At some point I was going to have to try some of Adagio’s fandom blends. The concept is just so fun that I knew I would not be able to resist. The only problem was choosing where to begin. There are so many of these things. I ultimately decided to start with a sampler of Mass Effect fandom blends. I not only needed to get my nerd on, but also celebrate it openly.
This particular blend is a mixture of Adagio’s Earl Grey Moonlight, blackberry, and raspberry. I prepared it using the one step Western infusion process I often favor for non-Chinese black teas and many black tea blends. I steeped 1 teaspoon of loose tea in 8 ounces of 212 F water for 5 minutes. No additional infusions were attempted.
Prior to infusion, I noted that this blend emitted a mild creamy, fruity aroma with just a hint of citrus. After infusion, I noted strong aromas of vanilla, cream, bergamot, blackberry, and raspberry joined by just a hint of orange peel. In the mouth, I detected strong fruity notes of blackberry, raspberry, bergamot, and orange up front that were quickly joined by notes of cream and vanilla underscored by toast. The texture was very creamy and smooth, as the blend lacked the soapiness of traditional Earl Grey blends.
It kind of pains me to say this, but I found this to be a nice blend. The fruity sweetness was balanced and the creaminess was not overwhelming. As usual, I wish the body were somewhat fuller and heavier, which is my typical complaint with Earl Greys and flavored black tea blends in general, but that is a fairly minor quibble. I don’t really have any serious complaints with this one.
Flavors: Bergamot, Blackberry, Cream, Orange, Raspberry, Toast, Vanilla
