* All items in this post have been kindly gifted by Adagio Tea. All opinions and photos are my own.
If you've ever met me in real life, you'll know that I am a real tea fiend. I'm not fussy about many things in life, but a good cup of tea is probably my one real indulgence. Whilst my go to everyday is an Earl Grey teabag, I love loose leaf and all of the preparation which goes with it. That's why when Adagio Tea got in touch and asked if I'd live to sample some of their blends and products, I genuinely felt like all of my Christmases had come at once!
The timing couldn't have been more perfect, as after coming back to London from an idyllic week away in the Lake District, I was feeling a little gloomy. But finding a huge box filled with around twenty different types of tea and some ingenious contraptions to brew them with made everything better and I was incredibly excited to give them all a whirl.
With summer in full swing, it made sense to start with their selection of iced-teas. You can buy a box of your favourite flavour, or try out their sample boxes which offer a selection of tasters around a theme. Each box six pouches, two of each flavour and offers a fantastic way to work out your favourite blend.
The three iced tea samples boxes sent were berries, orchard and classic. Each pouch produces a litre of your chosen beverage, and can be brewed hot or cold. I've found that brewing them with hot water and letting it cool before pouring over ice creates a stronger flavour, and I've put a little snippet from their website describing the flavours below.
Berries:
Wild Strawberry Iced Tea - Sweet strawberry and sugared rhubarb aroma, beautiful warm colour, and a pleasant aroma.
Berry Blast Iced Tea - A delicious blend of natural fruits and spices. Bold and slightly tart flavour, with a juicy clean finish.
White Blueberry Iced Tea - White tea with juicy blueberry flavour. Very fragrant, soft mouthfeel, refreshing finish.
Orchard:
Mango Iced Tea - An Adagio favourite. Citrusy Ceylon black tea, lush mango flavour. Juicy texture and floral aroma, creamy-dry finish.
Blood Orange Iced Tea - Deep vibrant colour and sweet flavour. Hearty with a good balance of orange peel dryness and fruit juiciness.
Peach Oolong Iced Tea - Oolong tea with the summer flavour of perfectly ripened fruit. Steep hot or refrigerate overnight in cold water.
Classic:
Ceylon Sonata Iced Tea - Fresh, bright, citrusy aroma balanced with sweet juicy notes of mandarin peel or grapefruit.
Rooibos iced tea - Very forgiving - won't over-steep. Steep hot or refrigerate overnight in cold water.
Peppermint iced tea - A Mediterranean native, revered for its cool, crisp aroma, deeply fresh flavour, and smooth finish.
I was also sent a full size version of their Citrus Mint Green Iced Tea which was a beautiful. refreshing blend with both a fruity zest and cooling spearmint.
In addition to the iced teas, I was sent some rather fantastic tools to get the perfect pitcher. The IngenuiTEA teapot is wonderful for any loose leaf or bagged beverage, but when used in conjunction with the glass pitcher, it suddenly makes iced tea a breeze.
Starting with the teapot which is available in two sizes, it's such a clever design. You pop your chosen tea in the top, add water and let brew to your desire. And then once ready, you put it on top of your mug or pitcher which causes a valve at the bottom to open allowing the brewed tea to flow though with the mesh filter holding onto the leaves. It's even dishwasher safe!
The pitcher is an elegant design, holding 1.2 litres of liquid. I loved that it had a plastic clip-on lid which was a clever touch to stop pesky flies and other bugs from having an ill-fated swim if you're drinking outside.
In addition to the iced-teas, I was also lucky enough to receive a whole batch of teas designed to be drunk hot. Adagio Tea do a huge range of black, fruit, green and white teas, and like the iced-teas, I was sent a few selection packs to try things out.
The lavender lemon and white strawberry are two summer dreams, the first an intoxicating and soothing citrus blend with the other being more delicate and naturally sweet. Peach Bellini was another favourite tasting like an exotic summer holiday, whilst more traditional takes such as Earl Grey were given a modern make-over with four very different blends.
Of course, every loose leaf needs a way to brew them, and Adagio Tea have the most fool proof way to ensure your favourite blend doesn't leave any debris behind. Their Paper Tea Filters are so clever and easy to use, as well as being biodegradable and mess free. With 100 filters in each box, you simply fill the bag, fold it over and infuse it in your favourite teapot or mug. In these photos I'm using their Glass Mug which is made from tempered glass and has a handle which always stays cool no matter how hot the liquid inside gets.
The final product is the one which I suspect will be a game changer for me on photoshoots, or in fact, whenever I leave the house. I try to make environmentally friendly choices wherever I can so am very committed to my travel cup. But you know how it is, you boil the kettle a few minutes before you leave, sling in a teabag and run - there's definitely no time to faff around with loose tea leaves! And as someone who has a cupboard filled with loose tea, it'd be nice to have that option. That's where the incredible activiTEA Portable Tea Infuser comes in, and honestly I am in love.
The "portable tea tumbler" is armed with a stainless steel infuser and double walled glass to keep in the heat. You put your leaves in the chamber, add hot water and flip upside down to brew. It even has a flexible strap so that you can carry it on your wrist to keep your hands free, and has a sleek and stylish design to finish things off. Not to be overly dramatic, but my reaction upon using it for the first was that it is "the best thing I have ever seen." One might even say it's tea-riffic!
Until next time,
Diana x ❤ x
(All photos (c) Diana Thompson / Fashion Loves Photos unless otherwise stated. Please do not reproduce without written permission.)
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