The brewed tea smells exactly like the salted shell of a peanut. You know, like the kind you get in a bucket at some steakhouse restaurants.
The taste is even nuttier than the aroma. The smokiness is very slight and complemented perfectly by the nuttiness. The aftertaste is mouthwatering and tastes just like the aroma. The shells, not the peanuts themselves. So strange.
This doesn’t taste too much like an oolong to me. There’s no vegetal flavor. The liquor is a very dark brown. It’s quite smooth but the astringency becomes more pronounced the more you drink it.
It doesn’t taste sweet to me either. There’s definitely no peach notes. It pretty much just tastes like a salty peanut shell. So weird. Instead of quenching my thirst, it just makes me thirstier.
Not an oolong I would drink all the time. I’m interested to see how subsequent steepings turn out though.
The second steep (for 3 minutes again) still has an extremely mouthwatering aftertaste. The nuttiness is much less pronounced. The third steep (for 5 minutes) is very bland. Perhaps it needed longer to steep, but I don’t know how you could get 8 steeps out of this as other users have said.
I’m not really a fan of the peanut shell-like nuttiness, so that’s why this is getting a lower rating. If you like nutty teas, then go for this one!
Jealous, very jealous:)
Oooh, hope your lunch is awesome, service aside! And yay for tea swaps! Your package should have arrived this AM!
Double Jealous!
I think I’m at the same point as you on Adagio. They’re a great company for beginners, and I still have a ton of their samples to drink through, but I’m really interested in trying more specialized companies.
Now I’m into Adagio for their custom blends, savory teas, and frequent cup points- I may never use all mine lol.
Lunch was great. I picked up 2 new teas and have one on order that they were out of.
@ takgoti – I can’t wait to see what all you sent! It’s Christmas part deux.
@ Bethany – yep, great for beginners. And I love that they send most of their teas out in tins…not bags. It’s ok though, I have hoards of the little sample tins that are great for tea swaps, etc.
@ Cofftea – I know you love a good blend! Still waiting to try the one you sent for my birthday. :) I used most of my points, but I have about 40 or so leftover. Hope they don’t expire…I might need them one day.
@LENA, I hope they don’t too! I have over 2000.
Do you have any reccomendations for that shop? I’m heading down to Nashville next week and I’ll be going here for certain! (Going for a training class for work)
@ wombatgirl – Niiice! If you like rooibos, they have a blend called Home for the Holidays. I’m positive that it would be good hot, but it totally rocks when iced. I keep a pitcher of this one in the fridge.
Did you check out their website? I tried the Ceylon Kenilworth with my mom (at our lunch) and it was really nice…but fairly plain. China Chai is ok if you like the taste of licorice. I tried their Genmaicha Whole Leaf and hated it. I have some of their Czar’s Samovar on order…they were out of it the last time I was there. Czar’s seems to be a big seller for them.
Franklin Tea should be pretty close to World Cup of Tea. Their website is http://www.franklintea.com/index.html I haven’t been…yet…but I plan to very soon. Franklin Tea seems to have a much larger selection, but terrible descriptions on the site. You can email me at [email protected] if you might like to meet up while you are in town.
@Lena – I sent you an email – I’d love to meet up!