This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my terms & conditions for more info.
When I was younger I never really got the whole British obsession with tea. Even throughout my uni years my peers seemed to live off the stuff and I just still didn’t get it! That was until I went to a new university to start my Masters. It was in short at hippy university and they had the most fantastic selection of herbal, fruit and green teas you have every seen! Now there was something that I could get into with all of the different flavours, scents and no milk involved. I was instantly hooked.
My tea obsession has sort of evolved from there and I’m constantly on the lookout for new products to try, so when I got an email from Adagio Teas to see if I would like to try their Teas I was only too happy to oblige.
Adagio Teas
‘Farm-fresh artisan teas and modern accessories straight from the source.’
On the Adagio Teas website their is a huge selection of different blends to choose from. They asked me to have a browse through the site to see what took my fancy but I was so overwhelmed by the mammoth selection that in the end I just asked them to send me a selection of different ones for me to try.
I was sent the following…
Gunpowder
‘Gunpowder is a classic green tea from Zhejiang province, China. As the name implies, Gunpowder tea is made up of leaves hand-rolled into tiny pellets. These resemble gunpowder, and give this tea its distinct name. Full-bodied cup with a hint of smokiness and smooth mouthfeel. Blend Gunpowder tea with spearmint to create the famous ‘Moroccan Mint’ tea’
I love this tea and I even attempted to make some Moroccan style mint tea with it, which also tasted really nice. You definitely don’t want to over steep this one though as I found it becomes very strong in taste if left for too long. Generally two minutes of steeping is sufficient and produces the perfect tasting green tea.
Jasmine Silver Needle
‘Jasmine Silver Needle white tea is made up of young and elegant tea leaf buds with a whisper of jasmine aura. All the appeal and softly sweet nuances of a classic Silver Needle tea, enhanced with the graceful aroma of night-blooming jasmine flowers. Airy flavour, delicate mouthfeel and pleasantly dry finish. The quiet nature of this Jasmine Silver Needle white tea ensures it will make a gentle companion for your special moments.’
This tea is one of my favourites of the lot. It has a really delicate flavour. I’ve been told that white tea is suppose to help reduce your chances of getting cancer so I do try to drink at least one cup of white tea a day. It can’t do any harm right?
This tea is perfect to drink after steeping for 3-5 minutes.
Matcha
‘Matcha, the focal point of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, is a fine powder made by grinding green tea leaves. Only the finest, young, shade-grown gyokuro tea leaves are used to create matcha. The leaves are plucked and laid out flat to dry. Veins are removed and the leaves, now called tencha, are carefully ground in granite mills until they become the precious powder.’
Match is slowly growing on me. I was first sent some last year by another company and I really disliked it to start with. It tastes very different to my normal green teas and you also have to prepare it differently. However a year later I now really like it. I find it’s best to have a cup first thing in the morning as it gives you a great boost of energy. You can also add milk to it to make a Matcha latte which is very nice.
I’m still yet to master the preparing it bit as I always seem to end up with lumps in it but I’ll get there in the end.
Kukicha
‘Japanese Kukicha is a blend of tea leaves and tea leaf stems. The lightness of the stems translates into sweet notes of white sesame seed or chestnut in the cup. Stems also make this tea a lower caffeine alternative compared to most green teas. Tender quality to the texture, like soft white rice, smooth and silky. Kukicha is well balanced and very low in astringency.’
When I first tried this tea I didn’t like it at all! It had a really strong taste and a funny smell to it. However I soon realised that I had over boiled it. The recommended steeping time for this tea is 2 minutes and I must have had it in the pot for at least 5. I tried it again for the correct amount of time and it was lovely, mild and smelt great.
The ingenuiTEA Teapot
Along with the teas Adagio Teas also sent me one of their ingenuiTEA teapot, whose ingenious design has been featured in The New York Times, Time Magazine and HGTV.
I am totally and utterly in love with this device. It is so simple to use and you get to watch the leaves steeping which I find fascinating.
How To Use The ingenuiTEA teapot
- Simply put your tea leaves into the pot
- Pour on the boiling water and wait!
- Depending on what type of tea you have in the pot depends on how long you steep it for.
- Once done place the teapot on top of your cup and watch it filter through.
So far I have used my teapot everyday and it’s brilliant! It can also go in the dishwasher which is a plus.
Here’s a short video of the teapot in action…
Win a Selection of Tea and an ingenuiTEA Teapot
Like tea? I have a great giveaway for you today. I have one set of Samurai Sampler teas and one ingenuiTEA teapot up for grabs. Please read my terms & conditions before entering. UK only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Samurai sampler – A wonderful introduction to the wide range of Japanese green teas. Each sample makes about 8-10 cups of tea. This set includes (though subject to infrequent change): sencha overture, kukicha, genmai cha, hojicha.
Tea Cabinet
My tea cabinet is coming along nicely now!
*Post contains affiliate links*
maybe gunpowder
I’d love to try the chocolate chai! Sounds amazing
I would like to try the Japanese teas.
I would love to try the pu erh hazelberry
coconut tea sounds delish!!….
I just want to say your display for the tea is fantastic x
Given the time of year we are coming to I would try Christmas
Japanese teas
I would like to try their green tea
gunpowder tea sounds interesting
The Japanese teas look fab xx
the spiced apple chai sounds amazing <3
I am really not a tea person, but I do wonder if I should try some different blends. Thanks for linking up with #TriedTested
assam harmony
the Decaff please.
the spiced Apple Chai tea looks great!!
I would like to try the Mango
Ohh my hubby would love the spiced apple chai
I would love to try the chocolate chip tea, that just sounds a dream x
Spiced apple sounds delicious x
spiced apple
Rooibos vanilla chai
I like the sound of the chocolate chai
Any of the Japanese teas. They’d remind my husband and I of our time living in Japan.
I’d like to try the Jasmine Silver Needle. I like Jasmine teas but I find the bags are often really weak and with little flavor.
I’d love to try the kukicha, sounds warming, great for this time of the year
spiced apple
The Japanese teas!
Rooibos Vanilla Chai
Gunpowder!
I’d like to try chai tea
The Christmas tea – very festive 🙂 .
Love your tea cabinet 🙂
I’d most like to try the fruit medley – I’m experimenting with herbal teas at the moment, and this is different to anything I’ve tried so far and sounds an interesting combination!
the spiced apple chai sounds delicious
Chocolate chai sounds fab!
The raspberry flavoured tea.
Although the teas all look fascinating I’m more intrigued by the teapot which I think is amazing!!
Gunpowder tea
gunpowder tea sounds interesting
I would absolutely love to try their green tea xxx
I’d love to try the matcha tea x
This would be nice.
would like to try the Japanese teas
I’d love to try the Spiced Apple Chai.
anything that is non standard
the spiced apple chai
The spiced apple chai
I’d quite like to try Apricot Green 🙂
Their Green Tea for me 🙂