Hello again, Adagio community!

Today we'll be reviewing two delicious limited-edition blends specially formulated to keep you toasty and warm as the thermometer dips this fall. These blends are only available during the fall, so be sure to pick them up.

You may purchase them individually or in the Autumn Teas sampler.

Bonfire

Taste Profile

The main tea/tisane ingredients in Bonfire are Honeybush and Lapsang Souchong.

Lapsang Souchong is one of the oldest teas in the world, having been cultivated in China for many centuries.

Honeybush is a naturally sweet and honey-like leaf that offers a rich, complex flavor palette and not technically a tea.

While Lapsang Souchong is a black, caffeinated leaf with a signature smoky taste that provides a more intense counterbalance to the herbal Honeybush. Given that Bonfire has a touch of black tea, this blend contains a trace amount of caffeine.

This blend also includes pieces of apple, aniseed, cocoa nibs, cinnamon, rosehips, cloves, orange, red peppercorn, safflower, and natural flavors derived from oranges, hazelnut, and cinnamon. The result is a complex, warm, sweet, and distinctly autumn blend. Additionally, Honeybush is rich in polyphenols, which are purported to have numerous antioxidant health benefits.

Brewing Recommendations

Note: Herbal/black blends can be tricky, as most call for very different temperatures and steeping times. However, there are several advantages to a complex blend. The wide array of ingredients allows the user to accentuate different flavors by altering steeping time and temperature. There are enough potent supplemental fruits and herbal ingredients to brew a strong flavor at lower temperatures.

I tried steeping at 190°F for five minutes, which reduced the smoky richness of the Lapsang Souchong and left the fruitier notes intact. If you opt to brew at full temperature (212 degrees), be careful not to steep for too long, as the Lapsang can get quite astringent, about three minutes would be recommended.

VelociTEA Brewing Recommendation

Note: Check out this Tea Blog entry to keep your VelociTEA running like new for years to come.

1) Fill the kettle to desired water level
2) Add 1 teaspoon of Bonfire (or 3 grams) per 8oz of water in the infuser
3) Select 195°F Oolong, 4-minute setting
4) Steep and enjoy!

Add-ins

Though the Bonfire blend contains ample complimentary ingredients ranging from fruit to spices, like most teas it also does well with a bit of honey. Consider Adagio's Raw Manuka Honey, which is both strong and rich and won't get lost in this potent tea. Manuka also contains notes of menthol, which is soothing to the throat and might come in handy when the temperature drops. You might also consider tossing in a mint candy cane to add a bit more spiced sweetness.

Autumn Mist Green

Taste Profile

This blend is based on Gunpowder green tea leaves, which, despite the name, are not too smoky. This, along with its purported antibacterial, antioxidant, and antiviral qualities, makes it one of the most popular green teas.

This special autumn blend also contains apple pieces, cinnamon, rosehips, natural creme brulee flavor, marigold flowers, and rose petals. The fruit and cinnamon along with the other ingredients provide a well-balanced spiciness and complex floral palette that suits the subtler green leaves perfectly.

The Autumn Mist Green is an overall milder flavor palette than the Bonfire; sweeter, earthier, and more floral without losing the cinnamon spice. Any fan of green tea in the mood for a little autumn spice will love this blend.

Brewing Recommendations

1) Heat water to 180°F
2) Prep 1 teaspoon (about 3 grams) of Autumn Mist blend per 8 oz of water
3) Steep for 3 minutes and enjoy!

VelociTEA Brewing Recommendation

1) Fill the kettle to desired water level
2) Add 1 teaspoon of Autumn Mist Green (or 3 grams) per 8oz of water in the infuser
3) Select 180°F White, 3-minute setting
4) Steep and enjoy!

Add-ins

Try Adagio's specialty Raw Honey for Green Teas, a sweet and balanced variety specifically chosen to complement green teas.

Grab these autumnal teas while you can! It'll be winter before you know it.