Today is the second official day of the tea advent calendar season but to avoid spoilers- I’m going to review the lovely Adagio Teas Advent Calendar a day behind so without further ado. . . . .
Day #1- Spiced Apple Chai
Spiced Apple Chai is a tea blend from Adagio Teas that I know very well. I have enjoyed this one quite often. This lovely black tea based flavored chai is pretty much like fall in a cup but I like to enjoy this one with a twist. A shot of rum or a dollop of cream just adds a nice next level feel to this brew.
Brewed with fresh prepped water at boiling and steeped for right around 2-3 minutes this blends yields a distinctive distinctive apple flavor along with what I would consider the traditional chai spices-ginger, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon . Flavors that you would expect to go well together and a chai you want to enjoy on a cool day where wrapping your hands around a mug brings your tea loving soul so much love.
Adding the additional extras of course are optional to enjoy this lovely cuppa and what is great about this particular blend, there are so many different ways you can enjoy- western brewed, as a latte, adult like with a shot of this or that, cold brewed with or without a touch of maple syrup, truly the possibilities are endless which makes this one of my favorite Adagio blends.
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!
A Mellow Black Tea/Kaley Tea- CuppaGeek
This year has been something. Might I even say this might be the worse year I’ve ever experienced at least for my family. . . but I try to always look at the brighter side. Between all of the nation wide situations going on like COVID 19 and the current political climate here in the States, my family has been hit with a lot of health related hardships that has left a void in our hearts. But through all of these hardships and what felt like a never ending cycle of bad news and stressful situations, I found solace and peace each and every day within a cuppa tea that was constantly by my side during those hard weeks of September through the present day. Each day, no matter what else was going on or how I felt- I made sure that I had a cuppa tea at the ready to help soothe my soul and keep me going. One of those cuppas that I enjoyed was Kaley Teas’s black tea.
The title for this tea really says it all. No fuss, no complex this or that- this is a lovely black tea that is mellow on flavor but still quite delightful. Brewed with freshly prepped boiling water and allowed to steep for right around 3 minutes- this tea has a bright note of crisp maltiness with a touch of astringency that really keeps you going sip after sip. Every once in a while I noted a bread like flavor or a potentially raisin finish. This black tea stood up to a few steepings and I even think I oversteeped for a moment or two and still enjoyed the cuppa and wanted more. From the description I found on the tea (after doing some searching on the site), there was some comments about floral and bergamot orange flavors, I’m not so sure my palette picked up on those but I’ll be curious to see if my other SororiTea Sisters do.
Kaley Tea is a company that I’m not 100% familiar with and their website looks like they are still working on bring their story to market. I’m quite excited to check out their other teas and I just adore how they label each tea with a reassuring title like a mellow black tea or a graceful green tea. For someone like me who has been finding themseleves looking more for straight tea blends instead of flavored ones, this one is a keeper.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Kaley Teas
Description
Black twiggy twisted tea leaves turn into a light shimmering copper golden liquor with every steep. Floral notes mixed with rice paddy hay provides a distinct base. A finale of bergamot orange and chocolate gives way to bee’s honey, making up a colorful bouquet of delicate & sublimely refined flavours. Bright coppery infused leaves emanate floral perfumes, enmeshed with sugary, citrusy notes.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Rave Coffee and Tea! -CuppaGeek-
Even though I am a huge tea drinker, I do love my coffee as well. I actually start each day with coffee. Being not a morning person, I’ve bumbled tea steepings one too many times and it seems like coffee is just an easier choice for me- plus coffee is just an alluring smell for thing in the morning.
Recently I tried a coffee tea blend where there was actual coffee in the tea blend itself (not coffee flavorings) and I fell in love with this unique blend. Around the same time, Rave Coffee reached out to the SororiTea Sisters to see if we would be interested in checking out their coffee and it was like it was meant to be. When the coffee arrived- I was floored. The coffee smelled amazing, fresh, and vibrant. Along with the coffee was this really lovely education pack. I’ve never seen such a cool education guide to help you learn and explore your coffee. There is so much info on how to brew your coffee, how to taste it, they even included a coffee tea tasting log. Very very cool and slick in style.
Before I started experimenting with the tea and coffee blend, I decided I wanted to try the coffee on its own and it was amazing. My particular palette I feel is more set up to tastes the unique properties of tea more than coffee but what I can say is that this tea was divine. Rich, smooth, without any bitterness and addicting! I found myself eagerly drinking cup after cup as regular coffee, lattes, cold brews, you name it- I tried it- and always with success. Just plain delicious and highly recommended.
When it was time to start brewing the coffee up with tea- I decided to go with an blend of Assam to get that right taste. I also added a few cocoa nibs just to give the coffee and tea a bit more flavor to play off of. Brewed up the tea with 212F prepped water for right around 2 minutes. The result- Delicious mix of the two worlds that I adore- coffee and tea. Each flavor is allowed its own time in the spotlight- you can literally tell the familiar notes of coffee with the familiar notes of tea. I was assuming there might be a mixing of flavors but there really isn’t. Which sounds a bit odd, but I’m actually enjoying this and my own little experiment tastes a lot like the coffee tea blend I had not too long ago. I’m excited to really explore this idea more with different coffee and tea blends.
I’ve had several different coffee subscriptions from a lot of different places but Rave is one I’m really excited to get going to really take a deeper dive into all things coffee and possibly even blend up a puerh coffee blend on my own. Rave Coffee has so much to learn on their website just in general but it will be fun to really take the time to enjoy their coffee like I do some of my favorite teas and to take the time to really learn about that cup of joe I enjoy so much in the mornings.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Where to Buy: Rave
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Chestnut/Adagio Teas -Ashmanra-
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.