★★★★☆
It doesn't taste like bourbon, it actually tastes like brandy. Maybe slightly too fruity to taste like whiskey.
Blended for slow sipping, this black tea has notes of vanilla, malt, and a hint of smoke from the bourbon barrel.
Customers use these reviews to describe their experience with Kentucky Bourbon, 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.
It doesn't taste like bourbon, it actually tastes like brandy. Maybe slightly too fruity to taste like whiskey.
This Kentucky Bourbon tea tasted very similar to bourbon, I honestly was surprised at how much similarity it had. It was even better after adding a few sugar crystals, but I personally prefer my tea to be a bit sweet. I am only giving it four stars because I'm not a huge fan of plain bourbon.
This tea was drinkable with cream and honey added. I did not care for the flavoring.
Just like the tin says folks, this is slightly smokey, bourbon adjacent tasting and brewed very nicely despite my tendency to steep and forget it. It is very strongly flavored and reminds me of a nice bourbon sipper, minus the sting of course. Have you tried the apple flavored Jack Daniel's? It smells like that one does without the alcohol of course. I had this at work so I was not supposed to add anything but I bet this would make a delicious hot toddy with a little bit of your favorite liquor and a touch of honey. I would buy it again!
This one was not for me. The smoke flavor predominated—it smells strongly of Lapsang in the bag. The aftertaste was quite sweet (a little sickly, in my opinion). The flavors didn't really come together, in my mouth, and it isn't one I would turn to repeatedly, which is what I always look for in a tea.
Oh, this one... Oof. I got nothing from this tea but pure smoke, and in a bad way. No apple, no caramel, no vanilla, just smoke smoke smoke. It tasted like the smell of leather.
I really like Bourbon and am always on the look out for something that tastes similar, but safe to drink all day. This was a great surprise. Drink it hot with a bit of honey, amazing.
Actually bought this for a friend, because I hate anything with lapsang in it. My friend loved it though, says it's true to it's namesake!
This is a really interesting blend of flavors and is somewhat difficult to describe. A hint of bacon flavor seems to be the first note. I tried a 50/50 blend with Chocolate Truffle and it was good. It toned down the bacon flavor.
This brew smells of a warm bourbon, and is delicious with soda crackers.
I think I just don't like bourbon flavor in my tea. Too weird.
This sounded interesting, and I suppose it was, just not in a good way. This tea was not for me.
The smell and taste were just awful. Don’t know where they pulled the name from but nothing about this resembled bourbon.
I did not love this tea though it is ok. A bit too strong on the ending note.
I love this tea! It’s so unique and the combination of sweet and spice (reminiscent of cloves) is delicious. I put some fresh apple slices in it and infused overnight in the fridge and that was delicious too.
This a strong black tea. Gets some of the bourbon notes. a good tea if you like something strong just not for me
For anyone who does not drink bourbon, this should not be the frame of reference for them. It's just black tea with a bunch of flavoring mix. Bourbon should smell/taste like bourbon - this one does neither. I doubt anyone who appreciate any whiskey would drink this and actually like it.
The smoke taste was a wee bit too much for me, otherwise, this was a nice tea. Definitely drinkable and a nice warm-up for those chilly mornings.
A unique blend that you probably won't find anywhere else.
This is the boldest tea I've had from Adagio so far. Immediately opening it you can smell the bourbon flavour in it. It was a bit bitter unsweetened for my mother, but I liked it a lot!! Might depend on the person.
I was actually quite surprised how well this replicated bourbon! It’s a unique tea if you’re looking for something a little different.
I can't say this tea was my cup of tea, but it was for my dad. Gave it to this avid coffee drinker and bourbon lover and he happily drank it. The cocoa nibs and blue cornflowers were a nice touch.
Oh man when I first opened it, the smell of bourbon hit me and I wasn't sure at all. It mellows out very pleasantly - even family who dislike bourbon enjoyed this!
An interesting mix of flavors that combines into an unexpected profile. Tasty as hell!
oh my god, i love this tea. i love bourbon flavored things--im totally obsessed with baking with it--and this tea is everything i could have ever dreamed of. my friends who actually drink alcohol also liked it a lot, which is a great endorsement!!!
Nice reminiscent bourbon flavor and it smells amazing too.
Not a fan of this one. Although it smelled great the flavor was a bit strong for me
I actually enjoyed the flavor of this tea! I brewed it at 180 degrees for 3 minutes based on previous comments. I enjoyed the mild smoky flavor of it. It’s not too strong. I recommend giving it a try!
This tea is bit too smokey for me. It's odd, but not in a bad way, just that it takes some getting used to. I can't really taste the candy apple but the caramel and vanilla are prominent, as well as the smoke flavor. Not sure how close to bourbon this tastes, but it is a nice savory tea. All-in-all, not something that I'd mind drinking, but also not something I would buy.
The smell and taste were very much like Bourbon, which I don't care for. Had an odd smokiness that lingered that was weird. If you like Bourbon, maybe you'll like this tea.
Lapsang souchang is my least favorite tea so when I looked at the communitea packet I knew I wasn't going to like it. The smoke is light though but still there
I never tried bourbon so I don't how it should taste, but I do not like smoky teas.
just a little too smokey for my liking! i cold brewed it and i’m sure fans of smokier teas would enjoy it, but it’s just not for me!
CommuniTEA sample: I made todays tea into a mocktail. I brewed my 3g sample into 8oz of water per package directions and cooled it. Meanwhile I muddled 1/2 tsp brown sugar with 2 dashes bitters and a chunk of orange zest and 1/2 tap water. Removing the zest I poured 4oz of the cooled tea over the muddled mixture and a couple ice cubes. This is better both than the original drink and my previous encounters with this tea. Really shining example of “the sum of the whole is better than the parts.”
This tea was a surprising delight. I wasn’t sure what to expect and I am not really a bourbon/whiskey fan nor do I enjoy Lapsang Souchong tea so this tea was already batting zero for me.
Surprise! I really don’t taste bourbon/whiskey but I do taste a delightful Carmel/malty/buttery tea that is pleasing for an afternoon pick-me-up.
Having said all that I am not a fan of, I do enjoy Keemun tea which certainly adds flavor notes and essences to this tea.
Steeping Notes — 195 degrees for 5+ minutes in a tea traveler, Grandpa style.
This tea is ok, but in my honest opinion it seems to be trying to hard to be something it's not. The flavor is a very smokie, slightly bitter, black tea with subtle hints of apples and caramel, finishing as a very dry mouthfeel.
I like whiskey and I like tea but combine the two and it's not for me.
I can see the appeal of this tea for some people the complexity of the flavors and the smokey aftertaste with the little taste of vanilla is interesting. This tea is just a little too strong for me.
I understand why this tea would be good, and the initial taste was great! It was sweet and fruity and nice. But then the lapsang souchong kicked in at the finish. It was certainly interesting to try, but if this weren't in the communiTea I never would've even considered tasting it because any amount of smoke is too much smoke for me!
People who like bourbon will probably like this tea. I am not one of those people, and the taste was way too strong!
Edit 5/15/22: I think this blend has been updated since I last tried it, and now it's quite nice! (I've also warmed up to lapsang souchong since then.) It's a nice and rich black tea with super sweet apple and just a hint of smoke. Pretty tasty!
I don't drink alcohol so I didn't really know what to expect from this tea. I was intrigued by the flavor description but the tea itself was overly smokey and unpleasant
UPDATE 5-15-22
did I get a bad batch the first time around? This time trying with the communiTEA I found the tea to be very pleasant. Much more mild on the smoke and lightly fruity. I still may not reach for this in the future, but I still think it's a lot better now than I did before!
This was lightly smoky and had caramel overtones. I very good black tea
Great tea. I liked the smoky flavor with the hint of vanilla. With that being said, I could not see myself drinking this one often as it is somewhat a novelty.
This tea was very smoky. I noted a vanilla flavor at the back end, but not much else came through.
Bourbon smell VERY strong when I opened the packet, clocked me right in the face. The taste was thankfully much smoother, smokey and caramel-y. As it cooled the whiskey taste came back much more gently, blending with the caramel and just a little tartness. There's a lingering whiskey aftertaste, as well. While I did end up enjoying it I don't know that it's something I would drink regularly; not because of any fault in the tea but my own dislike of whiskey.
A nice smoky tea with a nice blend of caramel and vanilla. I wouldn't say it necessarily tastes like bourbon but it's not bad overall.
The candy apple sweetness paired with the subtle smoky flavor makes this a really fun “novelty” blend. That said, I once had a sampler bag of it and found that I didn’t want to reach for it very often after that initial novelty wore off. So, I thoroughly enjoy it every now and then (twice a year?), but it’s not a go-to blend for me by any means.
I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I am not a fan of smokiness, but luckily, the Lapsang Souchong was not overpowering. I enjoyed this with a splash of vanilla cream.
UPDATE: Made this the first time before I understood the nuances of steep times and temps. Watched the clock carefully with today's CommuniTEA brew. It's still a bit strong for my taste. I get the smoke. I get the caramel. The fruit isn't forward for me, much as it is when I drink a strong whiskey. The smokiness just overpowers my palate. But with some milk, this time I did drink the whole cup with an enjoyable curiosity. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I should have tried this before I bought 3oz. Too heavy with a cloying smell that is more bourbon than tea. Not for me.
CommuniTEA 5/15/22: it's not bad, but super wierd. Doesn't taste like bourbon to me. Instead it tastes like brisket dipped in chocolate ganache. I think i would like it better with more Lapsang and less rosehips? Overall it's a solid tea, just really strange flavor profile and doesn't remind me of bourbon.
212°F 3 minutes 1tsp raw sugar
I am glad I was able to try this blend. It surprisingly does have a bourbon-y taste. I liked it better than I thought I would since I really dislike smokey teas but this one is very interesting, and I will gladly finish the cup. I added a little cream and sugar and that helped soften the flavors.