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The first rooibos sample I’m trying from the myriad of rooibos/honeybush samples I purchased from Adagio. I actually had a taste for apples, so I thought this tea would be perfect. When I opened the pouch I was hit with what reminded me of scented candles or potpourri. Not necessarily a bad thing, but a bit different to say the least.

The tea actually tastes very sweet. I’m wondering why this is, but maybe it’s the apple? I think I did see apple pieces in it or something, but I doubt that really contributes to the flavor. I’m not getting blasted by cinnamon like other reviewers are, but maybe it builds up on your tongue over time.

Okay, I had to go back and edit this note. The tea was just too sweet and became overly artificial tasting as I kept drinking. I guess my boyfriend was right when he said it truly tasted like drinking a candle >.<

I was super excited for this tea, yet super afraid. I absolutely love candy canes and anything mint related, so I of course had to order a sample of this one. And yet, I’ve had not so stellar results in the past from Adagio flavored black teas. I’ve always found the smell so tempting, but the flavor lacking and needing sweetener and/or milk, which I’m not opposed to doing sometimes, but still…

Well, the smell, like I expected, is definitely tantalizing. It’s everything I would want a candy cane tea to smell like – nice and minty combined with comforting, creamy vanilla.

So I sit here, waiting anxiously to get my mint fix, and then I finally taste it… Go away black tea, you’ve ruined it! Ah, I had my fears. Believe me, I absolutely love black tea of all kinds, but maybe not so much flavored – or maybe not so much from Adagio – or maybe not so much when it interferes with mint.

Either way, maybe it’s a taste that will grow on me, but the bitterness that comes from that base is rather disconcerting. I’m going to try to add some cream to this next time. If that fails, I’ll add some peppermint to it. And it if that fails, too, I won’t be too far away from finishing the sample.

Meh, I wanted to like you Candy Cane. I really did. I’ll try to work on fixing you, okay?

I had this tea last night because I knew I was getting my Adagio shipment in the next day. I had ordered almost all their rooibos and honeybush samples, so I figured this tea was getting pretty stale and better to use it up before the exciting new ones come in.

Well, I can only guess the tea I had was this one… I purchased a 1 oz. pouch of this from a nearby new age store. After some investigating online, however, I’m almost positive it’s this tea.

Stories aside, I don’t really know what to make of it. The first several sips were amazing. It tastes exactly like what it says – a warm, nutty gingersnap cookie with all the earthy, sweet goodness of rooibos underneath. As I kept drinking it, however, I kinda lost interest and the sweetness of the drink really built up on my tongue. If only all the sips managed to taste as good as the first few…

On a weirdly positive note, though, I had trouble falling asleep last night. After tossing and turning for an hour and going downstairs for a midnight glass of milk, I came back to discover my entire room smelled like gingersnap cookies! Who needs candles anymore?

I don’t know why I’m getting sleepy at around noon, but I knew an Assam tea would definitely help with this! This is one of my favorite Assams I’ve tried so far from my Upton samples. It’s extremely balanced with fruity notes, a touch of sweet malt, and lasting subtle astringency.

The scent of this tea is greatly inviting. It’s very sweet and airy, so I can understand the poetic expressions of the “sweet dew” that comes to mind. I’m not one, however, for that kind of sweetness in tea, but I have to appreciate its subtle, light, and delicately sweet taste. It holds up well to multiple infusions (the second one was quite nice actually). It’s just not a tea I would order myself or drink very often.

The scent is smoky and also a bit nutty. Taste wise, it’s ever so slightly fruit-like sweet with a bitter vegetal aftertaste. The main thing I appreciate about this tea is that the flavor lingers on your tongue for quite while. Otherwise, I’d say it’s rather mediocre. The second infusion is still quite flavorful and not bitter at all even though it was steeping for quite some time.

I was quite afraid to brew this tea based on how it smelled from the bag. The scent was super potent and it reminded me of cough medicine. My boyfriend thought it smelled like weird soda. I erred on the side of caution (strange smell and hibiscus) and brewed it just for five minutes. Thankfully, it’s not at all scary and actually quite pleasant. This would make a great iced tea, so that’s how I’ll finish up my sample I’m thinking. The berry flavors are definitely present, but the hibiscus is at the forefront (though, not too hibiscus-y or I wouldn’t drink it).

I’m cutting my rating for this tea considerably. I truly have to wonder what possessed me to order 3 oz. of this in the first place. I reminder it being better (I’m sure a couple months diminished some flavor, but still…). This time I brewed two cups (trying desperately to use it up) with some whole milk. It tastes better with milk than plain, but that’s what bothers me. I’m sitting here thinking I should also add some honey. Again, that’s a problem for me. I don’t want to drink a tea that I have to add extra things to. A good tea, in my opinion, just requires water and a cup. It’s a weak tasting black tea surrounded by faint hints of chocolate and strawberries… nothing special and makes me wonder what I’m doing with the 55 g I still have left (yes, I actually weighed the tea to see how much of it I would have to suffer through).

I was a bit surprised just how broken up the leaf was. I mean, I knew it was broken (BOP), but it looked very close to an almost fanning stage. Regardless, the tea brewed up pretty nicely. This is most definitely a classic Ceylon- bright citrus notes, lively, and slightly tangy.

I’’m drinking the last bit of my sample hot, but iced is when this tea really shines. The peach and strawberry are the most prominent flavors for me, but the citrus lingers in the background and as an aftertaste. The sunflower petals, in my opinion, are simply for show and do not affect the taste. All in all, the fruity flavors blend harmoniously with the light, refreshing green rooibos.