Leo (The Zodiac Series)

Ok I’m a Leo and curious as all Leo’s are. So when I saw this at World Tea East I knew I’d be ordering some soon. So soon turned into almost two months later. But I’m on a budget! Plus when I order from Adagio I always try to make it a big order. I also had some requests to make a tea for a Doctor Who party next month. :) Adagio teas are super fun to mix around with!

Right on to the tea! It certainly is interesting. I would never have guessed to pair oolong and rooibos together in a blend! Let alone adding the rest of it vanilla, orange peel, and chamomile?! This is pretty good hot. It isn’t knock my socks off amazing…but it is good. I think making this one iced with a touch of honey would really make this awesome. I’ll report back later on that one.

That’s the last of this sample gone and I have plenty to replace it with. Even though I am not a Leo I love orange and thought I would try this whilst I had the opportunity to via swap with Courtney.

More vanilla than I remember but still nice, especially for a rooibos.

For detailed notes please check my previous posts.

It’s official: I survived the historic move of 2014. God (or reasonable facsimile), what a nightmare! I lived in a three-bedroom apartment for ten years and just moved into a loft split into two smaller rooms, with shared living space, kitchen, and bathroom, all on the second floor (below my private) space. This necessitated a major purge of massive amounts of furniture and accumulated nonsense. So now my remaining possessions are in total disarray—some here, some in storage, a lot sold or donated.

The first pot in this new chapter of my life is … drum roll … Adagio Leo. I made a large pot, using my “family-sized” tetsubin, because I have no energy, so I figured that I’d use the pot with the deepest and widest infusion basket, and then I’d have tea for the afternoon and be ready for a dinner-time caffeine-free infusion later.

I really like this tea, and looking at the fully unfurled leaves mingling together with the plumped-up chamomile buds definitely enhanced the experience. The oolong leaves expand so impressively! The best part about this blend for me, a person with severe oolong sensitivity, is that it represents a rare exception to the rule: an oolong which I truly enjoy!

The many elements of this blend together to produce a rich orange-gold liquor while still being identifiable as individual flavors. My tin was faulty (the lid came apart into two pieces), so I transferred the remaining dried tea into a small glass clamp jar, and now I’m thinking that I should do the same with the other Adagio Zodiac blends in my cupboard, as they are all visually appealing—more so than the decorated tins! I realize that exposure to light can degrade the tea, but I’ll keep them in the dark except when I’m about to brew a pot.

This large tetsubin is perfect for oolong. The wet leaves are so big that they fill the entire basket, but unlike smaller infusion baskets (which I do not use because they seem so oppressive and cramped), this one allows the leaves to achieve their full potential while also making clean-up a lot easier.

I cannot find my thermometer—perhaps I packed it with the postal scale? who knows… Is it in storage or amidst all of this chaos? Who knows…

Yuck! Rooibos = nastiness. And based on this tea, flavored Rooibos = even more nastiness. No way am I finishing this.

Yum again. Creamy and orangy but in a non-obtrusive way, well-rounded by the vanilla oolong. The chamomile is sort of buried by that taste, along with the faint hint of rooibos. It’s in the finish, like an afterthought. And yet it’s soothing that way. Even with as many different flavors as there are in this, they don’t clash. Really enjoying this after being in the car all day.

So after waiting all day for UPS to show up! I got this amazing surprise of 2 box’s from Adagio and Davesteas! With 11 different teas to try It was no thought to go for the cute can with the lion girl!
and of course this was a Birthday present, So of Course I’m a LEO! and this tea Matches me! opening this Adorable can first smell was of chocolate oranges that I love at Christmas! the taste is a bright orange flavor which I love!
This is a tea that would need to stay in my stash for the days when i want a boost in self confidence as if I need anymore lol

I’m upping my rating for this tea quite a bit. I decided to brew two cups of this tea with a little honey and it really hit the spot. I’m in love with the creamsicle-like smell and taste. The vanilla from the oolong blends well with the orange flavored rooibos and the floral, apple notes of the chamomile. It’s definitely a good tea to have around the evening when I’m slashing my caffeine intake, craving something dessert like, and wanting something relaxing.

My boyfriend and I tried Leo today. It smelled and tasted so floral and sweet. He usually puts sugar in his teas, but with Leo, he didn’t add any! It tasted like slightly sweet citrus/orange juice. It was natural as well. I’m usually turned off by chamomile, but it’s great in this blend.

EDIT: I had an allergic reaction :( I know it’s the chamomile. sigh… it is tasty but it is a little frustrating that I have to avoid chamomile…

In a word: EXCELLENT. The rooibos and vanilla oolong compliment each other wonderfully. A very relaxing tea.

THE LEO SERIES IS BEST SERVED COLD. I WOULD RATE ABOUT MIDDLE WHEN SERVED WARM COMPARED TO OTHERS.