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Backlog 13/67
From Carol Who.

When I found this tea I was very, very surprised. A spicy tea? What’s that? :D Being terrified of spiciness, I avoided it for a while. But tonight being another tasting night, I decided to give it a go. With much trepidation, I brewed my cup, sat it on the table and began tasting with my sister. Meanly, I handed this cup to her first. I didn’t warn her. I’m a terrible person.

But her face was priceless.

After she finished beating me, I tried it. It was spicy water with no flavor to me. She got her husband who is the one we nicknamed “Dragon” for reasons not entirely unrelated to his spicy eating habits. He almost liked it. Almost. But to him, the afterburn was just an annoyance. It didn’t provide a nice enough burn on the tongue and there was no good flavor surrounding the burn. We sweetened and cooled it next and he said maybe if it were “Southern-style sweet tea” (read: Iced and way too much sugar) it might be good. But as it was, it was the wrong kind of spicy for him.

And if you want proof that I’m a terrible person… next I let my 7 year old daughter try it.

… I am a terrible, terrible person.

(No children were harmed in the making of this review. She giggled after she finished washing the taste out.)

That said, no. Just no. Not for me. Thank you Carol Who.. .for the most entertaining “NO” I’ve had yet in a tea. :)

Backlog 12/67

Another from Cameron B.

This tea was so bland I could barely taste any flavor at all. I guessed maybe a hint of bergamot but mostly just tannic tea. I didn’t get anything more from it. It wasn’t what I’d want in a tea. Smelled nice tho.

Again, thanks for the experience Cameron! :)

Backlog 11/67

I think Cameron B sent this one. This had a nice floral taste on top of a tannic tea.
I don’t think I can say I love this tea, but it wasn’t bad. It just tasted like tea and flowers. The smell was mild, but the flower taste was stronger with a bit of sugar.

Overall not bad? But not something I’d go hunting for. Thanks for the taste Cam!

Backlog 10/67

After a long night of tasting teas that mostly weren’t my cuppa, this felt like a reward for all my bravery and perseverance. :) A sample from my friend Becky who isn’t on Steepster as of yet. Her custom blend from Adagio. All I can say is: Yes! This is a good tea. I would drink this again and again. I found it delightful with just a little sugar. It tasted just how I wanted it to from a smell of the leaves. It was strong enough in every department: Sweet, spices, minty.

It was so good last night I had to have it for my cuppa this morning. Today I decided to try it with some cream. All I have is vanilla and hazelnut at the moment, so it got vanilla. As it turns out, vanilla is right at home with this set of flavors. Like a mix of a candy cane and a chai, so it goes very well with creamy vanilla. I imagine it’d be delectable as a solid latte with foam and all. :)

So props to my dear Becky. It’s the best of the blends you sent in my opinion. Much love for this one. :)

Backlog 9/67

What tea. So campfire. Wow. Much smokey. Many burning.

I am … floored. By the incredible similarity between taking a whiff of this tea and standing by a campfire. It’s incredibly evocative of a campfire. I mean, I feel I need a shower because obviously if I’m smelling this, I smell of smoke. Right?

I had to try this. I saw so many people talking about Lapsang Souchong and it sounded like something people really inflate with their descriptions because how could tea smell like a campfire? Well guess what. It does. It’s a freaking pouch of campfire. And I brewed it and tasted it. I was very brave.

It was not a bad taste. I mean, I didn’t expect it to be so… not-bad. I smelled it and thought “This will make me lose my lunch.” It didn’t. The warm flavor was smoky and strong, but not bad.

I can’t figure out why anyone would want to drink it tho. I mean, I can see how it smells amazing and reminds me of beef jerky that I used to get when I was a kid… but I don’t see how it would be something you’d think “Man I really want a cup of that right now.” Maybe in blends. But… straight? No. Not for me.

It wasn’t bad tho. It just … wasn’t something I see myself wanting to drink.

So I have tried Lapsang Souchong. I have done it. Now I know. That is all.

Backlog 8/67

Got this sample with my last Adagio order. I liked the almond oolong enough to buy a pouch so I wanted to see if another oolong was any good from them.

I’m disappointed with this one. It tastes vaguely of vanilla, but I wouldn’t know it’s oolong. I mean, I don’t know Oolong super well but I didn’t specifically notice the oolong, and yet the the vanilla wasn’t overpowering either. Maybe it needed different temp or longer steep. I’m not sure. This just wasn’t a night for amazing tea I guess haha. :)

Backlog 7/67 (Only 60 more to go! heh… heheh… eh.. :D)

Green tea! Yes this is green tea.
I guess. :D
Once again, it tastes vegetal and astringent to me. I’ve not fallen in love with a green yet.
The cherry was present, but the rose was too mild for me to notice it. Maybe my palate is just a mongrel and can’t tell these things. It understands strong flavors like SPICES and CHOCOLATE and VANILLA but not really subtle hints I think? Heh.

I gave this an overall “eh” rating. Again, not sure if Mandy or Cameron, but thank you for the experience regardless. :D

Backlog 6/67

Updating after realizing I confused one set of notes with another. :D

Not bad. It tastes of toffee. It’s sweet enough to be good. The brown-sugarish flavor of toffee is definitely not bad with white tea.

When I was tasting it and making notes I wrote: Slight toffee, Could drink, not bad.

I think that sums it up. :)

Backlog 5/67

This one came from Mandy I’m almost sure.

I did as she instructed on the bag and tried it as a latte. I don’t know if I just had a bit too much milk in it or if it just didn’t have much flavor because I didn’t get much flavor from it. It was mostly just a mild strawberry flavor with a slightly creamy milk flavor.
Not bad, but nothing to write home about.

I’m not sure tho. Maybe I will try the rest of it brewed differently. My numbers on this note are guesses because I didn’t make full notes on how I brewed it. Just going off memory.

Thanks for another tea experience Mandy! I think this one may have a chance to redeem itself on the second try. :)

Backlog 4/67

Delicious white pear flavor. I mean, this is a white tea with pear flavor. It tastes of pear and white tea. That is all you could ask from white pear tea eh? :)

From Stephen Hockman’s stash that he passed to me. Thanks much for that! I enjoyed the White pear tea. My sister wants me to make it cold next. We may end up having this in our house next time I order from Adagio. :)

I’m super picky with whites and this is one of the few I’ve really, really liked. :)