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Me and Adagio’s flavored black teas do not seem to get along. I ordered many to test the base teas that are used in the blends, before even thinking about making one (if I don’t like the ingredients, I won’t like the blends). This one smells amazing in the package (if you like coconut). Based on past experience, I decided to lower the steep time on this one (by 30 seconds), hoping it wouldn’t end up bitter like the rest.

The brewed tea has lost it’s strong coconut aroma, but it’s still there…almost buttery now. Gosh darn it, I’m still getting a bitterness with this (like all the other Adagio flavored blacks), but it’s not as bad (so maybe it helped to lower time). The coconut has morphed into an almost almond flavoring, if that’s possible. I added some honey, so that’s probably my fault.

Overall I’m not liking this, because of the bitterness. I’ve found so many other teas that aren’t bitter …

When looking through all my samples, deciding what to test next, this one popped out at me. I forgot about it. I just tested Stash’s Kashmiri Chai Green, so this is another green chai to compare it with. To be fair, this lists ginger as 2nd ingredient (after green tea), and that worries me. I much prefer cinnamon and clove (which were dominant in the Stash).

The package aroma is amazing. Upton seems to use strong flavorings when they flavor. The green leaves while brewing were more abundant. The first sip brings a familiar pause. This is just as light as the Stash one. Cinnamon and ginger…yep. Gosh, I wish I liked ginger a wee bit more. If it doesn’t dominate, I can tolerate it. But I never use it to flavor things on my own. If you DO like ginger and cinnamon, and a lightly spiced chai green tea, give this a try.

Upton’s samples start at $1. Their sample packages don’t reseal (foil that you can fold over, then I use a paperclip to seal). But they are great in that they label steeping instructions individually, with how much to use, temperature and steep time. I wish everyone did this (on full size packages as well).

I tried this one last night, with a tbs. of honey. Stash sent it free with purchase, and I must say that I wouldn’t have bought it by choice. Why? Because of the list of ingredients. Rum and I aren’t friends…and I don’t like gingerbread flavors.

Ingredients: blended black teas, cinnamon, ginger root, natural gingerbread flavor, clove, natural jamaican rum flavor, natural nutmeg flavor

This is the bagged version. I found it to be weak overall. And as expected, I didn’t like the flavorings. I’m not going to downgrade it based on personal taste, but overall it was a very weak brew.

This is another loose tea that I ordered from Stash, during their sale. Green tea with chai spices and almonds was appealing. The dry aroma is fantastic, with cinnamon and clove being the obvious spices.

This is a light tasting chai, as the spices fade after brewing. I can still taste the green tea (which is good), and cinnamon is the dominant spice, with clove being very noticeable as well. Aftertaste is clove (which I like a lot). If anyone has ever had Beeman’s Clove gum (think it’s still around, here and there), that’s the aftertaste. Not noticing the almonds…

While I usually like heavier spices in a chai, this is a very good milder version, which I can see a place for in my cupboard. Added tbs. of honey, so it’s on the sweet side. Yum.

Wow, this tea hasn’t gotten much love on Steepster, but I never let that influence my opinion. I like mint teas, love spearmint, and I’m on the hunt for that special one.

I got this in loose leaf form from the recent Stash sale. Opening the pouch and I can see why people think “toothpaste” or mouthwash. That’s not a negative to me though. This has spearmint, peppermint and wintergreen .. a 3-mint punch. There’s lemongrass and ginger too, but not noticing it. It smells wonderful.

After brewing, it’s a lot tamer than the dry aroma would make you believe. It’s tame. The green tea is a nice light base and the mints all meld together nicely. I added a tsp. of honey, so this is on the sweet side to me. I might be able to get by without any sweetener (will try next time). Well, I like this! But I’m very forgiving when it comes to this category. Do I love it? Well, no, but we are just getting to know each other : )

And ah yes, there’s the mouthwash correlation (aftertaste). But I like that … refreshing.

Had this last night after opening a can of sweetened condensed milk (for the Twinings Pumpkin Chai). In this blend, adding a tablespoon caused me to think I died and went to heaven…. well, you know what I mean! Excellent tea. Love it.

This doesn’t seem to have much love on Steepster, but I like it a lot. It’s different. Instead of the usual cinnamon/cardamom/ginger chai domination, this one employs the spices used to make pumpkin pie. No, I don’t detect pumpkin either, but the spices are very similar to the pie’s flavors.

I have made this before using a T. of honey, and it was very good. Last night I decided to open a can of sweetened condensed milk, and added a T. of that instead. It was spectacular. (I am trying to replace a 140 calorie/can Coke habit … anything that comes to about half of that is acceptable, which this qualifies for) : ) Sweetened condensed milk is 65 calories per T. (honey 60, sugar 50).

Oh Adagio, I’m trying so hard to love some of your teas. I love your customer service, entire company agenda/philosophy, love that you offer people an ability to make their own blends. So I keep trying…

But this tea won’t win me over. It’s ok. Just ok. A lightly flavored “chai” green tea, the aftertaste is better than the sipping. If I double the leaves, maybe this would get better. Will try that at a later time, but for now this sample is going into the “try again later” box.

First, for technicalities, Upton now calls this “Hearthside Chai” and it appears to be limited edition.

It’s a chai kind of night. Chai is something I can usually count on liking. For those of us who like the chai spices, it’s usually a matter of trying to find the perfect blend for our own personal preferences. Upton has already won me over with their Tropical Chai Spice, but there’s always room for more favorites in this category : )

Ok, the smell of this one is wonderful. It smells like it has vanilla (but does not, and doesn’t come through on the taste either). First sip, I’m thinking about a friend who likes her chai spices to be very mild. For me, I want a little more pow. The flavors are very well blended. Can detect the licorice, cinnamon isn’t dominating (common) and it’s a nice “mild” blend. If that’s what you’re looking for, this is worth a test (but hurry, it’s limited) : )

Does anyone know whether this is seasonal (will be back next year?).

This is described as a ceylon-based Earl Grey, blended with green tea. I am getting a green tea base with a tiny bit of orange (bergamot) and a background of vanilla, making it a “green” Earl Grey? Hmmm, I’m not sure what to think of this. I love Upton’s Earl Grey Vanilla, which has a black tea base that is more prominent. This is similar in flavor, put lacking of the same depth. If you are looking for a green tea based EG, this might be it? At least the sample only costs a $1 : )