Adagio Custom Blends, Cara McGee

Backlog, thanks Emilie! Just as comforting and homely as before! I really like this one!

In other news, my first “post” is up over on TeaTrade (it’s been a while I know :P). It’s a nice and relaxing playlist to drink to relax so go check it out! I’ll post the link in the comments!

I would like to apologize for my lack of reviews in the past couple of days/weeks. I’ve been super busy but come the end of April I’ll have more time to write on here. Trust me, I’ve still been drinking tea. Lots of it. But, I’m not going to kill your feeds with my backlogs as that wouldn’t be that fun now, would it?

Anyways, I got a generous amount of this tea from Emilie in our swap. I’ve been reallllllllly wanting to try the Sherlock and Hunger Games blends from Adagio as I’m a fan of both series and I think that not only are the blends a fun way to celebrate your fandom, but they also look super tasty!

The dry leaf smells oddly like Captain Crunch. That’s not actually bad, because I really like Captain Crunch! In fact, it smells quite enticing! One thing I don’t like about Adagio’s custom blends is that they don’t include any brewing instructions, so it’s up to you to kind of guess what to do. I knew that this was an all black blend, and those are more forgiving, but I also know that Adagio’s blacks are easily embittered, so I decided to go with a safe 195 (next time I will do 185 to 190 as this still did have just a hint of bitterness) for 4 minutes.

The result is amazing. I added milk and sugar (it seemed fitting as it is British, afterall :P) and it’s very good and I really hope all the blends by this “author” are as good! The earl grey is definitely the forefront flavor and the hazelnut and caramel add a nice extra creamy sweetness in the background! I really like this one a lot.

Thanks again Emilie for this and your other sample, they will both be enjoyed! Also, I know that you stated that you were having problems with this tea and I would recommend going with a lower temp for 4 minutes-it really creates a nice flavor.

This one seems a bit better than I remember. I let it cool significantly. It is very oily still, which I don’t like at all. There are notes of white tea, coconut, and floral perfume. The floral is probably what I dislike about the tea, as it reminds me of a cheap, hobby type art store. I’m having some issues finishing my stash of this.

So the past few days I have been trying to deplete my stock of this one as to make way to more preferred blend!
This tea has lots of coconut and floral notes. I think that the coconut is more noticeable at higher temperatures where as the floral is more noticed at a lower temp. For me anything less than boiling at 4min. is just not my cuppa. The floral for this is not clearly jasmine or rose, but a muddled jumbled mess. I would only suggest this blend to people who really enjoy the floral notes of the one item in the blend. Also, after being brewed it leaves an oily mess! This is one of the most oily teas I’ve ever had and it is a really big turn off.

I just can’t get this one right. I used slightly cooled off water which had been boiling. I steeped it for 4 min. and the flavor is so muddled. There are coconut, some chai, and floral notes. Maybe this just isn’t the tea for me. I think that it isn’t really bad; it’s just not my first choice.

This will be my second crack at this tea. I think that the smell has toned down a little. I’m actually surprised because all other online reviews of this tea are seemingly positive; most giving it 5/5 or 4/5 stars. I guess I must be in the minority of people who find the smell of this overtly perfume-esque.
I followed slightly different brewing parameters this time: 5min at 180F. This time the coconut is much more apparent. I still am craving more from the chai in this. When I read this and Peeta and both had chai, I thought it meant CHAI!!! But alas, I would need much more spice to satisfy my unique cravings.
ahhh. I must admit that trying it this time was much better than my first go! The coconut is much more pronounced in the flavor when compared to the overall smell of the product. There is some other fruit in this as well; along with some floral notes. I am only really disappointed by the fact that I was expecting more spice and maybe I will have to add that myself via some lemongrass.

This was part of my rather large Adagio haul! I was actually looking forward to this one but I may be disappointed. When I opened the bag I got a very perfume laden smell that actually reminds me of a local art store. The tea itself is beautiful, very large leaves that exhibit a number of light brown to dark green colors.
I am not sure I can rate this at this time. This tea is very sweet and far less perfume-like after steeping. There is a light background of white tea. There is a very pleasant background of coconut flavor in this with a distinct mouthfeel. So far I’m on the fence with this one.

This is such a strong smelling tea! Opening the bag I got a huge whiff of sweetness! It smells like strawberries and chocolate with cream… just like the teas used! It’s so sweet-smelling I feel like I’m getting a toothache just from smelling it. I can see how this is an effie tea.

The tea smells just as sweet as it did in the bag. It’s a very overpowering smell, and I hope the tea is more mellow. It’s a light color, amber-ish. Any lighter and it would look pink and would definitely remind me of effie!

The taste is sweet, but not as overwhelming as its smell. I taste the cream and the almonds, and the hint of rose. This tea needs no sweetener, it’s already sweet enough. It’s not a taste i’m used to, since for the past 4 months I’ve been drinking pure oolongs and white teas… but the cream and chocolate flavors gives it body. I like this, but I’m wondering if maybe I understeeped it… or put too much water in for the amount I used. It feels like it’s missing something, but I’m not sure what.

sipdown! Finally. Although I think this is a pretty decent tea, it isn’t overwhelmingly good or anything. I drank a whole ton of it when I first purchased it and I think I got burned out. I’m lowering my score on this one just a bit. The flavor is mostly oatmeal cookies, light spice, and warmth. This tea can take a real battering heat wise and that makes it easy for people to make. :p If I got sick I’d ask for this one because of that.

After my now daily mish mash matcha I decided that I was still in a tea mood and this was at the front of my cupboard.
After having this one around I’ve actually decided that it’s quite good. It is not overwhelmingly amazing or anything; but it is stable, easy to brew, not finicky or bitter, cookie or bread like, and quite a treat. I love the blend for what it is: a workhorse version of a dessert tea. Being that it is neither too sweet or too overwhelming flavor wise. I would have liked more spice and more chocolate, but that’s my personal preferences!

mmmmm!!! This is another tea that I am trying with almond/coconut milk. This really brought out the spice notes in this tea. I really enjoyed this tea with the addition. I think that this tea tastes the best at a higher temperature and longer steep time.

I threw caution to the wind tonight when brewing this. Assuming it was green and should be treated lightly I’ve been steeping this at a low temperature. This time I used slightly cooled boiling water, and I have to admit that this smells 1000000x better than it did before. The chai smells are becoming much more apparent than before.
This, I just dunno. I am glad I finally tried it at a hotter temp! It totally cleared up my previous complaint: not enough chai. It really brought out the spicier notes in this blend. I’m still getting the vanilla, but it helps round it out instead of dominating the whole cup. This is greatly improved with the temperature increase, so I am changing my original scoring on this blend.

This was another part of my haul recently. I got this primarily because it just sounded nice! This tea was surprising because initial reviews I’ve read penned it as being much more in your face than what I got.
For me this tea was a lot more subtle than people suggested. The vanilla was the strongest in this blend for me. The tea reminds me of oatmeal cookies, light ones! Although the tea is pleasant and overall tastes pretty good; I have had better. I think that the other elements (besides the vanilla) should have a higher quantity in this blend in order to really stand out. I think this would be a nice “sharing” tea for my friends who don’t normally drink tea.

In love with this tea. It smells wonderful, before and after brewing, the touch of cinnamon is lovely, and, to quote my mom, it tastes like a muffin! One of the most comforting teas I’ve ever had. Tastes a bit funny with milk, but that could be just the ingredients. I like it with just a touch of honey, personally!

Perfect tea is perfect. This is everything I have ever wanted in a tea. It’s flavorful but not overpowering, the flavors mix together perfectly (especially when enhanced with cream and sugar), and it smells like a bakery. So tasty, my goodness. I just love it. If I had to choose one tea to drink for the rest of my life, this would be it, to be honest.

This is the manliest tea of all time. I brewed it way too long this time so I’ll halve the time next time, but with cream and sugar it’s still quite nice. Plain I felt like it was going to make me grow a beard, it was so manly! This tea makes me think of being out all day in the pouring rain, getting soaked to the bone, and then getting back to your log cabin, changing into soft, dry clothes and having a warm, strong cuppa to wake you up and warm you up. Incredibly comforting. Love love love.

Wow! The last time I had this was 5 months ago, when I still thought the flowers in this were making it bitter. A lost has changed since then. Someone recommended I try a lower temperature and longer steep time to help with the flavor. Unfortunately even with their recommendations, it’s still too strong. Once I add milk and sugar, it’s good. But I don’t like the fact that I HAVE to add things. Good teas should be able to hold up on their own and just be enhanced by additions.

With milk and sugar, this is creamy and comforting. The hazelnut and caramel are both there. It seems like the milk subdues the bergamot and lets the tea taste more like it should anyway. This tea is almost perfect for me, and the fact that it is so close just makes me sad.

Made another cup of this yesterday. I still couldn’t get the bitter taste out, but it was better. I decided to look up the Earl Grey Bravo that is the main part of this tea. Turns out, it’s not the cornflowers! Apparently a lot of people have been having trouble with the same problem, and it’s actually the bergamot. So, note to self, do not buy Earl Greys from Adagio. Luckily, this tea is still really good with milk and sweetener. I still have plenty of this left, though. So if anyone is interested in trying some, let me know!

I think I have issues with cornflower petals. Any time I make a tea with them, it has a bitter, astringent taste. Everyone talks about tea made with them being so creamy. I’ve tried this tea at 2, 3 and 4 minutes and still get that flavor. Am I missing something? Do you have to add sweetener and milk for the creaminess to come out? That doesn’t seem right. And when I do, I don’t get any of the caramel or hazelnut taste. I really want to like this tea. Help!

This tea is pretty good and I’m almost finished with it! (about 1 cuppa left) The only thing I really hate about it is that it is very astringent/bitter when left to its own devices. You have to be very careful about steep times or else it’ll just be ruined.
This has notes of Earl Grey, blueberry, and black tea. I like this most with milk, but is pretty tasty without it too.

I haven’t had this tea in a looooong time. I actually have to admit that I am letting a lot of my Adagio stock just sit in my cupboard…There are quite a few that I’m not really sold on (Finnick and Stiles mainly).
This tea really smells nice and conjures up images of berry baked goods. It is best with milk. The base can tend to get bitter if the water is too hot; so watch out!

So today I’ve felt pretty crummy. I woke up very early, but fell back asleep for the rest of today. I am trying to perk myself up so I can get some house work done and an adventure with the Tardis sounded perfect!
This tea smell so good! I think it has been the most successful earl grey that I’ve had. Mainly because it’s thrown in with other, very dominate flavors as well. The most prominent being the blackberry (? I think that’s it, but it smells/tastes like blueberry). I always steep this for about 5min. which is much longer than most other Adagio blacks. It is just as perfect with milk as well!