delicious! There is so much sweet cherry aroma here! And the almond is just as strong.
Steeped up and served with biscuits – the Southern US kind – made for a delightful tea time.
The black tea base is pretty brisk, and as usual I don’t notice this much while eating but the final cup sipped by itself has a building drying effect on the tongue.
It occurred to me that this would probably be fabulous as a refreshing sweet tea for summer! Off to the kitchen to fill the kettle again.
Iced tea tastes best after it has mellowed in the refrigerator for a bit. My mother insisted on overnight, but sometimes we can’t wait that long! I have done cold steeped tea (really great for unsweet tea) and I have done flash chill, and they work but it isn’t the same. I want to do this tea justice, so I am patient and put it in the fridge without tasting it yet.
One day later: the tea has had plenty of time for the flavors to meld. Time to try it!
This is delicious. I am loving the cherry. To be honest, I could do without the almond part as it lends a cozy warmth that throws me off in iced tea. But…I still love it. I will definitely ice this again.
And now that I have visited their website and seen PEACH black tea, guess what I am ordering to ice next?
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Stash Tea
Description
For our delicious Cherry Almond dessert tea, we combine the sweet flavor of plump red cherries and rich natural almond oil with select black teas. The result is a smooth, cordial-like tea that is rich in flavor and aroma. This tea may be enjoyed any time of the day, but it is especially pleasant in the evening with a touch of sugar.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Bowcaster Brown/Adagio Teas – Skysamurai-
If Chewbacca drank tea, what would he drink?
We know they drink brandy, which is great mixed with a strong black tea and honey for colds, and can hold their liquor better than many other species.
Perhaps being a brandy loving type they would go for a more oxidized leaf such as this one. It’s simple but has enough caffeine kick to get you going in the morning. The toasted mate rounds it all out nicely while the added flavoring gives the aftertaste a pleasant caramel savoriness.
I can see Chewbacca, having finished his pre-flight duties, sitting in the cockpit waiting for Han while sipping on a cup of this.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black /Mate
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Description
Caramel mocha, in tea form. Mocha Nut Mate is joined by Tiger Eye and Caramel black teas, resulting in a beverage brimming with dichotomies: familiar but new, caffeinated but chill. This blend is suitably robust, and can be relied upon to get the job done.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Ever Have a Tea Make You Sigh and Say “Thank You”. . . Organic Earl Grey Cream/Tigerlily Tea
Have you ever had a cup of tea that made you sigh and whisper “thank you” to no one in particular?
No? Prepare to.
This tea is a buttery, creamy, decadent romp through Earl Grey’s castle. You walk barefoot on lush, oriental carpets. You admire vibrant paintings of rosy-cheeked angels. You wear a robe of crushed velvet.
You taste bergamot, you taste flowers, and good heavens, you taste cream.
You are fancy. No, more than fancy. You are reckless in your bourgeois ways. You are DECADENT.
I don’t really have any complaints about this tea. I almost want a drawback, so I look like an Objective Journalist. Alas, I am not a Serious Writer or a Great Thinker. I am a girl who wears mostly slippers. I pet every dog I see on the street. I want to live in a Rococo painting. And I like this tea. So there.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tigerlily Teas
Description
A remarkably heady Earl Grey tempered with wickedly delicious cream flavour. One cup is not enough!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
all photo credits/logo credits: Tigerlily Teas
This tea was purchased for personal use and was not recieved to review.
Nepali Breakfast/Nepal Tea
When prepping breakfast, I learned that I can’t use my toaster oven and kettle at the same time. That was an interesting discovery that made for a two-step breakfast: bagel first (since the toaster oven was already on) and tea second.
Another discovery: Nepali Breakfast by Nepal Tea is not a straight black tea like I thought it was. When I opened the package, I immediately got a big whiff of masala spices which surprised me. Upon closer inspection of the package, it turns out the package says black tea + spices so I guess this confusion is just on me. Oops.
Anyways, when brewing this up, I did so according to the company suggestion on the package which is to steep the tea in boiling water for 5 minutes. That is against my usual steeping parameters but hopefully Nepal Tea knows best.
After steeping the tea I brought up the Nepali Breakfast page on the Nepal Tea website only to notice that the site says to use not quite boiling water for 4-5 minutes. I also noticed on the Nepal Tea website they recommend steeping this with milk and/or sugar. Again, I did not see this until after I steeped the tea so I did not do this.
Trying the tea, the first thing I noticed is how much sugar probably would have helped this tea. I normally don’t add anything to my tea (unless I am having a latte or smoothie, etc.) but this tea is more bland than the scent of the dry leaf would have you expect. I think perhaps sugar might coax out those spices nicely since nothing really stands out. With that said, despite the fairly harsh steeping parameters, there is no bitterness or astringency here. Mostly just some cinnamon, a touch of clove, maybe a little pepper and a smooth black tea that doesn’t really impart much flavor.
I think this tea has potential but for me it fell short. The smell of the tea really had me thinking I was in store for a punch of spice but barely got a tap on the shoulder.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Nepal Tea
Description
Start the day the Nepalese way with our unique Masala Chiyah.
A blend of Orthodox, CTC teas and our special masala spice mix. Experience the color of CTC, flavors of Orthodox with the ‘zing’ of the home-made spice mix.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
