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Adagio | Egypt Chamomile has been around for a long time. Used as a cure for sore stomachs, a sleep aid, a universal remedy for all types of ailments and also for its calming a effects.

I may have had chamomile a long time ago but I mostly overlook herbal teas and never really thought much about chamomile. I guess that explains my surprise at the tiny golden flowers I was scooping into my tea pot. I am not sure what I was expecting but I was very surprised by the look of these tiny Egyptian flowers.

This was a very strong smelling tea. It was sweet and smooth smelling with qualities similar to a mildly spiced cider, hot and sweet. The tea has a very light golden color and is transparent. The flavor is as rich as the smell. The taste and smell compliment each other for a very enjoyable and relaxing experience while at the same time complex with many subtle flavors. Drinking this tea has a very mild feel with a very pleasant mouth experience.

After that amazing experince the after taste is a little bit of a let down. It is kind of empty and hollow, it is best to keep drinking this tea and not let the mouth empty too greatly of chamomile to prolong the enjoyment. This tea reminds me a lot of apple cider because of its similar smell component to apple juice. I should make some apple cider and add chamomile as a test to see how well the two compliment each other.

Wonderful golden flowers.

Adagio | Chinese To start off this tea is very fragrant. It was very pleasing as I sat next to it waiting for the cup to cool. It has a yellow, orange color and is opaque. Maybe the orange color is why it is also called Orange Pekoe. I couldn't find an explanation for the origin of the 'orange' in Orange Pekoe so I will assume it is the color. This Green Pekoe is a very smooth drinking tea with a great texture. The aftertaste is stronger than the initial taste of the tea and fades really well. Some teas have the tendency to have a bitter after taste or seem a bit hollow. Not this tea, it is smooth and wonderful and the aftertaste might be better than the taste of the tea.

The leaves of this tea are long, thin and a little curly. I have always felt that tea leaves that hold together make better tea. I think it is the way they form a filter for the water not letting any tea-less pockets exist. This cooperation of tea leaves allows for strong but also smooth tea by also filtering out the tea particles that aren't held in suspension by the tea water. This tea did have a small amount of loose tea flecks in the last sip leading to a slightly bitter taste but only for the last sip. This is a tea I will come back to because of the overall smooth flavor and drinking experience.

Enjoy the color of the tea leaves. They take on a wonderful light green color accentuated by the end of the day's sunlight. Wonderful.