16 Tasting Notes
This was a confusing tea to drink. Overall, I liked it, but as a previous reviewer noticed, there’s no nuance. The adjectives are all generic: Butter, Vegetable, Stone, Sweet, Bright. It was like a drink with all the rough edges sanded off. The result was pleasant to drink, clearly good tea, but not something I’d ever go out of my way for.
I will say, if you like “buttery” teas, I’ve never tasted something that hit that note as hard. As always, might be your cup if not particularly mine.
Flavors: Asparagus, Butter, Mineral
Preparation
Alright, this one is a little bit of a strange one, but hear me out. Oolong chai and candy corn. The spice notes that already make it feel like a Fall drink, and the sweetness counterbalances to make an absolutely delightful combination. I have to be picky with my chai after a particularly heinous work week fueled by the stuff soured my stomach to some of the spices, but this one I still turn back to every month or two.
Jolie has a love affair with Rose Petals, and we tend to cycle through their Rose blends. After tasting this blend against our old standard La Belle Rose, we agreed this had a more nuanced and complex profile, and brought this one home. Alas, I think I got the ratios a little off today, as it’s not as delicious as in the cafe, but still a wonderful pick-me-up on a sleepy Friday morning. Sweetened, the blackcurrent notes rise to the fore, and the balance of rose and vanilla is delightful.
Preparation
Admittedly, I keep this one in the cupboard primarily for blending. While it makes a nice British style cup, it’s not particularly memorable. But if I’m looking to add herbs, flowers, or other teas, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Still, please don’t judge my beloved Jolie by this one, hold out for something like their Antoinette
Preparation
Matcha blends have so much nuance that go into them, and everyone’s got a different palate. However, for the price, I didn’t think this was much to write home about. It’s not as clean and bright as their Shoin, or as good a value as their Horai. I’ve kept one serving for the next big matcha comparison, but I’ll be surprised if I keep this one in the house going forward.
Preparation
Ever since someone introduced me to DavidTEA’s Hot Chocolate Tea I’ve had a fascination with well-blended chocolate teas. Well made, they’re all the joy of hot chocolate with bonus caffeine, and YOU control the calorie count. Made a strong British style cup today, and it really helped get the ball rolling. I’m not even usually a mint guy, but the blend on this is MARVELOUS. TBH, the only truly compelling reason to reorder from Adagio anymore…
Preparation
Whenever we reorder from Dobra, this tea pretty much immediately disappears from my cupboard. It’s definitely the most memorable chocolate tea I’ve ever had, though we’re talking the deep rich bean flavor rather than any kind of sweet notes. Certainly gets a little bit of that hot-chocolate feel if you adulterate it enough, but I tend to be a little gentle applying cream and sugar to this one.
The only reason it’s not rated higher is that I usually expect my teas to brew well hot and cold. The chocolate additives, for whatever reason, cause the tea to go off within 24-30 hours after brewing, limiting my chance to enjoy it.
One of my daily-drivers. I probably drink it once a week. If you’ve never tried the smokey campfire goodness that is Lapsang, you really owe yourself to try a few cups. An acquired taste definitely worth the effort.
Preparation
I haven’t tried this one, but I enjoyed Upton’s Black Dragon Lapsang and Baker Street Afternoon Tea.
@ashmanra Upton was my go-to for awhile. Certainly they had a broader selection of oolongs and good black teas than I’d experienced before joining the looseleaf world. Sadly, they have a habit of discontinuing all my favorites. The upside is this gives me a reason to try new vendors, and I’m excited for my upcoming sessions!
If you feel like exploring new Lapsang, Crocodile from both Dammann Freres and TheODor are fantastic! (If you like them strong.)
Interesting! I just did a big trip to Jolie, so may be a hot minute till I order from a Parisian teashop, but this place looks promising! =^_^=
While fruit flavored teas often make for make for a beautiful British-style cup, my problem has always been staying power. The first cup is amazing, but as we reach cup 5, 10, 20, I simply lose interest. This tea broke records, 200g and many months later I’m only just now noticing the last of my tin sitting unused over time.
The lemon flavor in this pops like nothing I’ve seen before. The name is the perfect description: It really is like a lemon candy. It’s absolutely worth a try if you’ve any interest in fruit flavored teas or a british style cup!
