25 Tasting Notes
Adagio! My favorite brand :) Well, I got this as a free sample when I bought some tea earlier last month. I was in the mood for a white tea today but wanted some flavor.
I opened this bag and the smell was a bit different… I don’t know what I was expecting. Also, the steeped leaves smelled surprising.
I don’t know what I feel about this tea. It called for a 3-5 minute steep with 2 heaping tsp per cup. I followed those directions and this tea is so light that I can barely taste it.
So, after drinking a bit more, I’ve discovered that when you take large sips you can taste the flavor well. It is still a bit too delicate for my taste, so next time ill add an extra tsp and steep for longer. But, I do taste the citrus flavor in this really well (from what I can taste)! This tea is true to what it is described to be. I have not had grapefruit in a while, but I am pretty sure this tastes similar.
Overall, I enjoy this tea but next time I need to steep it longer!
Preparation
Well! Hello there, Steepsters! I haven’t posted in what feels like years. School work has been taking over my life and I barely have time to make tea. I’ve been sticking to my custom Adagio mix, but today I took 4 tests and didn’t have too much homework so I decided I would try a sample. I remembered that I had this that was mailed a long ago. So, I decided I would give this a shot.
I have not had a straight black tea before, so this should be interesting. The closest thing I’ve ever had to a straight black tea was a bag of Yorkshire gold, but I honestly don’t even count that.
I really enjoy this! It is very smooth and isn’t too overpowering. I am glad I did an extra bit of tea because I think it would have been too weak. I really love that this doesn’t taste earthy. I despise earthy teas. Or maybe I am used to drinking plain green teas that I expect super earthy flavors when I drink a plain tea.
Whatever the case, I really enjoy this tea.
P.s. cute packaging!
Preparation
Yum! Back into the Tea game! I decided to go for this sample that I’ve had sitting around. I wanted something that I can just throw in my Aladdin tumbler and resteep a few times.
I steeped this one for about 4 minutes at 190. 1.5 tsp per 12 oz.
This tea is a little too earthy for my liking, but it is not too overpowering. I am hoping with the next steeps it will be less earthy. It was a nice change of pace, however, compared to the black teas I usually drink. I for sure wouldn’t pay 20 dollars for 2 oz of this stuff. This is super overpriced!
Preparation
I haven’t been drinking anything out of the box lately so I’ve not been too active with posting on here :( I’m still here, just lurking due to no new teas.
So this is just a quick hey. I am testing out this iPhone app so I thought I would just review this. It’s my morning tea because it is “thicker” than my fruity black tea I drink at night. I have found that it is better to drink with 1 tsp per 8 oz instead of my usual 1.5 for black teas. A little goes a long way with this one!
Preparation
Is it bad to give my own blend a 100? Oh well. I think this deserves it. There isn’t too much for me to say about this tea. I made this blend on a whim one day when I wanted to use up some of my favorite herbal blend.
I brew this at 212 for 3 minutes with 3 tsp per 16 oz. This tea comes out delicate and refreshing. The flavors mix well in this and make for a great “studytime” tea. I adore this and plan on buying some more once Adagio answers my email about buying a single tin from their site (they only sell their tins in 3 packs and I really only want one tin because I have no use for three…)
p.s. I’ve been gone for a while! It is great to be back :) This is all I’ve really been drinking besides the Tardis blend for the last week or so.
Preparation
oops! Let me elaborate: I meant the $15 pack of 3 empty 8 oz tins :p I haven’t bought this blend as a “custom blend” off their website and I don’t ever plan to. I mix this at home because it is much cheaper that way. A 3oz bag of the blend is 10 dollars while I could buy a 3 oz bag of hibiscus and 3 oz bag of fruit medley for 6 dollars each :)
I bought the envelopes, but my teas (in honor of HRH Emperor Oliver) are all white-based, so the price doesn’t seem so disproportionate… However, I hesitate to invest $24 in a 6 ounce tin. I mean, are they really well made? I certainly hope so—since they are charging an extra $6 just for the packaging! (I say this because if you buy the envelopes in pairs they cost $9 each, so two (= 6 ounces) is $18, but the 6 ounce tin in $24…)
Adagio! Yay! Thank you JennyFur for this :)
I have had this before (I got the sample size back when they did the cyber monday free shipping) but I wanted to start drinking all of the samples that JennyFur gave me :p. I was craving a black tea (yay, homework is fun… I love black tea while doing homework.)
So I steeped this at 212 with 3 teaspoons (per 16 oz) for 3 minutes.
First sip:
Ohhhh this is nice. I can feel the cream in this. I love the smoothness that the cream adds to this. This is almost better than I remember. Maybe I am just getting better at brewing tea. :D
Finishing off the cup:
As I drink the rest of this, I am starting to grow farther away from this tea. I feel that the flavor is a bit too plain. I don’t think the cream is strong enough to make a lasting impression. I think I would rather just add milk to a black tea.
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Overall, I don’t see this being a tea I would reach for on a daily basis. I really enjoyed the first half of my mug, but the taste was not something that I would crave. It is an okay cup to drink but nothing too exciting. I’ve had better teas. I have had this in some blends and it has worked, but I don’t think I like this on its own.
Preparation
This time I steeped this with 3 teaspoons per 16 oz. SO GOOD. I love hibiscus. And snow days. And hibiscus.
Preparation
You’re one of those weird hibiscus-loving people? I’m one of those, too, to some extent. I’m not so sure I would like a hibiscus tea, but I love the tartness that it gives in blends. Is this “blow-your-pants-off-tart”? lol
I don’t think this is too tart at all. The first time I made it, it was a bit on the tart side, but the second time, it was very balanced. I think with this tea the main factor in the tartness is watching the steep time. Overbrewing caused tartness with this tea.
Mmmmmm, snow day! Time to break out a tea while I start the homework that was supposed to be due today! Shhhhh. It was only watching movies and taking notes for extra credit, so nothing too major. This is sort of a backlog, I have drunk this one before. This is actually the first tea I bought online!
I steeped this one at 212 for about 3 minutes. I did 3 teaspoons per 16 oz, I was in the mood for more of a thicker cup.
First sip:
This is so smooth! It is so nice to drink. It just glides down my throat. I let it cool for a bit, so it is a little hotter than lukewarm and it is so easy to drink! I am really glad I picked this for my first cup today. Also, it is really easy to drink for an earl grey. It is not too overpowering with the bergamot.
Finishing off the cup:
I was very happy with this tea. It was such a pleasant cup to drink. I am usually not a fan of the sweeter teas, but this one wasn’t like drinking a cup of sugar. This was refreshing without being overwhelming.
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Overall, I really liked this and I am very happy with this being the first tea I bought online. It is very drinkable and I see myself coming back to this tea in the near future. Maybe not today, but sometime soon. Only one thing though, I don’t watch Dr. Who… so…
Preparation
My second Della Terra! Thank you JennyFur for this tea!
Baby, It’s Cold Outside! There is so much snow! I took my dog on a walk and came in craving a black tea. This one seemed good because I wanted something sort of sweet (in order to make up for the lack of Hot Cocoa) Well, time to brew this up.
I steeped 2 teaspoons per 16 oz at 212 for about 4 minutes.
First sip:
Yum! This brewed a light amber color. The leaves expanded so well with this one. Now, this tea is not overpowering with the sweetness. It is light and delicate but allows enough sweetness to satisfy my sweet tooth.
Finishing off the cup:
I think I need to brew these teas with more than 1 teaspoon per cup. However, I am happy that I am able to have a tea that I can brew really “light” without tasting watered down, I loved the flavors and how they all fit so well.
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Overall, I really adore this tea. Della Terra has really impressed me with these two teas. I like the Pineapple Upside Down Cake a bit better, but this one rocks nonetheless. Great tea!
P.S. :D While writing this my mom just told me that my school called and canceled school for tomorrow! Thank you Chicago weather!