40 Winks

I think it was last night that we split this sample from the Communitea sample that came with my Adagio order, but it may have been the night before that. Yesterday was so busy that I have lost track.

I made a valerian tea for Ashman years ago when he was having issues with insomnia, but it had lots of licorice root and other herbs that somewhat masked the smell and taste. When I handed him this tea, he paused and then said, “This tea has a…..smell. A really strong….smell.”

“No, sir,” I told him. “This tea has a stank. There is nothing else to call it but a stank.”

In spite of the stank, it went down okay. It did have a kit of chamomile flavor that made it through the stank. As to whether it helped me sleep, I am not sure. I feel that my sleep was pretty much normal, although I have had some vivid dreams lately as it creeps toward time to get up.

I would not buy this for the taste or aroma, but if it really helped me sleep when I needed to, I would drink it.

Totally acceptable flavor and aroma and definitely worked for sleep. Just not transportive.

Well what do you know? My first added tea!
40 Winks wasn’t anywhere on the site so I had to add it. Believe me I looked. Nowhere to be found. Anyway this is one of Adagio’s wellness blends. It’s supposed to promote sleep. We shall see…
Upon cracking the package, I get a strong pungent aroma. I’m guessing that’s the valerian root. It’s listed as the first ingredient so it must be prevalent. I’m also getting an aroma of chamomile and mint, which are also both ingredients. So onto steeping.
Western Style, 212F, 5Min.
Upon drinking the first thing I notice is that the pungent valerian aroma doesn’t fully translate over. It’s definitely there, but the tea is still palatable. There’s a slight tingling sensation in the mouth that I suppose would be the mint? I can totally taste the chamomile as well. Grassy notes are apparent as well. They become more and more noticeable as tea cools. Surprisingly no sweetener is needed in this one, although some people may wish to put a bit of honey in it for medicinal value. I can’t really have honey anymore so I am grateful it does not need any sweetener to drink. I don’t know if this will put me to sleep or not (I have weird sleep patterns) but it is certainly soothing. I would totally recommend this for a last-cup-of-the-night kind of tea. It’s flavor is nothing to write home about, but it’s not horrible and who knows maybe it will help you sleep.