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OMG this smells incredible, I can’t stop sniffing it! It like hazelnut but richer almost. This is a scent I’m used to associating with coffee so my brain keeps thinking ‘cafe latte’ at me, even though I know better. ;)

Now the only exposure I’ve had to chestnuts has been the water-chestnuts in chinese cooking – which I LOATH with a passion. I do understand that those are from a completely different type of plant, so I’m trying not to let my dislike interfere with the tasting.

Given how sweet the scent is, it’s a bit of a shock how bitter the tea tastes in comparison. I’m already thinking that this would be a tea that’ll be improved with a touch of milk. The rich, nutty flavour is still present although it’s muted a little by the bitterness (I’m not sure if that’s the tea or the flavouring talking BTW). I have to say that given how lovely the smell was I’m a bit disappointed, although I’ll have to fiddle around with this one before I make my final verdict.

Now I remember what the scent of this tea reminds me off – Vanilla Almond Honeycrisp cereal! XD

I’m drinking it with some skim milk this time and it takes the sharper edge off of the black tea and lets the other flavours unfold nicely. It’s still vanilla with a hint of spice, but I’m also getting a bit of nut-flavour too, although I’m not sure which nut – almond or hazelnut maybe?

I also really appreciate the fact that the flavours aren’t so strong it feels like they’re trying to clock you in the face when you take a sip.

Another one of my new Adagio teas. The first thing that hits me when I open the canister is the sweet odor of coconut follow closely on its heels by the vanilla.

The taste is quite similar in this regard although underneath I can also taste the malty Irish Breakfast. This tea has such a rich, creamy flavour that I feel like I need to look up the nutritional info to see how much fat it contains! ;D

Second steep and the grapefruit flavour has really come to the fore while the other flavours have retired politely into the background.

This is the first of the new teas from my Adagio order.

Hmm, how to I describe this tea? Well when I was steeping it the tea smelled of grapefruit but also of something vaguely spicy. The taste is harder to describe; I get the citrus taste of grapefruit, though thankfully without the sourness. But there’s also an odd taste that makes me think of wood (it’s not as bad at it sounds – promise!) and spice. But oddly enough the flavour combination feels very smooth on the tongue with a touch of sweet. It’s quite different from anything else I’ve drank – that’s not really saying much though.

The main thing I’m noticing about the tea is muscatel-tanin taste but underneath there’s something…I’m not sure what to describe it as, nut-like maybe? or possibly a baked sort of taste. Hmm. Intrigued Jillian is Intrigued

Yawns It’s nice to have something strong to wake my up in the morning.

I finally got my order from Adagio this morning, whoot! I’ll tear into it sometime later today. :D

This is the second of the two ‘mystery teas’ my mother gave me and I’m becoming even more sure that these teas were never mine since I usually hate rooibos (I make some exceptions, but not many).

I opened the bag and to my surprise the rooibos is mixed with a ton, and I mean a TON, of sliced almonds and some sort of yellow flower petal (calendula maybe?). I took a whiff and got a vaguely sweet smell that might be vanilla – or it might not. But mostly I’m just getting the distinct scent of rooibos.

Taking a sip I’m underwhelmed. I’m not tasting much of anything except the characteristic rooibos tart-earthiness mixed with a hint of something undefinable that’s faintly sweet. Like I said with the Strawberry Sencha I have no friggin’ clue how old these two teas are, but given how whimpy the flavours of both are I’m guessing that they’re past their prime.

Frankly I wouldn’t be able to tell that this is a vanilla tea without the label. Meh.

This was the last of this tea and all that was left were the tiny broken bits at the bottom and most of those were small enough to get out through the holes in my strainer. I feel like I need one of those special yerba mate straws (bombillas?) to drink this, practically.

I doubt I’ll get more of this tea, it was a good intro to green teas when I first started drinking loose-leaf tea, but I’ve moved on to better things.

I made this last night and stuck it in the fridge to cool. I’m honestly not sure if I like it more this way or hot.

At first, when it hits the tongue the peppermint seems amplified, but further back on the tongue the flavour of vanilla slowly builds. The last, the tail I suppose, is of a rather nutty green tea.