Adagio Teas

Maple Creme Oolong. Adagio.
Lot no. 85415. FB: n/a.
This works better as a potpourri than as a beverage. I find nothing in it I like. Even the base oolong offers me naught but twiggy blandness. Not recommended, and rating it a 15 (because the water tasted better before the tea was steeped!)

Golden Monkey. Adagio.
Lot no. 92816. BB: 12/2029.
As directed, Western style, 2 g dry leaf with notes of cocoa on the nose, in boiling alpine spring water, using a stainless micropore infusion basket. Infused tea aroma of stewed malt and cocoa powder. Tea had flavor notes of roasted grain, vegetable broth and, oddly, keemun black tea. But nothing particularly delicious. There are many better blacks out there, including Lipton’s tea bags. Too indifferent to recommend; rate as 55.

FLASH-ICED PREP: I steeped the rest of my pouch and then flash-iced it, with a yellow pack of sweetener, because it’s another hot day and caffeine would be uncomfortable. Unfortunately the flavors in this blend are much less impressive when cold, compared to yesterday’s infusion. The flavors all returned as my cup warmed to ambient, and in the finish in my mouth. So I recommend this only for hot/warm sipping.

Green Rooibos Blueberry. Adagio.
Lot no. 85440. FB: n/a.
Went into this with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised! I used 1 tsp dry herb (1.5g) which amounted to exactly half the portions pouch, in 8 oz boiling water, as directed, except I got distracted and it went on for 10 min. But they say you can’t oversteep rooibos, and I guess I agree. The blueberry was close enough to real-tasting to satisfy me, and the green rooibos gave it a nice depth, fruitiness and sweetness. The hibiscus and cranberries were subdued enough to stay in the background. I would call this a real win for Adagio, and has utterly removed my anti-rooibos bias. Recommended and rating it 85.

Green Rooibos Citron. Adagio.
Lot No. 86163. FB 03/2029.
My first impression upon opening the sample pouch of this was “lemon pledge” furniture polish, which is another way of describing lemon verbena. Yet there is no lemon verbena in this, and no full lemon, either— just lemon flavoring! Well it is potent to the nose. Fortunately, steeping (as directed) tempers down that lemony flavor a skosh, and allows me to appreciate the actual orange content, as notes of juiciness. The background green rooibos was indiscernible to me, which was probably a good thing. Yet something else was rounding out the sweetness and flavor profile, which must have been the apricot and mango content. Subtle, but there. Yeah I liked this, but still wish they’d turned down the lemon flavor a few notches. It might have been better if replaced by bergamot, but maybe that is another blend. The lemon dominates the long finish, and so I’m torn. I don’t want to praise nor impugn this. It is a very well done lemon, I just don’t care for that. I’ll rate this a 60 for now, and see if it grows on me when iced, during my next encounter.

Peach. Adagio.
Lot No: 80073. FB: n/a
Steeped as directed, the whole single portions packet. Tasted very very pungently of something more artificial than peach. And apple. And something bitter. So I iced it and added 2 yellow packs of sweetener. Still too strong and artificial and apple-y, and too bitter. Adagio’s beguiling description aside… nope. Not for me. Rate 55. Not recom.

June Sip down

Aroma: Honey, cough drops, & hibiscus

Cold brewed.

Tasting Notes: I sipped this down with a friend, and I noted, “Tastes like beets.” Their note, “Reminds me of pickled eggs – vinegar, beets, sour, & salty.” 45/100

June Sip down

Another cold brewed tea…This time, it worked!

Notes: The apple cuts the intensity of the hibiscus, so it’s not as tart as I would’ve expected it to be based on the dry material aroma and listed ingredients. Well rounded, slightly sweet, and great for a warm day. 71/100.

June Sip down

We’re nearly at the end of July and I’m working on my June sip downs…Lol.

Notes: Cold brewed. Works well plain, however, I think this tea would benefit as a sweet tea. 65/100. Perhaps the next time, I will add a little sweetener.

Wow, I knew the moment I opened this bag that I would enjoy this tea, and I was not mistaken! I love basically all earl grey teas, and I was initially skeptical that this one would taste too artificial. However, the notes of vanilla and citrus are most pleasant and taste as natural as can be. I also enjoyed that there is a nice strong presence of bergamot here – though that could be because I used a tablespoon of tea instead of the recommended teaspoon per cup. In all, this was extremely enjoyable and I look forward to having more of this tea.

Wuyi Ensemble. Adagio.
Lot no: 85424. FB: n/a.

Variously called Da Hong Pao, or Big Red Robe, or Rock Oolong, this is a type of tea I’ve battled before from several other vendors. I prepared Western style, as directed, using the entire 3.5 grams of dry leaf (smelled of seaweed) in 8 oz 190°F spring water for 3 min, resteeping once for 5 min. Yes, I could taste toastiness like toasted rice, minerality, floral and vegetal notes, aroma and flavors of kelp, and a sweet lengthy aftertaste of fruity flowers. It was like a floral sushi roll: a bundle of wilted orchids rolled up in toasted sesame rice in a nori (seaweed) wrapper, dipped in soy sauce. But only a quarter of the strength you are imagining. The flavors were too subtle for my liking, even though it was many times stronger than the BRR from Tealyra that I disliked and reported on two weeks ago. The resteep was similar but weaker. I would not waste time or spring water running a gongfu session on it, and I can feel my resentment toward this type of tea building, so I better stop here. Rating as 25 and not recommending, out of spite (toward the tea type, not Adagio which is likely blameless!)

Jasmine Yin Hao. Adagio.
Lot no. 90535. FB: n/a.
Recently received this single-serving portions-pouch of a terrific-sounding green tea, scented with Jasmine flowers, though the flowers themselves were absent from the blend. Prepared the full 3 g portion as directed, Western style: in 8 oz 180°F alpine spring water for 2.5 min. The liquor was a light amber hue, scented strongly of lovely jasmine, both the dry leaf and the infusion. It was a pleasure to drink, though except for a slight astringency, I could taste nothing of the green tea itself. I might as well have steeped a jasmine-scented empty teabag with a few mg of caffeine. I steeped a second infusion, re-using the leaf, hoping the jasmine element might be reduced sufficiently to permit appreciation of the Yin Hao, which by itself is said to be good for multiple infusions or gongfu style prep. Alas, though the jasmine was much weaker, I still could not discern notes from the green base, which I now conclude to be somewhat less than stellar. Really, after reading about the qualities of Yin Hao green tea, it was a disappointment to taste nothing of it. In the end, nothing set this apart from every other jasmine green tea I’ve had. If you like jasmine aroma and flavor, I can recommend this, just don’t expect more. I’ll rate it at 60 for being nice but unidimensional. Still better than drinking plain water!

Ali Shan. Adagio.
Lot no. 85420. FB: n/a..
Recently got this single-serving portions pouch in a sample box, and it is said to be from Taiwan. Steeped as directed, Western style: the entire 3.8 g of rolled leaf in a stainless steel infusion basket with 8 oz. spring water at 195°F for 2 min. Produced a yellow liquor with a floral nose and buttery smooth floral flavor that included a note of perfume in the first re-steep. A very gentle tea, and the leaves appeared intact and fully expanded after the first re-steep. I noted many full single leaves, and a few sets of 2 or 3 leaves with or without a bud. Vigorous slurping and allowing the tea to crawl up my sinuses at the back of my tongue gave a more appreciable flavor. My overall impression, however, was of weakness. A fourth (final) infusion of the leaf at 205°F for 4 min. yielded a golden liquor with a similar aroma and flavor profile. I’ve enjoyed much more potent oolong flavors elsewhere, though this tea could go well with delicate foods and fruits, or done well by itself—possibly iced and sweetened. I detected grassy and spinach notes as the tea cooled during my session. A good, if basic, oolong, but not one to shop around for. Rating 70.

This now, is the second half of the portions pouch I started on 2 d ago. No food yet this morning, though I just finished sipping a slightly brutal 20 yr old raw pu-erh, and this Darjeeling in contrast is striking! It feels in my mouth like a balm to sore taste buds. The gentle spring flower aroma, the sweet liquor with flavor notes of honey and a long finish of molasses, the hint of malt and dandelion flower, and a smoothness in the back of my throat. Light but refreshing, and I’m raising my rating to 79. Sometimes deprivation helps one appreciate what can be had. Darjeelings are redeemed.

Spring Darjeeling. Adagio.
Lot no. 85535. FB: n/a.
Having been disappointed by a couple other Adagio Darjeeling’s, I approached this single-serving portions-pouch with trepidation. Received last month, so it’s fresh. For some reason, today I felt I’ve been drinking my teas a little bit over leafed, and so I’ve reduced the amount to 1.5 g per 8 oz. cup (which I feel better approximates the amount inside the pyramid sachets packed by various vendors) instead of my usual 2.5 or 3 g. And I’ve already had fully enjoyable cups, as such, of dragonwell and keemun this morning. No food yet. I noted that the leaf of this Spring Darjeeling was substantially broken (1 cm sized bits), yet a 3 minute Western style infusion produced a clear orange-amber liquor with a gentle, floral aroma. The flavor was a honeyed maltiness, without astringency, and a floral finish. Vigorous slurping increased my enjoyment and brought out other layers of savory wood and soft spiceyness. Overall a nice, gentle tea that was good to sip on this overcast, warm Independence Day (USA) morning. Did not attempt a resteep. I look forward to steeping the rest of the pouch tomorrow morning! Recommend with a rating of 74.

Sipdown of an herbal tisane for ashmanra’s sipdown challenge. This was a sample with my order back in May. It’s still not up on the website, but is currently still available on the rewards page, labeled “sneak peek.”

I’ve been enjoying this as an oat milk latte. Creamy, cinnamony, vanilla, sweet. Pretty good pastry vibes, especially for an Adagio blend. This flavor profile is right up my alley. It would probably be good with a dash of maple syrup too, but I didn’t think of that earlier!

dragonwell. Adagio.
Lot no. 90718. FB 09/2029

Brewed as directed, Western style, in a stainless steel infusion basket. This is a really good dragon well tea! I bought this bag at Adagio’s store in Naperville, IL. The aroma was vegetal and nutty, and flavors included chestnut, light grassiness, edamame, pleasantly astringent, and as the cup cooled, flashes of sweet fruit, possibly grape. Everything I expect from a lung jing! A re-steep was similar, but less potent and non-astringent but still enjoyable, probably because both steeps were 2.5 min. In the future I would simply combine both liquors and enjoy a large mugful, or shorten the first and lengthen the second, to balance it out. Recommended, and rate as 84.

Lot no. 85439
Single-serving portion pouch from sampler box; brewed Western, as directed.
The dry “leaf” is all chopped stems & twigs, as usual for honeybush, and has a pungent “hazelnut” aroma that overwhelms any other fragrance, as did the steeped liquor which was a nice clear amber in color. Flavor was sweet and roasty-woodsy, with strong hazelnut taste FAR stronger than that of actual roasted hazelnuts. This tisane is all about the strong hazelnut taste and smell, and would go well with strongly-flavored desserts like chocolate cake, etc. The only other note I sensed was occasional whiffs of cigarette butt. I would rather enjoy dessert with a creamy hazelnut liqueur that would more closely match the taste of the nuts. This tisane is pretty one-dimensional, and good if this flavor is your thing. Given the saturating taste and cigarette sensation, I’ll rate this only as 45, but withhold from recommending or belittling.

Lot No: 85419. BB: n/a.
Single portion pouch, of Adagio’s Formosa Oolong prepared as directed: Western style.
Mild, toasty oolong aroma on the dry leaf as well as the liquid. Nice clear dark amber liquor. The roasty-toasty flavor may have been from charcoal roasting, but I don’t really associate a flavor with charcoal, per se. There was no flavor of smokiness, or pine. Nor of raisin, nor malt, nor chestnut, nor anything floral or fruity. Just a basic oolong flavor, slightly woody, smooth, pleasant, with notes of roasted wheat or barley. Non-astringent, non-bitter, nothing objectionable to me. But very plain tasting. A 3.5 min. re-steep was very similar. Drink this with a meal, without worry of overpowering any nuance, since there is none. I won’t recommend nor discourage, because I’m that ambivalent about it. Rating? let’s say 65, since I rate Lipton black the same. Both have (differing) inoffensive flavors and caffeine, but that’s the best I can say.

Brewed as directed, alongside green rooibos for comparison. Nauseating. Tastes like dill mixed with cedarwood sawdust and cured kalamata olives. And, oddly, strongly of coffee; I love good coffee, but the notes in red rooibos are, to me, more akin to yesterday’s spent, sour, wet grounds from a stale, cheap generic. YUCK! Exactly as anticipated, based on a blend from another vendor, so I don’t blame Adagio. This is the worst beverage I’ve had in my life. Rate 1 and not recommended. Disclaimer: my tastes vary from the typical, for example stevia tastes unsweet and bitter to me, which I understand to be a genetic thing, similar to how some people dislike cilantro or asparagus. So your impressions of red rooibos may differ from mine!

Oh, rooibos, how I dislike thee. But green rooibos? I’ve had a couple green rooibos blends that I liked, so it was time to give the straight green rooibos a chance. Brewed as directed, Western: 3 g leaf in 8 oz boiling spring water for 5 min. The aroma was unusual and unidentifiable. And the liquor was bright pumpkin orange (in full sunlight). It didn’t strike me as being sweet, so much as lacking sourness, astringency, or bitterness. And as others have written, the flavor of the hot tisane was mild and nondescript. I didn’t get pine, but perhaps the slightest note of cedar, so I’d say more like a non-oak hardwood sawdust. Perhaps maple? (Perhaps Aspalathus sp. sawdust?) As I continued sipping and the liquid cooled, I noticed notes of red rooibos, which is reminiscent of dill, kalamata olives and spent coffee grounds to me. And, actually, I thought there were some darker flecks in the powder, possibly accounting for that impression. Okay, this stuff is definitely not my favorite by itself. However, I can see how it can make a good base for blending, and even work as a carrier for flavoring agents. I will not choose to drink it again my itself, and must rate it lower than my starting spring water, as a 20. Nothing greatly offensive, but nothing much more than sawdust, either. Can’t recommend it. No fault of Adagio, however!

Darjeeling Sungma Summer. Adagio.
Lot no. 88740. FB 05/2029.
I love muscat grapes and muscat raisins and dry muscatel wine. I found nothing of that in this tea— nothing even remotely of grape. No fruitiness whatsoever, and just weak notes of black tea flavor. I brewed as directed, Western style: 3 g leaf in 8 oz boiling alpine spring water for 3 min. in a stainless steel infusion basket. As it cooled, bitterness arose along the sides of my tongue, and the already astringent quality strengthened. And it began to taste more like wet cardboard. Even discounting the lack of expected flavors, this tea was unpleasant at best. I would rate Lipton Orange Pekoe and Pekoe cut black tea bags superior to this, and so this merits a rating of only 50. It’s destined for the garden compost heap. Not recommended.

UPDATE 11 days later: Gave this another chance. Found aroma of cocoa powder in the dry leaf and in the liquor. This time I reduced the leaf to 1.5 g, and did taste faint notes of honey and floral, with strong cardboard. Still not to my liking, and not a recommendation, but I’ll raise the rating to 58 because I found some favorable notes this time.

Okay, this is part II, using the second sachet in the pouch…. See my initial review for very positive comments on this as a hot-brewed iced tea.

As a Sun Tea:
I tossed the second sachet into a quart of room-temp spring water and let it sit in the afternoon sunny window for 4hr, then kept it on the kitchen table overnight. Next day I set the jar outside in the morning sun for 5 hr, at which point the tea was as deeply colored as the brewed version, and had passively reached 108°F (outside air was 92°F by then). I removed the sachet and refrigerated the tea for the next 6 hr to chill. Oh dear, this smells terrible! A light scent that smells more of sour fruit rinds, and not at all floral. The taste was quite unpleasant, having only a slight sweetness and a phenolic bite. I would not call it fruity— more medicinal. Speaking as a biochemist, I believe what has happened here is that because the fruit was dried— but not cooked, and then rehydrated— but not with hot water, that active enzymes were released from the apple chunks [polyphenol oxidase (PPO), catechol oxidase, and other enzymes that create melanins and benzoquinone from natural phenols] and these enzymes acted as they do in browning cut apples and potatoes, etc. These phenolic components are why we dislike the taste of things that have substantial enzymatic browning. It would have been prevented if there had been more rose hip and hibiscus present (containing vitamin C) or even added vitamin C, which prevents browning. But those sources are also very tart. Alternatively, if the fruit had been cooked (such as with boiling water) it could be avoided. Clearly Adagio’s marketing people put the sun tea advice on the website without actually trying it first! Anyway, the Sun Tea is a total fail. Don’t do it with this product. Make it using boiling (or 180°F) water and enjoy! I’ll leave the rating at 77, and hope you find it worthy.

PS: If you insist on going the sun tea route, you can toss a few fresh lemon slices (or squeeze a fresh lemon wedge) into the water before adding the sachet. The vitamin C should be sufficient to block browning, just as it does in your other cooking. But if you’re going to start slicing fruit, you might as well make real sangria!