Top 10 Teas For Black Tea Honey

by Natasha Nesic
Have you ever wondered what goes into the magic art of pairing foods together?

Well, luckily for you, I’m an International Tea Masters Association Certified Tea Sommelier, and I want to let you in on our secrets.

Now, I can’t let you in on all our secrets, unfortunately— gotta keep up that air of mystery and allure, you know— but I can definitely give you the tips and tricks that go into finding what makes two things click together, especially if they don’t originate from the same food group.

For Adagio Bees, that means my job is to give you the ins and outs and ups and downs and side-to-sides— but no side-eyes! — about how tea and honey work together. (And you never know: with the influx of coffee I’ve been getting from Adagio Teas’s sister brand, Lardera Roastery, some of those aromatic beans might make a guest appearance in these articles for extra flavor!)

About the Honey

Today, we’re starting with Adagio Bees’s Black Tea Honey, which I’m personally extremely excited about!

This guy is technically known as Orange Blossom, which doesn’t necessarily mean it comes originally from orange blossoms. The name is meant more to denote its color and flavor profile: a lovely tangerine hue, it is derived from bees feeding on the nectar from a variety of fruits in the citrus family— meaning yes, there are oranges in there, but there are also lemons, limes, and grapefruits, as well as any other available fruit with a zesty exterior and pulpy-sweet interior. Once processed by our friends the bees, that nectar then produces a honey with all those characteristics. Pretty sweet!

Now let’s take black tea for comparison.

Black tea is the most oxidized type of tea, which means that the leaves have been withered and put through the greatest number of of processing methods in the step-by-step of tea production: rolling, oxidizing, and drying to produce the final fragrant result.

Note that black teas are not explicitly fermented, even though it’s sometimes mistranslated as such since the Mandarin word for “oxidization” also means “fermentation.” When tea leaves undergo true microbial fermentation action— such as that which is used also for sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha— means that a tea falls under the moniker of Hei Cha or “dark tea” instead.

All these complicated steps lead to a tea that’s often sweet, rich, and robust with flavors that occupy the baked-into-deliciousness section of the flavor wheel. I’m talking cocoa, almond, espresso, spice, caramel, and even woody or smoky notes that provide the balance of the cup while softer, subtler accents of fruit and flowers come in while sipping as lightly as possible, or on the aftertaste. Black teas are especially prone to yellow-to-red-toned fruits and flowers, so it’s common to taste things like apples or marigold— out of seemingly nowhere!

That’s the fun part.

So if we have citrus, fruit, floral, and all those wonderful flavors on the burn-y, dessert-y spectrum within our grasp for pairings, then what kind of magic can we get out of Black Tea Honey in concert with its tea compadres?

I got you!

Here are my top ten black Adagio Teas favorites to pair with Black Tea Honey:

1. Earl Grey Moonlight

It’s got citrus AND floral— what’s not to love in it? The sweet honey helps bring out those notes to make this cup from good to divine.

2. Irish Breakfast

If you want a traditional breakfast-feel of a tea, this one has you covered. It's one of Adagio's best sellers as well! This honey will bring out some of the malty notes in this tea.

3. Golden Monkey

Dragon Ball references aside, this one has incredible depths of character with subsequent steepings. If you love complicated, nutty, sweet black teas that you can drink all day- this one is for you.

4. English Breakfast

Because obviously we need a friend for Irish Breakfast to get breakfast with. Slightly less malty than it's Irish cousin, this tea's astringency is brought down by the honey so that the subtle smoky flavors can sing.

5. Yunnan Noir

If you’ve never been introduced to the Yunnan family of blacks, this is the perfect place to start. This fruity yet astringent tea will dance on your tongue with a touch of sweetness.

6. Ceylon Sonata

My first-ever Adagio black! So much love and nostalgia for this one. Fruity and citrus flavors are brought to the forefront with this honey.

7. Yunnan Gold

Another delightful member of the Yunnan household. Not to be missed. Chocolately and peppery with the sweetness from the honey - this is not one to be missed!

8. Scottish Breakfast

In case you need something to watch Outlander with. I won’t tell anyone. Malty, fruity, smoky, and sweet from the honey- this ticks all the flavor boxes!

9. Assam Melody

And there’s my second-ever Adagio black. More love, more nostalgia… Starchy molasses notes are brought to the forefront with a teaspoon of honey!

10. Keemun Concerto

…Wait, no. Now that’s the nostalgia. Keemun’s got a heart of honey-gold, and one of the best to pair the honey with. Mineral, smoky, sweetness in a cup!

Which are your favorite sweet blacks?

Cheers!
Natasha Nesic