★★★★★
The tea has a caramel apple flavor more than a candy apple.
A taste reminiscent of the carnival favorite with sweet caramel and fresh apple notes.
Customers use these reviews to describe their experience with Candy Apple, including flavor, aroma, preparation preferences, strength, and how the tea fits into daily routines. Browse the full review history page by page to compare tasting notes, steeping tips, and favorite ways to enjoy this tea.
The tea has a caramel apple flavor more than a candy apple.
This tea certainly isn't bad, and may be improved by copious amounts of sweetener? The smell is on-trend for fall, but the caramel didn't come through for me at all on the tongue. I found the tea itself almost burnt tasting.
Sweet and inviting. Reminds me of the caramel apple lollipops I ate as a kid!
Updated 2022: this time around I get cinnamon and a fruity sweet-tart flavor over a black tea base. Honey brings out the sweet-tart flavor more fully. Milk is a nice addition, giving a creaminess and toning down the tart notes.
Oct 2021 review: This tea is a bit of a chameleon. When black, there is a hint of apple, black tea, and something cloying that I did not enjoy at all. With about 1/2 tsp of sugar it turns into something else altogether -- a cinnamon, apple, and sweet flavor that is vaguely reminiscent of a red candied apple (but not the caramel apple flavor from the description). WIth sugar and milk it gets creamier and closer to caramel but loses some of the apple-iness. All three of these versions had a fairly strong black tea flavor underlying them. If you like your teas sweet this may be one for you, but if you aren't into sweet tea it's probably a miss as there is a sweetness even without added sugar. (3 min @ 200)
Sweet caramel and apple flavors were prominent in this blend, and I loved it! 3 mins @195°F
A great tea for autumn. It tastes like caramel apples.
Whoa! This taffy apple tasting tea is spectacular! ✨The tea smells and tastes like fresh apples. It’s perfect for a cozy autumn day. I love that it’s caffeinated!
A tasty treat indeed! At first sip, this one was a little bitter, though I steeped at 190° for just about 3 minutes. After reading a few reviews, I decided to add a little honey, though I rarely sweeten my teas, and let the tea cool slightly. That cut the bitterness and now this is apple candy in a cup!
A sweeter tea, with artificial apple tones that really come out as an aftertaste after a swallow. Drinkable, and you get a slightly more [but incredibly light] mouth zing with a touch of sweetener. This is one which might be better in a blend than it is alone.
I loved the Candy Apple. Just a slight 'cider-y' note, but tasted a little like walking into an orchard shop smells.
It is not a bad tea, but the flavor is a bit weak. If I want an apple-flavored warm drink I would much prefer apple cider or an herbal tea over this one. It's fine if you like tea with just a hint of flavor. From what I can taste, I really like the flavor so I just wish it were stronger.
This tea reminds me of caramel apples. The aroma is very strong out of the packet, but less so in the brewed tea. The apple flavor is there. It does, however, take a back seat to the the flavor of caramel and sugar. It is not a tea I would want to drink every day, but it does bring back memories of eating candy apples as a child. Perhaps it is a good tea to drink during Halloween season!
Updated CommuniTEA 10/17/22: I brewed it at 200°F this time and I still don't like it. There's a cloying butterscotch/caramel/burnt sugar taste that sticks in the back of my throat. It smells like apples, but it doesn't taste like them. I think this one really just isn't for me.
.
Original review: I really wanted to like this tea, but it was so bitter it was unpalatable. I brewed according to the directions, and I could tell from the first sip that it was too hot and had leached all the bitterness into the brew. I'll check everyone's reviews before I brew tomorrow's communitea! I only had one apple piece in mine, so this might be what caused the brew to be heavy on the tea flavor and not much else. The aroma of the dry leaves was amazing! Cinnamon apple oatmeal crumble, but the execution was lacking. This could be user error, so if I ever find myself with this tea, I will give it a fair try.
I find this tea's astringency/bitterness more prominent than its candy sweetness. It has a Granny-smith tartness that compliments the black tea well; It is definitely more green apple candy flavored than dessert-like caramel apple. This one is not quite sweet enough to be a frequent tea for me, but it is a nice holiday treat once in a while. Probably would be more candy-like with a bit of sweetener or brewed very lightly.
Updating this review since I got to have it again in the CommuniTEA! This tea really does remind me of a candy-coated apple like you'd get at a fair, the apple is sweeter than in other apple-forward blends without being too saccharine. The caramel isn't really a strong caramel flavor, rather it's more of a sweetener rather than its own distinct flavor. This is a really good fall-flavored tea, one I think apple fans will definitely enjoy!
CommuniTEA portion: Steeped at 195 for 3 minutes. Packet aroma was strong cinnamon and a bit of apple. It was a bit astringent for me. And the cinnamon overpowered the sip for me. I didn't get a lot of caramel until it cooled. I can see why this would be popular but it wasn't my favorite.
CommuniTEA review:
Opened the packet and could smell black tea and Carmel. Smelled just like a Caramel apple. When brewed the tea, it had aromas of a caramel apple as well, and had a dark amber color. Taste just like a caramel apple!! one of the rare few coffees/teas I've had that tastes exactly how it smells!!
A nice smelling tea, but the flavor balance tended toward artificial apple with a bitterness from the black tea. Just a meh.
Apple and cinnamon aromas struck me as I opened the CommuniTEA pouch. It smelled promising, but once brewed, I was not a fan. The apple flavor comes through in a way that borders strongly on medicinal to my palate, and the 'candy' aspect of this brew comes across more as a sensation than a flavor: a sort of coating of the mouth, much like a candy coating on an apple. Unfortunately, in conjunction with the medicinal notes of the apple in the flavoring, the result is a sensation very reminiscent of the coating of cough syrup.
To be fair, I am not generally impressed by apple teas. They too often try to hard to be something they're not, namely apple cider. I would not have tried this outside of the CommuniTEA, and though it doesn't appeal to me, others may love it.
I steeped at 212 for 3 mins then added 1 sugar. The first flavors are great, mostly sweet, with just a hint of apple, and smooth black tea. Great mouthfeel. However the aftertaste. Oh god the aftertaste. Just vile. Hard to describe because it should taste good but it doesn’t. Cinnamony and caramelly but with a bitterness and in a way that tastes sticky and like rancid candy. If there was no aftertaste, I would love it. Unfortunately, it really ruins this cup for me.
A little too candy sweet for me. It does taste both candy and appley, though. So it tastes as advertised. Just too artificially sweet for me.
This tea, while delicious, was way to sweet for me. If you like a sweeter tea this would be a good one fore you.
Without honey, this was mostly black tea with hints of caramel for sweetness. It had a bit of a burned flavor almost and I got no apple at all. With a third teaspoon of chocolate honey (roughly), the bitterness calmed down and I got more caramel, but still no apple. I wouldn’t drink it without the honey.
Adagio seems to generally use desiccated apples, my absolute favorite fruit, as a delivery method for other flavors, which makes sense: It's an edible fibrous mass that, when dried, takes on the properties of an inefficient sponge. So I was interested to see how an apple flavored tea using this method would work, and I'd say it works very well. The apple flavor comes through just strongly enough to be noticeable but not so strong as to overpower the pleasant ceylon taste. It should be unsurprising that this is not as potent as a cider, but it satisfies my general and unending craving for apples nonetheless. (Cold brewed for 10 hours)
After reading several reviews about how easy this was to over-steep, I made the decision to only let it sit for about 2 minutes. This tea was powerfully aromatic straight out of the packet and stayed that way after about 2 minutes of steeping. The apple flavor is prominent with a kiss of caramel-candy sweetness. Overall, a joy to drink on a chilly fall morning. Would probably taste divine with a bit of sugar or honey and maybe even a gentle splash of milk
In the bag: Mostly just black tea, perhaps Ceylon. A few apple pieces and cinnamon chips poke out. Tea leaves are thin and mid-length. Not much breakdown occurred in transit.
On the nose (pre-steep): Smells EXACTLY like a candy-dipped apple you might find in a sweets shop. Intense, rich flavor. Slightly syrupy. No cinnamon, though.
On the nose (post-steep): Medium intensity. The candy scent is much more subdued. I still smell apple, though it's not as strong. Still no cinnamon.
On the tongue (with sweetener): Still some candy and apple flavors here, though not as strong as the pre-steep scent. Flavors are medium intensity. Slight bitterness. No cinnamon.
Opinion: A pleasant tea for casual sipping. It smells better than it tastes, but still tastes good. I would pull the steep just before 3 minutes to avoid the slight bitterness.
Preparation: 3 min @ 212 ℉, ½ tsp monk fruit sweetener
I really enjoyed this tea with apple and caramel flavors. It does remind me of a caramel coated apple. I steeped at 190 degrees for 4 minutes and added rock sugar and whole milk.
I brewed it at a bit of a lower temp to avoid bitterness. There is sweetness and caramel flavor, but I would prefer a bit more apple flavor to go with it. (200F for 3min)
It's good, but a little too easy to over/underbrew. Tastes a little more apple-like cold, a little more caramel-like warm.
This tea smells and tastes enjoyably of caramel candy apple.
UPDATED from 10/26/21: There is a perplexing burnt cinnamon smell when the CommuniTEA packet opens. Hints of apple may have been there, but the black tea aroma is stronger. I steep this (at a slightly lower temp) into a lovely amber. Taste-wise the black tea is full bodied, with the smoky, woody tannins being the dominant flavor, with cinnamon providing a little zing into the finish. This tastes more like maple syrup than a candy apple. Adding ¼ teaspoon of sweetener and heavy whipping cream (to 12 oz) smooths everything out, and allows a more malty, creamy finish. (3 mins @ 200ºF + sweetener and cream).
I have a stash of this tea and enjoy it on its own...brewed at 195 for three minutes, or added to other teas as an accent.
Not my cup of tea. Should have added some cream I think.
Nice candy apple flavor. Wish the apple was a bit stronger though.
Great tea for days with a sweet tooth. It does not need any additional sweetener for a flavorful experience.
This is a perfect autumn tea! Sticky caramel and apple make for a super sweet combo, perfect on a backdrop of malty black tea. A hint of cinnamon on the aftertaste ties this one up perfectly.
This smelled so good when I opened the bag, but I was kinda let down by the taste. I could barely taste the apple and then just a hint of cinnamon. It was drinkable, but I probably wont get it again.
Sweet and tart notes are there with help from sugar
This is such a tasty little treat! Got a sample of it with a prior order and had to buy another sample-sized bag to have on hand. Excellent for fall, tastes like a cinnamon apple treat, perfect with a spoonful of sugar and a little milk.
Fall in a cup! A couple cubes of sugar really make it feel like you’re drinking a candy apple. Love it!
Delicious, tastes just like caramel apple, more apple than caramel, but soooooo good
Excellent flavor. Just what I expect from a candy apple tea. Plenty of red apple taste and some doughnut sugar. This will be in the regular rotation.
An amazing sweet and tart apple flavor. It’s refreshing and summery without being overwhelming.
I wasn't impressed with this tea but it was ok. It tasted mostly of caramel with just a hint of apple. The caramel tasted slightly odd to me and I wish the apple taste was a little stronger. I added a little honey and some vanilla almond milk to help improve the flavor but I still thought it was just so-so.
Gave this as a gift, and I know my friend went through it very quickly, so it must be pretty good!
The apple in this is pretty weak. I expected more sweet from the 'candy' but this isn't very different from apple flavored tea..
Apple flavored tea is my absolute favorite, so of course I had to buy this. It is good, but I wish the apple flavor was A LOT STRONGER.
If you enjoy apple flavored treats you will enjoy this tea. The apple flavor is strong.
I felt like it had a weird aftertaste, but it wasn’t too bad. Maybe brewing it lighter would have helped
I wanted to love this one, but I have to settle for good, not great. I was hoping for more of the apple flavor to come through and maybe be a bit sweeter with the 'candy' flavoring, but it leaves a little bit to be desired. All in all, still a very good tea, but I had high hopes for this flavor.