Zell Maestro
User's reviews
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RASPBERRY HERBAL
Pretty decent raspberry herbal. I normally hate when a fruit tea has hibiscus because I find it overpowers all the fruit flavor, but this didn't. It was a few too many clashing fruit flavors for me, but the raspberry did come out the most. Like a really subdued raspberry flavored mulled wine kind of taste. Would drink again but probably wouldn't buy.
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WHITE VANILLA GRAPEFRUIT
I've only tried this hot, but admittedly I wasn't a huge fan. It's drinkable, but I found that the vanilla flavor was just too artificial tasting for me. The grapefruit is really subtle at least if you brew it hot, and I wonder if it comes out more if you make it iced. Kind of has a creamy buttery texture, almost oily. While it wasn't my favorite, it's decent, and the vanilla and grapefruit flavors actually work surprisingly well together. I'd imagine it would probably be better iced.
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Organic Assam
A pretty decent assam with very little astringency even after I admittedly steeped a little too long. A bold flavor and probably a great morning tea in place of coffee.
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DECAF CEYLON
Pretty good decaf tea with a somewhat bold, kind of roasted flavor. A very small amount of astringency, but not bad. Slightly nutty, with a dark amber brown color.
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HOT CINNAMON SPICE
Not for me, but might be for some people. The cinnamon is that artificial hot cinnamon flavor like in cinnamon candy. It's not at all an actual cinnamon flavor or like a masala chai like I had hoped. Can't really get into it at all. You also can't taste anything else. Generously giving this three stars because I know some people like that, but for me it's more like two stars.
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PARIS
I'm not normally a fan of earl grey, but this is a good spin on it, and I actually like it a lot. The scent is incredible and fills the room almost as much as lighting a candle, but I disagree with those saying it had no flavor. I feel like you can definitely taste the currant and caramel/vanilla, though it does taste like TEA primarily, so if you go into it expecting it to taste like a fruity dessert, it will still taste like tea, though with a slight sweetness. I'm picky but I think this is excellent for an inexpensive tea you can find at a grocery store.
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Minty Comfort
This is a really nice, soothing tea, and would probably be especially great if you're sick. It's mostly minty, and the citrus isn't really obvious per se, but it has very light citrus notes that make it bright and balance the mint from being too herbal. Would recommend.
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Apple Cinnamon Coffeecake
Pretty good, though a little astringent if left to steep even a little too long. I like that it wasn't too fruity but rather more of a dessert tea on the sweet, baked good tea with only a small hint of fruity. Reminds me of baked apples with some chai spices.
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Caramel Walnut Shortbread
A very good dessert tea. The scent of caramel is very strong but doesn't taste as artificial as a lot of dessert teas. Has a bit of a nutty flavor that isn't as heavy on the nose, but easier to taste than the caramel. It's also rare to find a rooibos that doesn't taste woody like a rooibos usually does. You kind of expect it to be sweet as a dessert tisane, but it's not, so add honey or sweetener if you prefer that.
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SAIGON CHAI (ORGANIC)
A good, classic chai that's on the clove heavy side, which I prefer but I know isn't for everyone. I would combat the dryness of the tannins with a little honey, but excellent on it's own still. A great holiday drink.
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DOWNTON ABBEY ENGLISH ROSE TEA BAGS
I was admittedly a little disappointed at first because you can almost exclusively smell hibiscus and nothing floral at all, and I'm always wary of hibiscus because it tends to overpower everything else. It is pretty much the dominant ingredient here but at the very least it's not tart like it usually is because it's subdued by the other ingredients (though they aren't really noticeable.) A nice subdued fruity drink a little like a mulled wine. Rose is an inaccurate description though, in my opinion.
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BOULDER BLUES GREEN TEA
The green tea is nice, and the strawberry scent smacks you in the face when you steep it, but is still fairly light on the tongue. It's subtle and not too much, but has a little bit of that artificial strawberry and rhubarb taste. Still, pretty good, probably great iced in the summer.
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Clouds & Mist
This is a very smooth, vegetal green tea, and surprisingly high quality for how inexpensive it is. I like the sachets that the tea comes it because they are roomy and still allow the leaves to expand. I'm not sure I would say this is smoky as it says in the description, but the part about sweet roasted artichokes seems accurate. I would drink this again!
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PUMPKIN CHAI
This was pleasantly surprising considering how many similar pumpkin chais there are around the holidays and that David's Tea often uses too much sweetener or random fruit flavors that don't belong, but this was pleasant and just slightly sweet without being too much. The caramel taste is a tad artificial, but the cloves and pumpkin, etc. are blended perfectly. I would potentially buy this.
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Samurai Mate
I don't normally like about half of the ingredients in this, and yet I still really enjoyed it. The cinnamon and more masala chai flavors stand out mainly, with just a hint of citrus. Very good if you want a warm spiced drink but it's not fruity like you'd expect.
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Rooibos Earl Grey
I'm not usually big on classic earl grey with black tea, as I find it too perfume-like, but this was better and I could actually enjoy this. The bergamot is strong on the nose but more subdued by the woody flavor of the rooibos, which I think works so much better with bergamot. An interesting take.
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Turmeric Ginger
Very pleasant and pretty good quality for something you can pick up at a grocery store. I like the bags they come in and that there is actually room for the herbs to expand and infuse. The amount of ginger is just right where it gives you the warmth and slight spicy tingle on your tongue and the turmeric gives it the earthy flavor. I enjoy the citrus flavors, though don't steep it too long or the oils can get a little gross in my opinion.
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Prickly Pear Black
I really enjoyed this much more than I thought I would! The black tea is not at all astringent or too tannin-y. The prickly pear flavor makes it crisp and refreshing. I'd love to try this as an iced tea. It's not sour or sweet, but has that kind of gentle crisp flavor you get from a cucumber for example, offset by some warmth from the safflower.
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Ceylon Sonata
I steeped it at 212 and for three minutes as recommended but found it incredibly astringent. It was okay, but some sips were just so bitter and astringent that I'd probably need to adjust the temperature or steep time to get it where I want it.
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CHERRY BLOSSOM
I bought this at a grocery store for like five bucks and didn't have high hopes for it, expecting it to be weak, but it was VERY scented. The cherry flavor is perfect because it's the only tea I've ever had with a cherry flavor that is slightly sweet but not bitter, not tart, and not that gross cough syrup flavor you get with a lot of those. It's subtle, and then has a really pungent floral fragrance that I love, though I know isn't for everyone.
The green tea was light and refreshing, and I found it hard to oversteep this. What a great find for the price.
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gingerbread blondie
This smells very much how it promised, but be sure to steep it correctly or it can get gross. But if you steep it right, it can be one of the better dessert teas you've had! Can't speak to whether the price is worth it since it was given to me by someone.
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just beet it
This wasn't incredible or anything, but pretty good and I'm giving it an extra point for being an interesting combination of ingredients that you don't see often. Had kind of a mulled wine and raspberry kind of taste, but not tart.
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pomegrateful
Decent, but kind of a generic hibiscus tea. I wish David's Teas weren't all pre-sweetened, as it's a like too sweet for my liking, but I will say that it's refreshing that there's actual tea in it as well as some other floral aspects that tone down the tart hibiscus. The hibiscus and apple is definitely where the "pomegranate" flavor comes from. I bet this would be great as a fruity iced tea in the summer.
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vanilla matcha
I really enjoyed this as a tea and also used it to bake a rose vanilla matcha cake that turned out great. The vanilla is actually strong enough. Good quality.
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Wild Honey Matcha
This is really great to use in culinary dishes that you want to be sweet. Didn't love it as much as a tea, but it was still good. Really great on toast with honey, or baked into sweets.
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smores chai
This definitely has the smores flavors and I enjoy that there's a chocolate flavor that isn't sickeningly sweet like many dessert teas. I like the creamy element of the chocolate with the graham cracker taste. Kind of wish there were more masala spices like I expected, but it's a pretty good tea nonetheless.
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cookie dough
This does very much smell/taste like cookie dough if you brew it correctly. As others have said, it's pretty easy to oversteep this one, so you have to be careful. I steeped it a little hotter than recommended, and it was perfect until I left the filter in too long, so I would recommend the lower side of the 4-7 minutes.
I don't usually like dessert teas because I find them to taste very artificial, and this has a little bit of that, but the creaminess from the chocolate chips and caramel is well balanced with nuts and gets rid of that gross overly sweet taste you often get from dessert teas. This is good in small amounts, for a dessert treat.
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monster mash
Pretty good, like an apple cider with woody rooibos and other classic fall spices. Pretty standard fall cider kind of drink.
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Vanilla Cappuccino
I was wary about trying this because I don't like pineapple and this contains candied pineapple. I love the coffee and vanilla flavors, but the first ingredient is apple. I think it's good, but could lose all the random fruit flavors that don't make any sense in it. I think I would enjoy it more if I chose it knowing it would be fruity, but you don't expect or want that from a vanilla cappuccino tea.
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cardamom french toast
My absolute favorite of any tea by this brand, and probably in my top 5 of all teas. Smells exactly like actual French toast being fried. The syrup and cinnamon smell fills up the room and tastes exactly like the real thing, has a smooth buttery texture, and the warm spice of the cardamom only enhances it.
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blueberry muffin
I am a megafan of all things blueberry, and I have to say this was good, but also kind of odd and didn't at all taste like blueberry. The scent is somewhat like a blueberry muffin, but first obvious taste is apple and hibiscus. A lot of teas do this to try to imitate a blueberry flavor, and it personally doesn't do it for me. I will say that I do like that they tried to tame the tart flavor of the apple and hibiscus with carrot and beetroot, which is a very interesting move.
Overall the odd combo of flavors do not at all taste like a blueberry muffin, but they do complement each other well, though they don't exactly mix and you can taste each ingredient individually.
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FOREVER NUTS
This one is great and gives you that nostalgic feeling of being at a carnival or somewhere with a roasted candied nuts stand. Smells exactly like it. This has a toasted, nutty, caramel taste. Out of the David's Teas I've tried, this is top three so far.
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OH CANADA!
This is good but far from their best. It has a nice maple aroma but kind of a weak taste, like a plain black tea with various hints of a dessert taste that are all too individually weak to stand out. Nothing about it is bad but this is a good example of why less is more. Too many ingredients that none stand out.
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maple syrup oolong
When my partner made this for me, I thought it was Trader Joe's maple espresso that I've had numerous times because of the coffee-like flavor. I was wary at first because I think David's Tea tends to overuse fruit in teas that don't make sense with fruit, but this wasn't too much. Good but not great. Would drink again but probably wouldn't buy again.
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Vanilla Peppermint
This doesn't compare to loose leaf, however, it's probably about as good as you'll ever get for a vanilla bagged tea. It actually has vanilla beans rather than artificial vanilla flavoring, which is next to impossible to find in a grocery store bagged tea for an inexpensive price, so I'm giving it an extra star for that alone.
It's mainly peppermint flavor, but you can actually taste the vanilla as well as warming chai spices that offset some of the cool tingling you get from peppermint.
Again, not as good as loose leaf, but this bagged tea deserves some cred for being this good at grocery store bagged tea prices. Convenient, cheap, and better than you'd expect.
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Hsinchu Oriental Beauty
This is a good, smooth oolong that is on the more oxidized side. I think I didn't brew it quite hot enough for it to really shine and it came out a little more dry than the first time I had it, but it was good. Don't be afraid to play around with the steep time and temperature a little. Makes a big difference.
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Green Rooibos Key West
I'm not a fan of the particular fruit flavors in this blend in terms of personal preference, but I'm reviewing this as if I'm someone who does. This blend is extremely fruity and would be incredible iced if you enjoy tropical fruit! The mango and apricot is strongest. Green rooibos is a good choice because red rooibos tastes more woody and nutty, whereas the green rooibos is more refreshing and acts more like a white or green tea and allows the fruit flavors to be more prominent. Probably not my choice hot, but would be very popular iced in summer.
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PG Tips Original
Typical grocery store or fast food restaurant quality black tea. Not bad but nothing special. Kind of bitter and tannin-y.
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GREEN TEA
Decent green tea. A little acidic. Not bad but not the best I've had. Good for the price. Plain, kind of thin but nice. Not too grassy or vegetal.
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Prickly Pear Cactus
I have a really mild chamomile allergy and didn't realize this was so chamomile heavy, so it didn't make me feel great. That said, it tasted delicious. Prickly pear cactus is a unique ingredient choice and goes really well with hibiscus and kind of tames the tart flavor of it. Almost kind of a cranberry-like taste. Wish I could drink more of this.
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Pumpkin Spice
This is fine, but the spices are kind of weak. Probably need to punch it up with more spices or a splash of cream. There are better ones out there, but this is decent for how inexpensive it is, but they are good reusable tins.
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Black Cask Bourbon
This is a nice lapsang souchong, which is great if you go into it knowing what to expect. Lapsang souchong is extremely smoky and isn't for everyone, but I enjoy it. It will smell like a campfire or like someone grilling. This one claims to also have notes of caramel and vanilla, though I can barely taste any of that. Nonetheless, I'm sure this would be great with something else to sweeten it a bit, perhaps honey or maple syrup.
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Glazed Lemon Loaf Herbal Tea
This is the first grocery store bagged tea I've ever given five stars. I have absolutely no idea how any of the ingredients listed are accurate because I cannot taste any of them, but it smells exactly like a freshly baked lemon loaf with vanilla. This is probably in my top five favorites, including loose leaf which I think tends to be better quality.
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DeTox
Decent flavor. Wouldn't call it good or bad, just fine. Surprisingly similar taste to their kava root tea, which has a very root-like flavor with a woody cinnamon flavor but not at all sweet like cinnamon. Can't speak to whether I really feel any health differences after one steep, but I imagine with that many ingredients, it would give a variety of health benefits used over time.
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ROOIBOS
I've had plenty of rooibos tisanes and this one is pretty good and convenient in a tea bag since loose rooibos always seems to make its way through filters. I wish the tea bags themselves were higher quality, but the product is perfectly good. Woody, a little nutty. Not particularly sweet like some rooibos tisanes.
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cleanse
This is a nice herbal. I made the mistake of leaving this on a cold windowsill for too long because it said to steep an entire 15 minutes, so I forgot about it and oversteeped, but it was still nice, not bitter. The mint is prominent but subdued by the licorice-y flavor of the fennel.
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Jasmine Phoenix Pearls
Very fragrant and floral without being too perfume-like, which often makes me dislike jasmine teas, but this one I enjoyed. I would recommend using a bag filter after letting it unfurl in a gaiwan because there were a lot more small piece than I expected. But this was nice.
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Asian Pear Harmony
I thought this was pretty good for a grocery store bagged tea, and though it wouldn't compare to loose leaf, it's pretty solid for a bagged tea. The pear flavor is very strong, which is a nice change of pace when so many pear-flavored teas I've had are fairly weak. I would imagine this would be great iced.
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Decaf Vanilla Chai Black Tea
I didn't really taste the vanilla. It's not bad by any means but is very weak and really needs things added to it to be interesting.
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Decaf Vanilla Chai
This isn't bad by any means, but very weak and the vanilla isn't really noticeable. You can taste the chai spices but I would recommend using it as a base and then adding things to it to make it more interesting.
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Peppermint Cheer
The peppermint is good (hard to mess up peppermint) but I can't get over the weird artificial vanilla scent. I love vanilla normally but this is just really strange. Fortunately the smell is just weird and I can get past it because the taste is still good, but I probably wouldn't buy.
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Vanilla spiced masala chai
The scent of this one is incredible, though I wish the taste had more vanilla in the forefront. A lovely chai, nonetheless, that's heavy on clove and is peppery on the tongue. The cinnamon and cardamom are less pronounced, but there. The liquor itself is a little thin, with a deep orange color.
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Christmas in Paris Herbal Tea
This is surprisingly good for a common bagged tea. It's very minty with a lot of cocoa on the nose. The lavender and vanilla mentioned in the description are far more subtle, but I can see how they calm down the intensity of the mint and cocoa. Pretty good for the price.
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Hojicha
Good, but not the best hojicha I've had. It has a nice earthy toasted flavor, but I would have liked it to be a little more nutty like a usual hojicha. Decent though!
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Turmeric spiced herbal tea tisane
This is a lovely tea for if you have a cold or just want a nice comfort drink in the winter. The ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper leaves a warming tingle on the tongue and then the lemongrass and bergamot brighten it up. Great if you want something between a masala chai and a herbal spring tea. I would buy this again!
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Dragonwell
Really nice, slightly brothy and vegetal tea. Kind of reminds me of the buttery vegetal taste of genmaicha without the toasted rice, and a bit lighter. Would buy this.
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Scottish Breakfast
Strong and malty, and with surprisingly almost no astringency whatsoever. Fairly plain, but a classic Scottish Breakfast, and good base black tea. The liquor is a very pretty deep reddish orange.
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Sweet Cinnamon Masala Chai
A good, classic masala chai. The cardamom could be a little stronger and isn't really noticeable, but the cinnamon, black pepper, and clove is blended perfectly.
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Honeybush Hazelnut
This is pretty good, but be careful to brew it correctly or it can get a tad bitter. I think there was a perfect balance of hazelnut with the woody flavor of honeybush and with some chocolate notes. A great dessert tea I'd imagine people would like with cream. The pieces are very small, too, so be sure to use an actual tea filter for this or all the small pieces will make it through the strainer.
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Darjeeling Sungma Summer
I followed the directions exact, but it was still really astringent. Other than that, it was nice - a pretty reddish orange liquor and a very bold muscatel flavor as it describes. It was decent, but way too astringent to be something I'd want regularly.
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Spring Darjeeling
A surprisingly very light black tea that's light enough you might even question it being a black tea. Slight hazelnut and some type of very subtle sweet fruit notes. Slight mineral aftertaste. Really enjoyed this.
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Green Rooibos Bonita
This is a very summer drink, extremely heavy peach scent which I'm not personally a fan of but most who like peaches would adore, and some tropical fruity flavors as well. Would probably be great iced or with lemonade in the summer.
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after dinner
This is definitely a very unique tea - probably not for everyone if you're not a big fan of licorice or aniseed, as those are the two flavors I noticed most. Didn't get much cardamom but it had the warm woodiness of the chicory root. Definitely an interesting tea to try, though I'm not sure I'd want it in daily rotation.
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Peppermint
Solid. It's just peppermint and is exactly as minty and cooling as natural peppermint should be, without any additives or anything. There's not really much to say about it since it's not an actual tea. It's just the ingredient it promised.
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Irish Breakfast
A good standard Irish Breakfast tea. Not bitter, but a bit malty. I feel like it has a bit of a chocolate scent as well, which is nice.
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Jasmine Yin Hao
I don't usually like jasmine teas, but I have to admit this was good. Very floral, but it didn't have any of that bitter perfume taste I normally associate with jasmine teas. I think this one taught me that it's really important not to oversteep floral green teas. Stick to the 2-3 minutes and it's perfect. Go over that and you'll feel like you're inhaling perfume.
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Lapsang Souchong
This is really good if you know what you're getting into. A lapsang souchong is supposed to be EXTREMELY smoky tasting, so if you're not into that, you'll be disappointed because this definitely smells like a campfire. I personally love it. It's not as full-bodied as other lapsang souchong's I've had, but quite good.
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Yunnan Jig
A good black tea with no astringency or bitterness. It's a nice golden color. I don't really taste any of the cocoa notes mentioned or really anything other than basic black tea, but it's smooth and comforting.
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Rooibos Pecan Turtle
This is good but tastes like pretty much every other rooibos - sweet and woody. Maybe this one's a tad nutty but mostly just tastes like a plain rooibos. Still good, just not incredible.
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Sleeping Dragon
One of my favorite green teas from Adagio, I think. Tastes almost like a more spinach-y oolong. Careful not to oversteep this one and actually follow the directions, though, or it gets a little too earthy with a bitter aftertaste. 2-3 minutes is perfect.
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Matcha Genmaicha
I've had better genmaicha, but this is really good, too. Has the really nice roasted rice flavor you expect from a genmaicha but it's not as brothy, and slightly more grassy.
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Golden Monkey
Surprisingly smooth and not astringent at all for a black tea. I would prefer this as a base with other ingredients added because it's a little boring on it's own, but an excellent base tea with a slightly sweet but malty flavor.
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Wild Strawberry
Pretty good, but mostly just hibiscus flavor with a hint of strawberry. Tasty nonetheless, and a good alternative if you like really fruity juicy drinks. Probably fantastic iced, but I had it hot.
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GYOKURO
This is a very good, vegetal tea. No astringency, bright and grassy like kukicha but slightly sweeter and a little less brothy.
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Kukicha
Loved this. Very vegetal and would probably make a good base in a soup broth. Comforting if you have a sore throat. Zero astringency, got multiple good steeps out of it.
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Masala Chai
Very good, heavy on the clove (which I like but I know that's not for everyone.) Would like a little sweetness or creaminess to balance this, but this is a true masala chai.
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Jade Oolong
Pretty good - a little too light for my personal preference, but smooth, brothy with a slight spinach flavor. A bit of a mineral aftertaste.
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Fujian Rain
This is an excellent simple base tea. It smells like roasted rice, like a genmaicha, though the taste is more mineral-like, as described with a broth-like mouthfeel. Very good. Would have this one again.
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Rooibos Caramel
I thought this was actually kind of gross. Hard to explain why, but the caramel flavor is just sickeningly sweet and artificial. Paired with the woody taste of rooibos, kind of tasted like drinking woodchips with flat diet pop. Lol.
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Almond Oolong
Good, not anything to write home about. It's exactly what it promises. A bit of a dry oolong that seems more on the black/oxidized end of the oolong spectrum, with a heavy almond scent. The almond isn't as present in the flavor but heavy on the nose. Would probably be good mixed with something else.
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Spiced Green
Not gross or anything but extremely boring, like slightly clove flavored water. I tried steeping longer to see if it would help, but it was still just like low-battery clove and ginger water. Smelled nice, like a Christmas clove and molasses kind of thing, but the actual tea had zero flavor.
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Blueberry Wild Child
This tea is incredible if you like juicy teas and don't mind that it's a smidge artificial tasting. The thing that won me over with this and make me add a star was that it's really difficult to find a tea with hibiscus that isn't overly tart, but still fruity. This is well-mixed with other fruit flavors (elderberry, pomegranate, and apple) that help subdue the tartness of the hibiscus. A little bummed that the blueberry flavor is not super apparent compared to all these other fruit flavors, but it's still tasty. The cornflowers and rosehips tame the fruitiness as well.
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Cocoa Mocha
This one deserves a little more love, and I'm not sure why it's not rated better. Tiesta Tea often uses heavy artificial flavoring, but this one doesn't seem too noticeable. I'm not a big dessert tea fan usually, but this has a very nice coffee flavor with some of the dessert-like creaminess of chocolate without assaulting your senses with artificial chocolate like many of these types of teas do. Excellent winter tea, dessert tea, or alternative to morning coffee.
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White Chocolate Peppermint
A nice, refreshing holiday tea. The flavors blend well together, yet nothing really stands out other than peppermint. The peppermint is mainly in the forefront with this slight artificial chocolate smell, but the actual taste is not creamy like you would expect, just clear and minty. Would surprisingly make a nice iced tea, I would think.
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Ultra Spice Chai
It's okay. This is my first bag of non-loose leaf chai, and I feel like it almost has an licoricey anise like flavor to it, even though there's no mention of anise. It's peppery and heavy on the cloves, which I like, but otherwise lacks flavor and tastes very watery. The nose is extremely strong and the taste is just okay.
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Maple Espresso Black Tea Blend
This is surprisingly incredible for what a cheap bagged tea it is. It's full-bodied and the espresso scent is strong, and the maple is subtle, but it's there. This is a great substitute for those transitioning from coffee in the morning to tea in the afternoon. The chicory, dandelion, and fenugreek give it a slight herbal flavor but chicory tastes like coffee anyway. This is such a warm hug of a fall drink. I'm a forever fan.
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Assam Melody
This is a good, simple black tea. It's bold and caffeinated. I get a little bit of a mineral taste but I'm not sure if that's the tea itself or if it's my filter. Nothing super special, but a good solid base tea.
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Gyokuro
This is probably really good steeped very briefly in an iced tea blend in the spring, but very grassy, despite what the description says. I wish it was a more savory vegetal flavor but it's just really grassy.
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Raja Oolong Chai
This pretty much just tastes exactly like Adagio's fiery cinnamon spice tea. Doesn't really taste like a masala chai, just more like Red Hots or other cinnamon candies.
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Fiery Cinnamon Spice
I don't really love it, but it's exactly what it promised. Tastes just like Red Hots or any of those hot cinnamon candies from when we were kids. The cloves are nice, because otherwise it's pretty much just ground hot cinnamon and tea in water. If you love Red Hots and want something spiced but not quite a masala chai, this is for you.
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Formosa Oolong
This was good, but a pretty average oolong. It's appearance looks more on the black tea end of the spectrum, but it definitely tastes more towards the green tea end than you would think. I also found this to have a strong mineral taste as someone else mentioned, but I enjoyed this much more as it cooled.
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Ginger Peach
The peach flavor is strong, but the ginger is almost not even there. I would add ginger to this. Careful not to oversteep this or it gets bitter and astringent. Good as just a basic peach tea, might make a good base to blend with if you like peach.
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Genmai Cha
A very good genmaicha. A little lighter than the brand of genmaicha I usually buy, but the toasty popcorn scent is great and the green tea isn't too grassy. Would like a little more flavor from the tea itself but overall very good.
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RASPBERRY & POMEGRANATE
This was a pretty good tea, and good quality for being boxed teabags. The raspberry flavor is strongest, but the pomegranate is prominent too. A bit of dryness for a green tea, but this is a pretty nice box of teabags for the low price. Not loose leaf quality, but good.
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Jade Snail
This tea is a prime example of why steeping times, temperature, and quantity of tea is so so important. The first time I made this, it was the most awful thing I've ever tasted. I used a lot of it in a gaiwan for about 3 minutes. Mistake. Literally the most bitter awful thing I've tasted in my life. The second time, I read some of these reviews and resolved to try it again for exactly two minutes at a lower temperature in a super small quantity. That made it tolerable and spinach-like, more how I was expecting, but I wouldn't say good. I added a star from my initial 1/2 star rating because I believe there's a way to make this okay, but you have to steep this in such a specific way. You want to brew it so lightly that it looks like a white tea, or tinted water.
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Jasmine Silver Needle
I'm not normally a big fan of jasmine teas but this was decent. The floral scent is strong while not overwhelming. The part I didn't like as much is how incredibly light the tea is. Felt a little like I was just drinking hot water no matter how long I steeped.
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Mango Mate
Not a big mango fan, but it was subtle enough that it didn't really bother me yet present enough for mango fans. The mate seemed really different from the taste I associate with mate. It's really light and smooth. Light like a green tea but not very grassy.
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Hazelnut
This tea is decent but not great. The hazelnut scent is very powerful and nice in that regard if you really enjoy hazelnut. The black tea itself is very tannin heavy and leaves your mouth feeling dry. The hazelnut flavor is barely there but the scent is strong. Good, but not great. Be careful not to steep too long on this one.
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Pumpkin Spice
I think I'm in the minority here, but I actually felt the spices were really weak. I feel like I almost picked up more on the floral and pumpkin flavor than the more intense fall flavors like clove and cardamom I was hoping for. It was fine, just kind of boring.
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Maple Creme Oolong
I've had dozens of Adagio teas, and this is probably in my top 5. The maple scent is incredible, complimented by some more subtle masala chai spices, though texture wise it's very silky and not as abrasive on the tongue as a lot of fall drinks. A silky liquid pancake.
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Almond Cardamom Cake
One of my favorites I've had in a bit. The almond scent is very strong, though I'd say the cinnamon and woody sweetness from the rooibos tea is far more pronounced than the cardamom. Sweet and smooth, not tannin-y at all. Really good.
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APPLE REFRESH
This is a pretty simple tea. It's a nice black tea, though leaves your mouth extremely dry. I like that the apple flavor is very pronounced without being tart because it's difficult to find a tea that is a regular apple flavor that's not sour or paired with other flavors. Kind of wish it it had actual apple. Good but not great. Solid for the price, though.
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Libra
Really good! I was afraid the strawberry or chocolate would be that sickeningly sweet artificial flavor, but it wasn't. The chocolate is real cocoa nibs that is more in the nose than the actual taste, though you can taste it a bit, too. It's slightly floral as well. Perfectly balanced, living up to its name.
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Spiced Mate
There's a very weird sweaty feet smell akin to valerian that I just can't get behind. I thought the spices would mask it, but I truly couldn't drink this and I'm surprised at how many people love it. Maybe mate is really just an acquired taste.
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Tiger Eye
I really wanted to love this but something was just really off. The ingredients list says it's all natural flavoring but it somehow tasted to me like a bunch of artificial extracts in water. Other than that, the tea itself is nice and the flavors are great choices together but I just couldn't look past the artificial flavor.
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Honeybush
This is a good base ingredient for a blend but pretty boring on its own. Has the sweetness of a rooibos tisane but there's something kind of earthy and woody that kind of reminds me of a hamster cage.
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Autumn Mist Green
So this tea does not taste at all like what you expect it to based on the name. I expected a grassy floral tea with some apple flavor, and it is none of those things. It's practically a dessert tea with a creamy creme brulee flavor and the smallest floral notes. Not what you expect, but a fantastic vanilla tea. Would probably buy it.
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Chocolate Chai
This is one of my favorites I've had from Adagio. I rarely like dessert teas but this one has actual cocoa flavoring from the cocoa nibs and doesn't taste like that weird artificial chocolate that a lot of teas have. Blends really nicely with the spices.
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Rooibos Almond
A good tisane. Not radically different from the plain rooibos - woody and sweet, but this one also has a gentle nutty tone to it.
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Jolly Roger
Pretty good, butterscotch tea with a hint of banana. A very unique flavor that is a little busy with all the other ingredients, but the banana and butterscotch pop nicely.
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PREMIUM GENMAI-CHA TEA BAGS
I have a bag of loose leaf Genmaicha from this brand. Assuming it's just the same exact product, just in tea bags, I absolutely loved this. The roasted brown rice is lovely, and if you add honey to it, it smells exactly like Honey Smacks cereal. Lol! I would drink this regularly.
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Moroccan Mint
This is a great tea. Extremely fresh tasting. The gunpowder tea base is grassy but more in a leafy herbal way and the liquor itself is kind of broth like. The mint is the perfect amount, enough to be very prominent but not detract from the broth quality. Solid tea. Would buy.
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Organic English Breakfast Tea
This is a solid, pretty good quality tea that is excellent for the price. A bit of an astringent aftertaste that's almost slightly metallic that I don't love, but it's strong and bold without any bitterness. This was great plain and I'm sure would be even better with milk or honey.
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Decaf Chocolate Truffle
Chocolatey but not too sweet or too bitter. Pretty much the same as the caffeinated one.
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Passionfruit Tango
I tried this knowing that I don't like peach or mango, but thought I should try it anyway since they are the last two ingredients and I like everything else. So for me, it's more of a 3 star, but I think everyone else would like it more so I gave it four. My only complaint is that like many hibiscus tisanes, the hibiscus kind of overpowers everything else. That said it's a nice blend and it's fruity but not tart, which is a nice change of pace for a fruit tisane. A bit of astringency.
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Rooibos
I usually prefer flavored tisanes, but this doesn't need it. This is actually my first time trying a rooibos on it's own with no flavoring, so I have no comparison to any other company's rooibos, but the smell reminds me exactly of walking into a woodworking class, but with a slight sweetness to it. Perfectly good on it's own - even better with a little honey.
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Keemun Rhapsody
It's a decent tea - nothing wrong with it and is a fine choice for plain black tea. But there are just better ones, and I don't like that it's very broken up and a bunch makes it through the tiniest diffuser holes. Just really plain earthy tea, probably a good base if you make your own blends.
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WITCHES' BREW
I was between giving 3.5 and 4 on this but went on the generous side. It's almost like a low-battery chai, but the calendula and rosehips and such kind of make the stronger spices a bit more mellow than I prefer. But that aside, it's pretty tasty, especially if you like fall drinks but don't want anything too heavy on the clove and ginger.
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Ali Shan
A pleasant, very smooth oolong more akin to a green tea. Pretty simple, and nothing really notable about it, but was nice, and soothing for my upset throat.
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True Blueberry
This is fine if you like really tart hibiscus teas or artificial blueberry flavor, but it's not what an actual blueberry tea should taste like. The hibiscus is overpowering, too. If you're not used to higher quality teas, this will do just fine, but kind of tastes like drinking hot grape juice.
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Turmeric Bliss
It was nice - enjoyed the slightly spicy aspect to it, but it didn't really stand out to me as a tea I'd go out of my way for. A nice blend if you want turmeric for its anti-inflammatory properties. Decent, but nothing to write home about.
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Mocha Nut Mate
This was pleasantly surprising as someone who doesn't usually love hazelnut. It's chocolately with strong nutty notes, but isn't overly sweet or bitter, and has a creamy, sily mouth feel. I only had a sample, but I would probably buy this one.
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Cream Tea
This is a simple but very nice smooth black tea with vanilla notes. Cream is not quite how I would describe it, but maybe because of the vanilla and silky feel.
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Toasted Mate
I really enjoyed this one - an excellent alternative to dessert if you want something chocolate and nutty. I'm not normally a huge hazelnut fan, but the chocolate tones it down.
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HOJI ROASTED GREEN TEA BAG
I like that this comes in a decent sized bag. It's a solid hojicha that's good for blends and has a slight woody and nutty aroma compared to most green teas. Hojicha also has more of an appearance that's closer to black tea.
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White Pear
I really love this one and highly recommend it iced with some ginger. One of the most refreshing summer drinks.
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Temple of Heaven Gunpowder Tea
Pretty plain green tea. Perfectly fine and decent for being so cheap, but nothing really special about it.
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chocolate pu-erh
I really enjoyed this one. Heavy chocolate scent without being overwhelmingly sweet. Good alternative when you want a chocolate dessert but don't want anything creamy.
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AMORE
I really liked this tea. It tastes like a cherry dessert with a bit of a chocolate nose, even though there isn't any actual chocolate flavor. The cherry and raspberry isn't tart or bitter, but just a fruity and sweet aroma to the black tea.
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Lemongrass Ginger
This is the kind of tea I usually think of when I want a tea when I have a cold. The ginger is very intense, which would be amazing if you're stuffed up, but it's a bit much normally. Still, pretty good ginger drink with a hint of lemon.
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Roasted Dandelion Root
This is pretty much the same taste as their leaf and root tisane. Nothing to write home about, but fine. It's a meh tea in terms of taste, but a good option to add as a secondary ingredient to other teas for added health benefits. Worth it for how affordable it is.
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Raspberry Leaf
This tea is great for it's intended benefit and helps with cramping. It doesn't taste amazing, but it's fine. Tastes like any leafy, grassy, green tea. Don't expect it to taste like raspberry - it does not have any raspberry taste whatsoever, it's just the leaf part of the plant. Good benefit for the cost, goes well as a secondary ingredient in another tea.
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Dandelion Leaf & Root
Nothing special about this taste-wise, but it's nice to have as an option to add to other teas to get some of the medicinal benefits of the root and leaf at the same time. Makes it convenient and for an affordable price.
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Lemon Balm
This is extremely weak and I need several bags just to really taste anything at all, but it's a good cheap buy if you're looking to just add a little something to another tea for medicinal use. Grassy, but not with the usual light lemon scent you can smell on fresh lemon balm.
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Gypsy Cold Care
I'll still so frustrated that this company has tea listed with this name. I thought it had been changed. This word is a racial slur against Romani people, and we've been telling these tea companies this for decades.
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Kava Stress Relief
This is definitely an effective tea if you're taking it for medicinal reasons. Kava is practically the herbal version of a Xanax. It doesn't taste great, but is very relaxing and will literally have you feeling kind of numb. They try to mask the meh taste of the kava which some other ingredients, which does an okay job. The sarsparilla is a little odd. I usually use a lot of honey and some extra cinnamon or ginger to make it a little more palatable.
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Honey Lavender Stress Relief
This is a good nighttime tea for relaxation, but it's taste-wise it's good, but not great. Super affordable. I don't love the sage in it, little nauseating.
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Sweet Himalayan Detox Green Tea
Got this one in the blush sampler. Has kind of a grassy yet spicey taste. Be really careful not to steep too long - gets really gross if you do it too long but if steeped just a few minutes, is perfect.
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CEYLON BLACK TEA
This is a pretty good Ceylon for the price. Nothing to write home about, but it's a comforting black tea that is a pretty amber color as described. Holds its own well with honey and lemon.
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DARJEELING BLACK TEA
Not the greatest Darjeeling I've had, but pretty good. Be careful not to steep too long, as this one becomes bitter easily.
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BLACKCURRANT BURST
This was pleasantly surprising for a very affordable box of tea bags I found for a few bucks at a grocery store. The blackcurrant nose is extremely strong, which I personally love. The taste is a little lacking, but is smooth and surprisingly not bad quality for the price.
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Honeybush Banana Nut
This is one of my favorite Adagio teas that I regularly keep stocked at work. It's sweet on it's own, but goes well with honey and I imagine would do well with milk if that's your preference. Smells just like a banana muffin baking, though there isn't much banana flavor itself.
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Raspberry
This was surprisingly excellent for what few ingredients it has! The raspberry scent is extremely strong, but the flavor is not tart whatsoever, and tastes like a black tea with a woody, raspberry nose. Would love to try with vanilla.
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Honeybush Blueberry Pancake
I really love this tea, and it tastes exactly as described. The maple flavor is pretty prominent with a sweet fruity blueberry flavor. Smells exactly like you're making blueberry pancakes, but also a bit more woody.
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Blood Orange
This is good, but the use of hibiscus kind of takes over the blood orange rather than enhancing it. That said, it has a nice, gentle orange taste that isn't too in your face and makes a nice fall drink that's has a soft fruity flavor.
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Rooibos Vanilla
The vanilla is a bit lacking on this one, but if you have some of this and find it boring on its own, a recommendation I might make is to blend it with the orange roobois to make a creamsicle tea - turned out pretty good for me!
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Chocolate Truffle
I'm not normally a big fan of dessert teas, but this one wasn't too sweet. The chocolate nose was there, but not too subdued or overpowering. Don't ruin it with too much honey like I did.
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Rooibos Orange
This one's good, but not great. The orange flavor is there, but I always find myself adding more orange to it to enhance it. Be sure to use the right filter, as rooibos tends to leave pieces at the bottom of the pot. Recommend blending this one with vanilla rooibos to make a creamsicle tea - that turned out pretty good if you add more orange.
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mindful mint chai
This is probably my favorite tea I've bought from Adagio. I got it as a sample with rewards, but had to go back and buy more. Lovely chai spices with just the right amount of spearmint to offset the cloves and peppercorns. The ginger and spearmint pair nicely as well.
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Lavender Lemon
This one was surprisingly not too tart, and had more of a gentle, sweet lemon taste, rather than a sour lemon taste. The lemon aroma is strong, but the lavender is a bit subdued. I would probably add a little of my own lavender next time, but I imagine others may want a lighter floral note than I would.
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Rooibos Cinnamon Apple
I adore this one, though I wish the cinnamon was a little heavier, so I always add a couple cinnamon sticks to the teapot and then it's perfect. Has a warm apple pie taste and gentle sweetness. Perfect in fall in my little apple shaped teapot!
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Sour Apple
This one's not great unless you basically just want a hibiscus tea. It's extremely sour and doesn't really taste at all like apple, just hibiscus. It's great if you want hibiscus, but at that point you could just buy some hibiscus.
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Chestnut
This is a nice winter tea. I prefer to blend it with other ingredients and find it needs something to sweeten it and that it's a little basic on it's own, but could make a good blend with other ingredients.
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Elderberry Wine
Love this one! Definitely a bit heavy on the hibiscus, so this is good for you if you like fruity teas on the tart side. The echinacea and cornflowers offset the tartness a bit, though. Beautiful red color.
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White Blueberry Iced Tea
This is better as an ingredient than by itself, but is great with mint, lavender, lemon, etc. A little boring by itself but an excellent base for a tea with a light blueberry taste.
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Wenshan Mist Green
This is a solid, refreshing green tea, just nothing to write home about. If you need a crisp, regular green tea to blend with other things, this is a good option. Felt good on my throat when I was sick.