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Okay, I lied about this one on my previous rating.

I really wanted a fluffy iced lemon rooibos, and even after the lackluster experience I’ve had with this one, I’ve still got 3ish ounces sitting around. So I made it extra strong – 3 heaping teaspoons for ~8oz, added in ~2 tsp of rock sugar, steeped for 6 minutes and then poured it over ice and milk.

It’s smooth, creamy, lemony and sweet. The sugar brings out the sweetness of the tea without making me feel like I’m drowning in saccharine. Definitely upping the rating on this one.

Trying to get rid of this one so I have an empty tin… loved it when I bought it, now I don’t care for it. It’s not bad, I’ve just found other teas I like more.

Huh.

It smells sort of like a chai. I don’t have much experience with these spiced black blends. It smells like cinnamon and cookies. Spooning it into my teapot, I catch a glimpse of a perfect star of anise sitting on my spoon.

I knew this was going to need sugar, so I put some rock sugar in the basket as it steeped. I poured it over ice and added a bit of milk.

It’s a lot better than I expected. I taste the anise, I taste cinnamon, I taste almonds… it’s not really my favorite kind of tea, but it’s a good cup.

This tea is good. It’s one of my first experiences with a Yunnan, and I really like it. I poured it out of the sample package, and the leaves are tightly rolled, shiny and almost snail-shaped. I steeped a few pinches in a paper tea filter. It’s the first time I’ve used a paper filter, and the first time I’ve tried this tea, so I suppose I wouldn’t be able to tell if I was getting paper flavor in my tea, but I don’t think I do.

This is a black I really like. It’s almost a heavy sort of mouthfeel, like it’s solid. There’s a bit of noticible astringency, but it’s not too strong. At the beginning, it almost reminded me of coffee, and as it cooled I’m starting to get some more cocoa notes in here. It’s very smooth.

Sent to me by a friend. It’s hot and humid here (although I suppose I shouldn’t complain, based on what the rest of the country is going through) but we don’t have air conditioning, and I’m a wimp when it comes to heat. So I hot-brewed and poured over ice.

Steeped as recommended, 4tsp/10oz, steeped six minutes.

It’s a bit strong for me. I could see big hibiscus flowers as I was scooping out the leaf, and while I usually like hibiscus, I think six minutes might have been a bit long, or I used too much leaf. It’s sour. I added a handful of rock sugar, and I’m using a honey spoon to stir it with. It’s not having a huge effect because the tea is already cold, but ah well. It’s cold at least!

Sipdown. Which is sad, because I only got the sample a few days ago. Just proves how good it is, I suppose. This is definitely going on the reorder list.

I got this in my recent order with Adagio to replace the Lemon Meringue sample a friend sent me. Sadly, this is a weak replacement.

I’m not sure if it’s the tea itself or the way I’m brewing it, but I don’t taste any lemon at all. I tried it hot a few nights ago, and right now I’m brewing hot and pouring over ice, 4tsp/8oz, steeping 5 minutes. I might have to add another teaspoon or two, but all I really taste is the rooibos and the sugar and a bit of cream and milk. There’s a faint hint of sweet lemon, but it’s nowhere strong enough for me.

Bought three ounces of this, so I’ll experiment a bit more, but all in all I’m not in love with this.

On the plus side, I’m settling into a Hollow Crown marathon on BBC right now, and it’s incredible. Halfway through Henry IV Part 1 at the moment, and I’m looking forward to finishing Part 2 tonight!

One of the samples from my recent Adagio order. I don’t have a lot of experience with pu’erh, but I’d like to try more. I went gong fu with this one, although I didn’t time the infusions.

I did a quick rinse of the leaves, then steeped for around 15-seconds or so. I found the taste to be very light and sweet, without much of the earthiness I’ve come to associate with pu’erh. I wonder if it’s because I didn’t steep long enough; I’ll try Western style next time.

This isn’t a remarkable tea, but it’s light and naturally sweet. I don’t think I’d reorder it though.

When I was placing my last order with Adagio, they offered me a free sample of my choosing if I shared my order on Facebook. I’d placed a big order of blacks and oolongs (because although I usually prefer greens, I never have darker teas when I do want them), so I indulged myself on this one. From the description / reviews I was under the impression it would be similar to a Dragonwell.

The dry leaf is long and loosely rolled. I can’t unroll the leaf without breaking it, but I can peer down the center of it like a little telescope. Sniffing it, there are faint smells of grass and something akin to cocoa powder. Not what I expect from a green, but intriguing.

Steeped this morning in my little Amsterdam 2-cup teapot, which is great for the mornings when I want something a little fancier than a mug. I have a matching cup and saucer to go along with it.

I steeped for two minutes, and when I pulled the infuser basket out and let the excess tea drip from the leaves, it looked clear. In the cup, it’s a very pale gold (although my teapot and cup are rose colored, so colors aren’t completely accurate.)

On the first sip, it reminds me of something in between the first and second steeps of a Dragonwell. It has a vegetal overtone to it, but it’s not as strong, and there’s a buttery flavor supporting it. Adagio compares it to pumpkin seeds, and I can see where they get that comparison. (Although presumably these are pumpkin seeds that aren’t burnt and covered in salt!)

In short: I really like this tea. I’m delighted I got to try it, and I’ll probably keep it in my cupboard!

I got a giant order from Adagio yesterday. Yay! This is the first one I’ve tried. Steeped gong fu in the tasting cup. I’m not scientific with this method; I just kind of toss in a pinch of leaf and steep until I feel like stopping. But it works alright for me.

I like this. The first few steeps were a bit blah, but then it started to get creamy and sweet and smooth. It’s a great oolong.