Adagio is one of those unique companies that you can easily forget about and then rediscover later.
While I had originally passed off Adagio as just another run of the mill tea stores like Teavana but with this most recent sample I searched around their website to discover I was wrong.
Adagio is a unique beast of a store. This tea comes from a special section of their website called Masters by Adagio Teas.
They feature the tea, no tisanes, from Master tea farmers from China, India, Taiwan, and Japan.
This unique tea comes from farmer Yang Ai Fang in China. Though Tieguanyin is traditionally processed as an oolong tea, Yang Ai Fang decided to try something different.
It resulted in a unique brew with a golden honey liquor color. The wet leaves have a musty, stone fruit aroma.
This no astringency tea has flavors of slight chocolate undertones with somewhat floral and fruity overtones.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Master Teas by Adagio Teas
Description
Tie Guan Yin, often translated as Iron Goddess of Mercy or Iron Buddha, is a variety of Chinese oolong tea. However, this version takes the classic Tie Kuan Yin leaves and processes them in a black tea style. This unique combination culminates in the velvet savory texture of black tea with the unique floral charm of traditional Tie Guan Yin tea. When brewed, this intriguing handcrafted tea has a reddish-brown liquor that hints towards dark chocolate and a whispery licorice finish. A Masters Teas favorite!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jungpana Tippy Musk Black Tea/Udyan Tea – Skysamurai-
Jungpana Tippy Musk Black is a cross between full leaf and CTC. Meaning all have been cut but not all have been cut to be small like many do for tea bags. This one unfortunately isn’t listed on their website.
This does, however, give me insight into what their teas are like. No dry leaf aroma but the luscious scent emanating from the wet leaf more then makes up for it.
So earthy!
A wonderful mix of forest floor, wet wood, and musty mahogany. The flavor is also wonderfully earthy with with no astringency. It has a clean mouth feel and smooth finish. If you haven’t yet been to the Udyan website go head over there and give it a look.
They have many teas waiting to be discovered.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Udyan Tea
Description
This tea is no longer available on the site but click below for more offerings.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jin Jun Mei/Tealyra -CuppaGeek-
I’ve recently found that I’m getting more and more into straight teas. I’ve tried a few flavored teas to recently but I just felt that pull to pull out my gaiwan and experiment. I’ve found myself eager to sit down and spend the time to enjoy the tea sip by sip in smaller quantities and this tea is a beautiful example of why.
Not too long ago, I brewed this tea up in the traditional western fashion- teapot, few scoops of tea with water prepped at a bit below boiling, steeped for a few minutes, poured into my tea cup and enjoyed. While the tea was tasty with soft chocolate notes , I wanted to see how the flavor would change if brewed with gong fu style.
Now when I do gong fu, I do a modified version that works with not only my crazy busy job but my house in a whole. I don’t get too deep into measuring and making sure everything is on point. I 100% should because I’ve over leafed and under leafed on more occasions than I would like to admit, but in the same- I have a very go go go 8-5 and after work so I have just decided to pour and go. Eventually I’ll get to the point where I measure out the night before so I’m all prepared for the next day. Please forgive me that I don’t have all of the measurements to how exactly I steeped up this ditty.
Using my gaiwan, I popped in some leaf and water at 200F. Gave the leaves a quick rinse and quickly added in more water to go about my first infusion.
-First infusion: Delicious toffee notes with a small hint of chocolate and no astringency and a hint of malt. At this point, we are talking dessert tea here. Really lovely and nice. Can not get enough and the brew was gone in no time.
-Second infusion: Still those same delicious toffee notes but the chocolate touches are becoming a bit stronger.
-Third Infusion: Toffee notes are pretty distant now and the chocolate notes have also subsided a bit with the malt touches and a new astringency coming in.
-Fourth Infusion: The astringency is really the power player at this point and I’m thinking about taking the leaves to make a cold brew. Not a huge fan of super astringent teas and the brew is taking a turn in that direction.
Now, I was working the whole time I enjoyed this tea so probably if I would have timed the steeps, etc- the tea would have probably lasted for more infusions to my liking. All in all, love the adventure this tea took me on. I’m a big fan of this black tea anyway so I was excited to try a more intimidate way to enjoy the tea.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tealyra
Description
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Jin Jun Mei (Beautiful Golden Eyebrow in Mandarin) is a famous Chinese tea known for its deep auburn golden hue and delicate slender leaves, like a beautiful women’s eyebrow. It is one of the most beloved Chinese teas, grown and produced in Fujian province. In the springtime, the two small leaves are plucked from the stem and allowed to fully oxidize; this full oxidation gives Jin Jun Mei its deep and malty aromatic profile. Jin Jun Mei is made of slim black and gold tips, covered in a delicate golden fuzz. Once steeped, it has a smooth body and well rounded mouth-feel; its taste is sweet, honey-like, malty, velvety smooth and has hints of vanilla. Jin Jun Mei is best enjoyed straight, and try multiple steeping it multiple times! |
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Ruhunu Ceylon/Zesta Tea. . . .
I would like to preface this review with the following fun fact – I am a sucker for any ceylon tea.
This tea is part of the Ceylon region pack from zesta tea and features Ceylon from the Ruhunu region which is a low grown region in the south of Sri Lanka. This tea was a loose leaf and required me to utilize one of my tea sacs rather than a stainless steeper as the leaves were so fine.
This was a batch of pure Ceylon meaning that there was no added flavors or herbs to compete with the flavor of the tea. This was a beautifully smooth brew and was one of the best ceylons I’ve ever had. Interestingly I was only able to get one brew out of a batch, but I still think that the tea is worth the cost even at one brew per serving.
Zesta sells this tea as part of their Ceylon region pack, and I would be willing to pay pack price for just this single box. For black tea drinkers, this Ceylon region pack needs to be in your upcoming purchase. This would also make a great gift for tea enthusiasts to test their palate for the subtle differences that growing regions have on a tea – wine drinkers do it all the time, we can too!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Zesta Tea
Description
Experience and appreciate the unique taste of premium regional teas, as this regional pack has Ceylon tea from all five tea growing regions – Uva, Ruhunu, Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula, Kandy. Ceylon tea became famous for its unique taste variety that differs across the regions and elevations which are reflected in these teas.
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Sandakphu Hand Rolled Black Tea/Nepali Tea Traders. . . .
Sandakphu Hand Rolled Black Tea from Nepali Tea Traders was in my stash for special occasions and recently I hit the bottom of the bag so I figured it was time to say FAREWELL and give it a proper review before it’s just a tea memory.
I looked for this tea on their website and it is no longer in stock. Back in 2014 LiberTEAs did a review of it here at The SororiTea Sisters. I remember her describing in great length of the apricot notes that shined in this. I completely agree with her that the apricot flavors truly made this a naturally flavorful and delightful cuppa.
Nepali Tea Traders said this tea was an Orthodox black tea, only two leaves and a bud are hand plucked for processing. This full-leaf, loose tea is then oxidized carefully until a fine balance of flavors is achieved. This exquisite tea has a smooth floral bouquet with a lingering apricot finish. Perhaps this is why I enjoyed this tea so much…I have always been a sucker for apricots!
I always associated them with my childhood because as a toddler one of my favorite foods was dried apricots…yes…I know…I was an ‘odd’ kid.
I did feel that the black tea was comparable to a darjeeling. It seemed to have some flavor similarities. I sure hope that Nepali Tea Traders brings this one back because it’s a REAL WINNER!!!!
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Nepali Tea Traders
Description
Click below for all of Nepali Tea Traders Black Tea Offerings!
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