10 Ten Teas For The Whipped Honey Sampler

by Natasha Nesic
The holidays are nigh!

You know what that means.

It’s time to find gifts for folks.

Now, some folks are easy to shop for. They might have a favorite color, aesthetic, or might even tell you in advance of the shopping madness, “Hey, please put X on my wishlist!”

Some folks are… less easy to shop for. They might have very, very specific needs and desires when it comes to a present from the heart. (For example, have you ever tried to find a cute moisturizer for your bestie who struggles with their skin? It’s tough! Especially if the really super cute ones all have fragrances and they have migraine issues on top of it… )

Luckily, it’s hard to go wrong with honey, whoever you’re shopping for.

Now, what if you’re still unsure which precise honey to gift your loved one?

Well, consider getting them a sampler!

About The Honey

The Whipped Honey collection by Adagio Bees comes in an array of holiday colors: festive green (blueberry honey with matcha), spicy red (clover honey with cinnamon), and warm brown (clover honey with chocolate). All are perfectly blended to complement the many colorful holiday flavors on your plate— or in your cup! — right now.

Speaking of in the cup, what teas are you going to recommend that your recipient try with their honey, once the gift is in their hands? Never fear, the sampler-answer key is here!

The following teas are selected to be just this side of neutral, with different notes and personalities that can be played up or down depending on the flavor of the honey that you choose. You’ll taste how each might gain sweet grassy notes with the Matcha Honey, tingly-hot aftertastes with the Cinnamon Honey, and indulgently luxurious mouthfeels with the Chocolate Honey.

Tea Pairing Recommendations

All recommendations are given with the suggestion to start with just one teaspoon of each honey to taste, then adjust according to your personal preferences.

1. Irish Breakfast

A classic breakfast black tea, this one can feel even brekky-er with Whipped Matcha, then transitions into a feisty lunch break with Whipped Cinnamon, and finally ends the day with a pain-au-chocolat feel with your Whipped Chocolate.

2. Golden Monkey

This traditional Chinese black tea already has some earthy notes that play extremely well with Whipped Matcha, and an almost-sense of smoke that lends itself to Whipped Cinnamon. When you add the Whipped Chocolate, that’s when you really get to enjoy how Golden Monkey’s subtle saltiness gets a counterintuitive boost— everyone knows that you need a little bit of salt to make a sweet treat really pop.

3. Assam Harmony

Can’t let this Indian tea miss out on all the fun! Assams have an underlying floral quality that enjoys playing with Whipped Matcha, and warms well to Whipped Cinnamon so that by the time you try it with Whipped Chocolate, your tongue will already be waiting to taste the bouquet of flavor-flowers.

4. Darjeeling Sungma Summer

Darjeeling teas can often be a little daunting with how subtle their nuances are, so that makes them the perfect candidate for someone looking to develop the sensitivity and discernment of their palate. Once you’re hooked on the black forest cake sensation from adding the

Whipped Chocolate honey, trying Whipped Matcha does well to enhance the tea’s summer-garden qualities, while the Whipped Cinnamon elevates Darjeeling’s astringency with the strength of the honey’s own spice.

5. Lapsang Souchong

Let’s say that you’ve already gone through your palate-expansion journey above with the Darjeeling, and your mouth is craving strong, ostentatious flavors. Look no further than Lapsang Souchong, which takes all the qualities you’ve learned to know and love from the three whipped honeys and literally sets them on fire with the power of its own smokiness. Keep a fire extinguisher on hand! (Metaphorically, please. We don’t need any accidents this season; it was hard enough last month making sure that the Thanksgiving turkey came out passable.)

6. Sencha Premier

Now that we’ve covered your base blacks, time to start trying your whipped honey trifecta with the greens. This one immediately starts playing well with Whipped Matcha, and once you get the hang of how to steep it gently (under-boiling point, please!).

You’ll enjoy how it becomes a very smooth backup dancer for the Whipped Cinnamon and Whipped Chocolate, both of which demand the kind of attention that takes center stage.

7. Gunpowder

If you thought that Lapsang Souchong was smoky, then dust the ashes off your counter and get ready for this one. Adding Whipped Chocolate off the bat will inform you just how much honey it takes to fight off the Gunpowder’s delightful bitterness. Then there’s no question that it will love being party to the Whipped Matcha, while Whipped Cinnamon will enforce some fiery sweetness on it.

8. Dragonwell

This honey sampler set has all the things that dragons love: being green, being hot, and being rich as all get-out. Dragonwell tea gets to enjoy the benefits of all these characteristics, meeting them with its own sense of astringency and vegetal candor in the cup. Make sure to be just as gentle with it as you would the Sencha, thank you!

9. Ali Shan

Speaking of being honest and flavored with savory green stuff: have you met this oolong? It’s so mild and warm-mountain-y that adding Whipped Matcha gives it instant zazz, while combining it with Whipped Cinnamon punches up its… well, punch. Taking the time to enjoy it with Whipped Chocolate is a fantastic finale, especially if you’re serving this at the end of a meal, which is often traditional for oolongs as this type of tea is thought to be associated with healthy digestion.

10. Formosa Oolong

We end our list with a darker oolong to bring out the mineral pungency of Whipped Cinnamon Honey, while it plays merrily with the bold tones of Whipped Chocolate. But no slacker here, its underlying floral notes really pick up with the addition of Whipped Matcha.

What are your favorite teas to add flavored and whipped honey to?