Three of my favorite flavors in the world are vanilla, almond and raspberry. So, when I discovered that Adagio offered the opportunity blend my own teas, the very first blend I decided to make combined these three flavors: Red Bear Blend, named after some of my heraldry in the Society for Creative Anachronism.
The first taste test of Red Bear Blend happened Sunday and I can report that it was a success, although not entirely what I had intended. The almond and the vanilla (plus some Assam for body) combine superbly, creating a rich, rounded vanilla flavor more complex than the normal straight up Adagio vanilla. The raspberry pieces in the blend didn't assert themselves, however. There was only a faint hint of raspberry in the after taste.
The tea holds up well for serving as iced tea. When cold, the vanilla takes over almost completely, leaving the almond only as an aftertaste and pretty much eliminating the raspberry entirely.
I had hoped for a combination that integrated all three flavors, but the vanilla and almond work together so very very well that I can't give this tea a bad rating at all. "Author intent" aside, it's an excellent brew.
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