Tumblr and Tea

I finally got a tumblr and joined up with the 21st century! I'm leaping-lemur, so follow me and tell me what tumblrs you like to follow! Maybe I'll even figure out how this tumblr business works. It's confusing as hell so far.

Also, this past leap day Adagio sent me an e-mail advertising their Brigadoon Breakfast tea, only available on leap day. Since I'm a sucker and was planning an order from Adagio anyway*, I picked it up along with a few others I'd been meaning to try.

I am here to review it for you, since I am possibly the only person you know who bought it.

It's... nice. I am not generally a fan of Keemun-- it's too smoky and gunpowdery, for my tastes, though Wikipedia tells me it's supposed to be fruity? idk-- and I am currently unaware of my opinion on Assam but as I don't own any, I suspect I don't like it (Wikipedia tells me it's usually the tea in Irish or English Breakfast, and I don't like those, so there you go). Brigadoon doesn't taste like either Keemun or Assam's defining characteristics: it isn't particularly astringent, or gunpowdery, or nearly as harsh as any Irish or English Breakfast tea I've been subjected to. The reviews call it full-bodied and maybe it is, but to me it was a lot smoother and lighter than I was expecting. The floral notes can be hard to pick up if you overbrew it by just a little bit since they come from silver needle. All-in-all it's a mild tea and I don't regret buying it, but I won't be missing it when I run out and have to wait another four years. I can swap it out for a ceylon or golden monkey and not miss much. It is nice to get some mild black teas, though, especially ones that have a stronger taste than darjeeling.

I also picked up earl gray moonlight and samples of tiger eye, cream, lemon soleil, and they tossed in a free sample of pomegranate. Of them I've tried tiger eye, which is one of the better chocolate black teas I've had but not really something I'd seek out, and cream just tastes like a mild black tea.

Oh, and I can apparently send some gift certificates to friends, so if you PM me with your e-mail address I can send you one.

*I haven't ordered from Adagio since getting their matè sampler, which I highly recommend if you're looking to try matè tea-- it has a better caffeine kick than any black tea, and it feels different. Less jittery. Their flavors are also better than the flavors from my other usual tea purveyors and the sampler gives you a wide breadth of what's available out there from straight-up yerba to the more coffee-like mocha/nutty ones, or the fruity ones. My particular favorites are spiced and citrus, but not much beats Teavana's calypso matè for iced tea.