Tea Review – This Tangled Skein

In honor of the new season of Doctor Who, Adagio.com had a short promotion where you “spun” a virtual wheel, and a sample tin TARDIS-themed fandom blend popped into your cart for free. This is the tea I got.

Name: T(ea) is for TARDIS
Source: Adagio (free sample)

Description from Vendor: A famous time machine and space craft that does wonders, also known as Time and Relative Dimension in Space. This rooibos tea is filled with the sweetness of Earl Grey and warm delicious vanilla and green tea. Touches of rose hips, hibiscus, blueberries and apple pieces add great flavour to this blend. Cheers!

My Preparation: Steeped 3 minutes at 190 degrees Fahrenheit

My Impressions: This tea has a really lovely aroma, thanks to the fruit and floral ingredients. It’s sweet enough for me to enjoy without adding sugar or honey, which is saying something, considering my sweet tooth. All of the flavors blend together really well, making a soothing, sweet drink that I think would be very nice over ice, though I haven’t tried that yet. Since I’m not generally a blueberry fan, this isn’t a blend I would have selected on my own, so I’m grateful to Adagio for sending it my way!

Ingredients: Green tea, rooibos tea, rose hips, hibiscus, apple pieces, natural vanilla flavor, orange peels, blue cornflowers, natural blueberry flavor, natural bergamot flavor, blueberries

Suggested Preparation: Steep at 200F for 4 minutes.

I really bought this one because it had pumpkin spice in it, and I was (and am) in a pumpkin spice kind of mood. It is part of Bran Mydwynter’s set of Sherlock Holmes – as in the Canonical stories of Arthur Conan Doyle – fandom blends.

Name: Turkish Slipper (Sherlock Holmes Fandom)
Creator: Bran Mydwynter
Source: Purchased from Adagio.com

Description from Site: Pipe tobacco, set alight with spices. This robust blend of Rooibos Vanilla, Spiced Mate, and Pumpkin Spice is highlighted with whole cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom pods, creating something warm and fragrant. It’s the perfect accompaniment when you need to solve those difficult three pipe problems.

My Preparation: Steeped 4 minutes at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

My Impressions: Just a little bit spicy, this is a very smooth blend. It smells autumnal, cozy, and comforting. I might try it with a drop of honey sometime, but it’s so perfect as is, I don’t want to mess with it. I prepared it as Bran’s package note recommends, despite the lower temperature recommended on the site, and there is no bitterness or “stewed” flavor to it. (The packaging actually says 220F/100C; I assume that 220 is intended to be 212.)

I loved the first cup so much, I immediately made a second, and it’s pretty clear that I’m going to need to order more.

The packaging is an elegant illustration of a pipe (not, let us note, the non-Canonical calabash) under the name of the blend with a Victorian floral flourish. Below the pipe is a list of the teas and accents, along with the recommended preparation of the tea. Evocative and practical – ideal.

Ingredients: rooibos tea, toasted mate tea, black tea, cinnamon bark, natural vanilla flavor, ginger root, orange peels, natural spice flavor, natural pumpkin spice flavor, cloves, marigold flowers, cardamom, cinnamon (accent), cloves (accent), and cardamom (accent).

Includes:Rooibos Vanilla, Spiced Mate and Pumpkin Spice teas.

Suggested Preparation: 4 minutes at 212F (on packaging); 4 minutes at 195F (on site).

Tag: Tea Review

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