This is an unexpectedly beautiful tea. The leaves are long and wiry, and sort of variagated in colour. The tips are a pale golden brown, which gradually darkens to a dusty brown almost-black. The scent is sweet and malty, with slight notes of chocolate and smoke. It’s certainly an intriguing tea, and one I’m really looking forward to trying.
I gave this four minutes in boiling water, and added a splash of milk. I think milk is a comfort thing for me; I had a challenging day in clearing yesterday, and I couldn’t imagine a non-milky drink tonight. This is a tea that seems to stand up well to milk, fortunately, but I will try it without before my sample is gone.
Brewed, the scent is much the same as it is dry, and the taste is much the same as the scent. It doesn’t look particularly substantial; the liquor is a golden brown even after four minutes, but the taste is deep and rich. It’s very sweet and malty, with hints of chocolate and cocoa in the aftertaste. I’m not the biggest Adagio fan, but this is one of the most intriguing black teas I’ve tried in a while. I’m going to enjoy finishing this sample, and picking up more of the nuances. This is definitely my kind of tea!
