Happy leap day! I had known about this blend for some time but since it is only available every 4 years on leap days, I kept missing it. Thankfully, Adagio Teas reached out and offered to send me some!
Description: “Celebrate Leap Day with this Scottish Breakfast Blend of Assam and Keemun teas.”
Instructions: 212°F – 100°C | 3-5 mins
Review: The tea blend came in a lovely dated navy blue and white tin with the legend of Brigadoon Village printed on the back of the lid. Brigadoon is a fictional Scottish village that was “enchanted, rendering it invisible to the outside world [and] if one were to leave [, it] would be lost from the world forever[.] It is only once every hundred years when Brigadoon can be seen and visited by outsiders.” Aligning with the tale, as this tea is only sold on leap years, the slogan is “[a] tea lost in time[.]” The concept of the tea is fun and memorable!
Opening the tin was a treat due to the blend of blue cornflower and long sliver needles nestled within the blend of black teas. The dry blend had a faint sweet malt smell. I am unsure if the mild smell was because the blend had a delicate smell or if the tins were not completely airtight. After hot water hit the dry blend, the liquor became dark reddish-brown with a sweet, malty, and dark chocolate aroma.
The taste was warming with sweet cocoa, malty, and woody notes. At the end of the sip was a slight roasted note and briskness at the back of the throat. A malty taste lingered afterwards in the mouth. As a breakfast blend, it was approachable and was reminiscent of fresh baked goods and molasses. The wet blend had a woody smell and a pop of colour from the cornflower petals.
I also tried the blend as a latte with almond milk. I doubled the amount of tea to make a tea concentrate. The idea from A Tea Cup of Life’s How to Make a Tea Latte post! The liquor became a tan colour tasted like biscuits and was woody. The sweetness was tapered compared to without the almond milk, so I added a splash of maple syrup. I preferred the blend without additives/plain since as a latte, some of the flavours were lost.
Overall, I’m glad Adagio Teas offered to send me this tea because I most likely missed it again! As I tend to favour sweeter/dessert black teas, this was a lovely addition to my collection! The sweeter profile of the blend reminded me of Jin Jun Mei, a black tea from China. As the blend is made of Keemun tea, another a Chinese black tea, I can see the similarities!
I can foresee myself reaching for this blend over the next 4 years. Thankfully, even if I run out, I only have to wait another 4 years and not 100 I “see” it again. This would be a nice breakfast blend for anyone who enjoys sweet/fruity black teas and does not prefer a strong brisk blend. Hint, hint, for anyone who can’t wait the 4 years, the sliver needle and two black teas in the blend seem sold separately by Adagio Teas too (4/5 rating).
- Type: Black tea
- Origin: Unknown
- Caffeine: High caffeine
- Ingredients: Assam Melody Tea, Keemun Concerto Tea, Blue Cornflowers & Silver Needle Tea
- Company: Adagio Teas
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