Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Product Description:
Black tea from the Yunnan province of China, the birthplace of tea itself. Yunnan black tea is easily identified by its abundance of soft golden tips, and savory cocoa and black pepper flavors. It is a very forgiving tea; will not taste bitter when over-steeped. Our ‘Yunnan Gold’ is milk chocolate creamy and sweet, with pleasant pepper notes. The flavor becomes earthier and more layered as it cools. Soft, rounded cup, silky and perfect. Allowed to take only one tea to a desert island, ‘Yunnan Gold’ would be our clear choice.
Taster’s Review:
I do love a good Yunnan, and this one certainly qualifies as good. Even though it is a “bagged” tea (these are those silky pyramid-shaped pouches), I clearly see that the leaves are whole and beautifully golden. There is plenty of room in these pouches for the tea leaves to expand; allowing the tea to express itself fully and give you a full-flavored cup.
The flavor has a somewhat rustic appeal to it, with earthy notes and it’s peppery tone, and yet it is also remarkably smooth. It has a well-rounded flavor, appealing to the sweet with a honey-like sweetness. As the above description suggests, I can taste hints of cocoa, and there is a certain creaminess associated with it. There is even a note of fruity-sour that hits about mid-sip. Such a pleasant complexity.
A very enjoyable Yunnan, especially nice now that I can have it on-the-go!
Jasmine Pearls from Adagio Teas
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Product Description:
Exquisite Pearls infused with the sublime aroma of delicate night-blooming jasmine flowers.
Taster’s Review:
This is a bagged jasmine pearl which is part of the Artisan Comfort Collection (box is shown above) from Adagio Teas’ new Travel Tea collection. And while I generally prefer my jasmine pearls loose and steeped in my gaiwan, I have to admit that the idea of being able to enjoy my beloved jasmine pearls while traveling is certainly enough of an incentive to try them as a bagged (or should I say sachet pouched?) tea.
And these “pouched” pearls are definitely not a disappointment. The flavor is fantastic. Lightly vegetative with a strong jasmine presence. The jasmine is sweet and smooth and delicate tasting. It doesn’t taste perfume-y or soapy. It doesn’t have that sharpness that I sometimes experience with jasmine teas. These are perfectly delightful pearls!
This is a very uplifting, luxurious-tasting tea that had I not brewed it myself, I would have never guessed came from a teabag. Usually I experience my jasmine pearls while only at home, but these new travel teas from Adagio will give me the ability to take my jasmine pearls where ever I go!
PRODUCT REVIEW:Chai Tea & Cashew Artisan Brittle from Morning Glory Confections
Where to Buy: Morning Glory Confections
Product Description:
Morning Glory’s Chai Tea & Cashew Brittle takes the warm, complex flavors of chai tea and combines them with buttery cashews for an experience that evokes the coziness of winter nights.
Taster’s Review:
About a month ago, I noticed this brittle was featured on the homepage of Foodzie. You know I had to try it!
And I am so glad I did. It is absolutely delicious! This brittle has an amazing set of flavors: salty, sweet, spicy. The contrast between these flavors is so delicate. The spicy tones from the chai tea don’t smack you upside the head, but instead, they sneak up underneath the sweetness of the brittle and the mellow nutty flavor of the cashews, developing slowly. The spicy flavors are so intriguing in their development that it keeps me munching on the confection and wishing I had more when it disappeared.
This is one of the best brittle candies I’ve ever tasted. It has an amazing complexity! As you may know, I previously reviewed the New Mexico Chili & Pumpkin Seed Brittle from the same company on my Hungry in Portland blog, and honestly, I can’t tell you which one of these I like best! They are both so delicious – certainly NOT your run-of-the-mill brittle confections that you might find in the candy aisle of the grocery store.
If you’ve a sweet tooth and love contrasting flavors like sweet and salty or sweet and spicy – you MUST try this brittle! You will love it.