Adagio Teas - Advent Calendar 2025 (teabags)

So, I will admit it; I sort of knew what I was signing up for with this one. I have used Adagio Teas in the past (they are great), and advent calendars can be a fun little addition to the holidays. Regardless, this journey into the world of tea was interesting, and an easy way to explore it without breaking the bank. I think tasting a sample each day helped me settle in on a couple of favorites I would definitely order again.

Although I was raised in a very Catholic household, advent calendars were never a huge part of growing up. When I became an adult, I came across the tradition and knew I wanted to incorporate it into my seasonal experience. A couple of times in the past, my wife and I even made each other calendars, where we filled each day with treats we knew that the other would enjoy. The past year (well, 2 years ago now), however, I went with a loose-leaf tea calendar from Adagio, my first order from them I believe.

Since I am more of an afternoon tea kinda guy (nothing beats coffee in the morning for me, personally), I needed something easy to prepare. Unfortunately, they don’t have equipment for loose-leaf tea at the office, which made things tricky last time. Thus, I went with the teabag option this year. I do not think it disappointed at all. Though it is not the same as a loose leaf brew, you can’t beat the taste of simplicity. Just follow the steeping time/temperature on the bag and you are good to go.

Alright, enough rambling. You probably want to just know how each tea tasted (and I procrastinated until Jan. 11 to post already 😛). So, without further adieu, here is the exhaustive list. I provide my rating alongside a brief description of each:

• lounge chair lapsang: 1 ⭐️ Easily my least favorite tea on this list (sorry to start off on the worng foot). Maybe it is my lack of knowledge on souchang teas, maybe it is the way it was prepped, but it did not do it for me. I usually like (actually, love) smoky flavors, but this was far too much for me. Left an odd taste in my mouth.
• candy apple: 3 ⭐️ I liked it, but think that the candy flavorings (caramel perhaps? )didn’t add much to the final cup. With just the apple flavor, it could probably be bumped to 4 stars. For my taste buds, at least.
• candy cane: 4 ⭐️ I love minty things and this was no exception. Had a pleasant aftertase and left me longing for another brew.
• chamomile: 4 ⭐️ Chamomile tea is a classic for me. Reminds me of getting over a sickness and instantly transports me into a better, healthier state. My favorite brand for this tea of all time, however, remains Bonomelli!
• chestnut: 3 ⭐️ I 100% see what the company was trying to do with this. I can envision the Christmas elves running around setting up stockings while I take a sip; very festive idea. I just did not enjoy the chestnut flavoring as much as I had hoped. I think that it overpowered the tea taste and led to a rather boring cup.
• cranberry: 5 ⭐️ One of my favorites in this calendar! It had just the right amount of tartness without ruining the tea taste. Refreshing and sweet; no signs of bitterness that can sometimes accompany cranberry flavor. Perfect for the holidays!
• jasmine phoenix pearls: 3 ⭐️ I feel as though this may be better as a loose leaf tea. In the teabag form, it produced a rather boring cup for me. The flavors, while not polarizing or unpleasant, were not super refined. Perhaps the leaves did not have a chance to unfurl correctly in the bag?
• dragonwell: 4 ⭐️ A very high quality tea. Light and airy in the mouthfeel, with a sweet floral taste. Not personally what I always want from tea, but very good regardless.
• earl grey: 5 ⭐️ I am definitely a sucker for earl grey! It is one of those teas that get you started in the tea universe and I still reach for it in the office on a rather routine basis.
• english breakfast: 4 ⭐️ Similar to the Irish tea, it is a classic. Nothing extraordinary here, but can’t complain.
• fruit sangria: 4 ⭐️ They tried to cram so many fruit flavors into the mix that I don’t think any were allowed to shine in this brew. So, while it had a pleasant mouthfeel and left a fun aftertaste, I could not find much that stands out in terms of flavor notes. Would try again iced, as I think it’d make an awesome sweet tea.
• green popcorn: 5 ⭐️ This is a flavor I have ordered from Adagio before, so I am biased, but this is probably my favorite of the bunch! Genmai cha has always been near the top of my list of tea rankings. I like popcorn, green tea is my preference, and it all still tasted great with a simple teabag steep. What is not to love?
• gingerbread: 3 ⭐️ I would describe this as a tea that smells far better than it tastes. When I first took a whiff, I was super impressed. It actually was like smelling fresh gingerbread. However, when I brewed it (according to the instructions), it was so bitter. Almost none of the flavor notes (except maybe clove) were very pronounced. In fact, I did not finish the cup (rare). 6 stars for the aromas and 0 for taste. We will average it out to three stars 😊
• man cave: 1.5 ⭐️ I guess this makes me less of a man, but I did not like this one. The oolong mixed with pu-erh taste came across as overly astringent and I could not taste any nuanced flavors.
• irish breakfast: 4 ⭐️ Irish tea is a classic; simple and bold. I love to steep extra long and add a splash of milk
• masala chai: 2 ⭐️ Masala chai is a favorite in my family (mom, in particular), but this did not do it for me. Something about the ratio of spices felt off (too much clove?) and I much prefer the bags you can buy at Trader Joes.
• peppermint: 4 ⭐️ As mentioned above with the candy cane flavor, I love mint. This was no exception. The flavor was there without being too overpowering.
• pumpkin spice: 1 ⭐️ Not a fan of pumpkin in general, so this was not a win. I won’t go into more details because, unfortunately, it is just not a flavor I am drawn to.
• vanilla rooibos: 2 ⭐️ I was disappointed with this one because I generally like rooibos tea; it is a fabulous flavor and probably in second place after hibiscus on my herbal tea scale. The vanilla here ruined all that. Tasted far too artificial (almost medicinal) for my liking.
• silver needle: 3 ⭐️ A super delicate tea. Mouthfeel is very light and taste somewhat muted. Would recommend lingering with this one a bit. Can’t say that is a favorite of mine, but would never turn down a cup!
• oolong goddess: 4 ⭐️ A classic oolong tea, which is a type of tea that I like. Reminiscent of the tea they serve in those pots at old-school Chinese takeouts. It seemed to get better the longer I let it steep for. Instructions be damned!
• white blueberry: 2 ⭐️ Look. I am from Maine. I did my thesis on blueberries. I thought this would be a way to get a small, afternoon buzz (white tea naturally has less caffeine) with some blueberry notes. Perhaps it is due to the delicate nature of white tea, but I could not make out much of the fruit taste at all. The tart, somewhat acidic nature of blueberry was not present, so while white tea is always pleasant, it did not match my expectations.
• wuyi ensemble: 2 ⭐️ Far too bitter for my taste buds. Left an odd aftertaste in my mouth. Perhaps it is too unforgiving with time or temperature in its steeping, but I did not really enjoy this one. I am sure it can suit others, though.
• golden yunnan: 4 ⭐️ A review from their site says it all; “It has a pure taste, not too tannic or bitter (for those of us black tea drinkers), there’s no artificial flavor, or additives.” I appreciated this teabag for not trying to be anything except for a solid black tea experience. No odd flavors, no additions, no pretending to be something it is not. Just a decent-tasting cup of tea!

Keep on sippin’!

Photo Credit: Aniketh Kanukurthi