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Cameron B. drank Earl Grey Bella Luna by Adagio Teas

3986 tasting notes

Adagio Advent Calendar – Day 17

I ended up with two Earls today, and three black teas total! Not that I’m complaining, I’d rather have an excess of black teas than an excess of herbals. This one is apparently only available during the full moon, and it’s a coconut Earl Grey.

The bergamot is a bit over-the-top here for me. It tastes slightly bitter and very perfumey, and it completely overpowers the coconut flavor. I do get a bit of coconut cream in the background, and at the end of the sip after the bergamot fades.

I’m not a fan, it’s overall quite bitter and the bergamot tastes artificial. Meh!

I had both of my advent chocolates with this cup. The DAVIDsTEA selection was a Peach Matcha-Infused Milk Chocolate Star. Like the other versions, it had little-to-no matcha flavor and only a little hint of peach. It mostly just tasted like milk chocolate. From La Maison du Chocolat, today’s chocolate is called “Cristal”. It’s an almond and hazelnut milk chocolate praliné with crushed hazelnuts and sea salt. Needless to say, it’s scrumptious! I haven’t been doing many notes on these chocolates since they’ve all been fairly similar, but I love the salty edge of this one.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CI6vrJ0Aaak/

(today’s advent teas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CI3UsUyAU_Z/)

Flavors: Artificial, Bergamot, Bitter, Coconut, Cream, Perfume

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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3 comments

Dustin
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I kind of love the idea of a tea only being sold on a specific day. I’m sure the reality of it would be frustrating.

Cameron B.
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At least this one’s not as bad as the tea that’s only sold on Leap Day…

Mastress Alita
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There is a Blue Moon one, too…

People who liked this

Comments

Dustin
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I kind of love the idea of a tea only being sold on a specific day. I’m sure the reality of it would be frustrating.

Cameron B.
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At least this one’s not as bad as the tea that’s only sold on Leap Day…

Mastress Alita
Delete

There is a Blue Moon one, too…

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing