Summer Rose

About 85% of teas I drink are unflavored. However, I’m always on the look out for a good rose tea as it is probably my favorite.

My recent purchases:
English Rose by Davids tea
Rose Scented by Harney & Sons
Summer Rose by Adagio teas

I have to say I prefer Adagio’s version. The rose flavor is not too overwhelming, it’s not too oily and it also has a lovely lemony undertone that reminds me of a Hybrid Tea Rose.
My least favorite was Rose Scented by Harney & Sons which was quite surprising because their flavored teas are usually great. Just did not care for this particular one.

I love black tea and rose. It’s a lovely flavor combination. Sweet and floral.

Tried this iced this morning and the rose comes through much better, but isn’t overwhelming.

I love this tea. Chances are that whenever I buy from Adagio, this is part of my order. It’s just rosy enough so that it’s sweet and floral, but not to the degree that I feel like I’m drinking shampoo.

I got this tea to try because it was unusual for me and new to adagio. It’s not a favorite on its own, but has potential to be a nice element in blends. The summer rose smells pleasant in the bag, and melds nicely with a gentle black tea base. However, the rose flavoring does taste a bit soapy, and would probably benefit from lots of milk, sugar, or vanilla tea. Pretty, girly, and unlike other flavors on adagio, I’m glad to have in the arsenal for future blends.

Now this is one of those rose teas that I don’t like. I had high hopes, but it wasn’t rosey enough. Tasted like a simple black with a floral aftertaste. My favorite rose tea is still Zhena’s Gypsy Rose.

Another lovely Victorian black tea. Just love this kind of taste.

Tastes like eating flowers. Not sweet but also not harsh tasting.

Monthly TTB club.

I like floral teas, including rose, but I’m not sure how I feel about rose black teas. The worst of them taste like soap to me, and I haven’t found one I love, but I’m still interested in trying different brands. This one was on the better end of the spectrum. The base was light and smooth, and the rose flavor was distinct but not overwhelming. I didn’t notice the lemon flavor that other tasters have mentioned. If anything though, I think this was a little too light. I’ll probably try overleafing this and maybe see how it blends, before I make up my mind on it, though.

The name of this tea has The White Stripes’s “I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself” on repeat in my head. “Like a summer rose needs the sun and rain, I need your sweet love to beat love away…” The lyrics don’t make sense, but I enjoy Jack White just the same.

The first thing I want to say about this tea is how it doesn’t look exactly like the photo. Rose petals naturally fade when they dry, so they’re not the bright magenta you see here. They’re faintly pink, but mostly a sort of cream color. That said, there is a very generous amount of them in my sample. Lovely!

The smell of the dry leaf is very floral, but not exclusively rose. I’m getting hints of lemon, pepper, and magnolia. Mmm, magnolia! The smell poignantly reminds me of the beginning of summer here in the deep south. I wonder if there are magnolia teas out there… that’s something to research for sure.

The brewed tea also smells of rose and magnolia. So summery, so nostalgic. Upon the first sip I notice that it’s not an overwhelmingly floral tea. It certainly doesn’t beat you over the head with the rose. The black tea base is mild and without bitterness or astringency. Much like a yunnan tip or something. Very smooth. Though that might have something to do with the preparation. On the package, it said to brew for three minutes, so I did. Anyway, it’s very gentle and I look forward to finishing the sample.