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Scheherazade drank Christmas by Adagio Teas

2238 tasting notes

043/365

Christmas Day tea! It seemed like the obvious choice, to be honest. I mean, when else is it absolutely and completely appropriate to drink a tea called Christmas…

I liked it more than I was expecting to. It has all the ingredients you’d expect in a Chai…but it doesn’t taste like a Chai. I’m guessing that’s because the balance is different – it’s definitely heavier on the clove and cardamom, and it’s less spicy, more smoothly aromatic.

In order of appearance, this tea contains cinnamon, orange, cardamom, cloves, and ginger, and something about this particular combination of ingredients really does say “Christmas” to me. I think, above all, it’s probably the orange that does it. It’s quite distinctively orange, and that sums up Christmas as resolutely as a tangerine in the toe of a stocking.

The base is Adagio’s usual Ceylon, and it’s as you might expect. Smooth, perhaps not quite as malty as I’d have liked for this blend, but a decent base for the flavours all the same. I drank it without milk. It was Christmas in a cup.

Preparation

Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp

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Hi :) I’m Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I’ve been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway.

I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter.

I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they’re the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer — their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day.

I’m still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don’t think they’ll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don’t hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I’m also beginning to explore pu’erh, both ripened and raw. That’s my latest challenge!

I’m still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

You’ve probably had enough of me now, so I’m going to shut up. Needless to say, though, I really love tea. Long may the journey continue!

My rating system:

91-100: The Holy Grail. Flawless teas I will never forget.

81-90: Outstanding. Pretty much perfection, and happiness in a cup.

71-80: Amazing. A tea to savour, and one I’ll keep coming back to.

61-70: Very good. The majority of things are as they should be. A pleasing cup.

51-60: Good. Not outstanding, but has merit.

41-50: Average. It’s not horrible, but I’ve definitely had better. There’s probably still something about it I’m not keen on.

31-40: Almost enjoyable, but something about it is not for me.

11-30: Pretty bad. It probably makes me screw my face up when I take a sip, but it’s not completely undrinkable.

0-10: Ugh. No. Never again. To me, undrinkable.