Adagio: Golden Spring
What a perfect name for this black tea. The golden leaves are very vibrant and the fresh aroma of the dried tea leaves is very spring-like. Like most of my favorite teas, I enjoy the aroma just as much as the flavor. I’m not sure why, but whenever I find a tea with a golden color, I have to try it. A lot of my favorite Yunnan varieties have a similar color. I’m assuming Adagio named this tea after the fact that it is from Fujian Province and it’s harvested in the early spring
Adagio.com describes the tea as: “A delicate black tea from Fujian Province harvested early in the Spring. The leaves are panfried and hand-rolled, capturing a fresh, sweet flavor unique to the season. Downy golden curled buds are interspersed throughout this majestic tea evoking visual color-play between gold and black. The heady aroma of both the dried and infused leaves has a distinct savory-sweet note that transcends richly into the cup. A decadent, almost “meaty” aftertaste makes for a very satisfying umami-sweet experience.”
Often, I don’t agree with the tea vendors description, but this one is pretty much perfect. You have the great visual of the golden panfried and hand-rolled tea leaves. For the few times that I get to make tea for people, it’s nice to have one on the shelf that looks “cool”, but I know people will enjoy it. The aroma reminds me of the smells you would experience standing next to a calmly flowing stream carving its way through the mountains where all the wild flowers and grasses are absorbing all the morning dew as the sun just starts to shine (it reminds me of Colorado). At times I detect a slight tobacco scent to it – a sweet tobacco smell. I even detect a faint grape-like aroma.
To prepare the tea, I let the water cool from a boil for about 2 minutes (maybe 200 degrees). After about 3-5 minutes of steeping, you’re left with a delicious cup of tea. I’ve had 6 cups and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each one. Having said that, this tea is unique. I sometimes find the sweetness in the flavor that I detected in the scent of the dry tea. Other times, it is more earthy with a classic smooth (lighter) Yunnan flavor to it. Either way, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with its flavor. If you like stronger teas, this one might come up short. If you want one with a great presentation, aroma, and pleasant flavor – give this a try.
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