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All the black teas taste like all the other black teas, and so on. I liked the packaging style of the tea, but I was given the Black tea sampler, the green tea sampler, and the white tea sampler, and all 3 boxes teas tasted pretty much the same. Aside from the green earl grey tea, and the green genmai,{which were both EXCELLENT} they were very bland.
Second, along with a mug infuser and an electric kettle, they're the perfect way to enjoy good tea at the office, with tons of variety. It also turns it into a much more meditative, relaxing experience, which is the point of good tea, right). These sets are three excellent things in one: first, they're a perfect introduction to a range of fine teas, like getting a 6-bottle tasting at the best wine shop in the city. And pour just a little water over the leaves and let them sit for a few seconds before you add the rest of the water.
Last, they're just a great deal on a sizable volume of really nice teas. This releases all the aromas in the tea, so you can get a better feel for the distinctness of each one. Each tin is labeled with the proper water temperature and steeping time. And don't over-steep: that'll turn your tea bitter and uninteresting, covering up the flavors. I've had large mugs of each tea probably 4 times already, and I'm no more than 1/3 of the way into each tin. The 6 teas are all quite different, with a huge variety of scent and flavor.
(Although they should add a relative strength and/or amount indicator). The quality is so high, and the flavors so rich, I tend to refill each mug at least once, and get a second cup nearly as good as the first. (Think of the money you'll save over Starbucks at the office: I'm probably paying $.25 a mug for this tea, even without the refills.).(To do these teas justice, do be sure to spend 5 minutes reading about tea preparation. This all can sound nit-picky, but it really makes a difference in your enjoyment of the tea. I got this set and their green tea sampler, along with a ForLife single-mug infuser, and I now have really amazing tea whenever I want it. The amount is remarkably generous for the price, given that these are gourmet teas, with full-size uncut leaves.
Learn to "read" the ballpark temperature of the water, depending on how hard it's boiling.
The Golden Monkey (or Golden Needle) is superb and if you're a fan of Darjeeling, try it. If you're new at loose tea, (beyond the typical store-bought stuff) I suggest you try the ceylon and the assam first. Pu erh takes a lot of getting used to -- and I can't stand it, so don't try this first unless you've have pu erh, and even then.You will simply be amazed at this tea. I'm a huge fan of Adagio teas. These teas really turned me onto loose teas, so I think they're some of the best. Lot of people love keemun -- and it's a very good tea.
My favorites in this collection included the Ceylon Sonata and the Golden Monkey.I feel this is a good place to start if you're looking to come off of low-quality store-bought tea bags. This was one of the assortments I started with on my first loose tea order. If you plan on making iced tea, I recommend getting flavored teas instead.
I am fond of the Ceylonese bands and black teas. This is loose tea, by-the-way, in case someone thought they were bagged teas. This assortment of Adagio teas is interesting. The others were not good; I discarded them after one cup.
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