Guest Review: Adagio's Honeybush Blueberry Pancake Tea

A great guest review from my good friend Karen V.

I happened to see this highlighted on Adagio's website the last time I was restocking my collection of Alys' teas (my namesake chai remains the only thing with dried coconut in it that I actually like). In a momentary departure from rationality, I bought 3oz. This... is a lot of tea. But, I really like blueberry pancakes, and for some reason it sounded really appealing at the time, even though I am not a fan of maple syrup-flavoring (real syrup is fine, but any other form factor is not).

"Staying in? Pajamas on? We have just the tea for you! Juicy blueberries and the yummy taste of maple syrup blended with our naturally sweet Honeybush tea make for a delicious anytime breakfast treat. Settle in and binge watch - Honeybush Blueberry Pancake tea has you covered! (Herbal Tea | No caffeine)"

It arrived, and I looked at the size of the bag and thought, "I really hope I like this..." Then I opened the bag, and... what is that smell? It's sort of like burnt maple syrup, not in a caramelized way, but in a charred-to-a-crisp sorta way. This is not promising. It does not smell any better on subsequent sniffs.

But! I will try anything once, and it was unlikely to cause me lasting harm. Besides, we all know that some teas smell and taste very differently. So, I waited until I just kind of wanted a cup of tea, not when I *needed* one, because if it was awful I didn't want to hesitate to dump it down the sink.

I wish I could provide an entertaining description of a spit-take, but the tea is actually quite drinkable. It tastes absolutely nothing like a blueberry pancake, with or without syrup. It doesn't really taste like rooibos, either. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, but despite a good foundation in advanced math, I still can't tell you what that whole taste is. I can't pick out any descriptive words, other than "satisfying." It's drinkable, and moreover it is voluntarily drinkable. I've drunk several cups by now, and I like it. I just don't have any idea what I'm tasting. It's rather the same whether milk is added or not. I haven't tried sweetener -- it hasn't seemed to need it, and I'm a little worried it might highlight some syrupy notes. 

So, a solid 7/10. I'll drink the whole bag, and I might even consider getting it again. Usually I go for chai-flavorings in my rooibos, and this one has a totally different flavor profile.