Tea Review 52 - Adagio's Bloomers

Jasmine Bloom
Red Bloom
Adagio Teas

The argument could be made that display teas are the dancing bears of the tea world. There's really no good reason for a bear to dance but it's entertaining to watch all the same. By the same token, there's no good reason for tea to put on a show, but it sure is fun to watch.

Adagio's bloom teas come packaged individually, ten to a box, with a selling price of ten dollars per box. Both types, in their unsteeped form, are round and about the size of a grape. When hot water is added the show begins. The leaves, which are woven together, slowly unfurl to form a flower shape with a genuine bonafide bloom at the center.

At which point, the show over, you're now left with a cup of tea that you'd presumably like to drink. Fortunately neither of these flavors disappoints. Jasmine is not normally my first choice of teas but I've come to like it more as time passes. Adagio's Jasmine Bloom is one of the better variations I've sampled, with a jasmine essence subtle enough that it doesn't stomp all over the green tea component.

But the real crowd pleaser, at least for this crowd of one, is the Red Bloom. This is a black tea, of course. Nothing confusing about that. It takes its name from the red flower that appears in the center of the tea as the leaves unfurl. The result of all this is a real kick-ass cup of black tea, if I do say so myself. It's one of the better black teas I've tasted, though I was driven to distraction trying to figure out what variety it is. There's a note there that I just couldn't quite put my finger on.

But never mind about that. Red Bloom gets a high recommendation from me, regardless of its origins. As for Jasmine Bloom, also recommended.