Tea For Who - Celebrating Doctor Who and Adagio Fandom Teas

Doctor Who fandom bits and Doctor Who inspired tea!

by Cassandra Vincent

I love tea almost as much as I love sci-fi and fantasy. There are some artists, stories and performances I cannot imagine life without and one is Doctor Who. I love the classic and the modern reboot and every incarnation of the Doctor for the unique individual spirit each performer has so courageously brought. And they must have done something right. The Doctor has been with us for over 50 years (who saw the Day of the Doctor for the 50th anniversary? Oh yes, I was in a joyous boisterous group stateside applauding as all 13 doctors came together so Galifrey would stand. Fly your geek flag proudly, people.) From TV serials, to TV movies, to multitudinous audio stories, to anniversary specials, holiday specials, behind the scenes series, conventions and on and on, The Doctor is beloved. It is no wonder. Sci-fi is brilliant as a medium for us to explore other worlds and ideas but also to explore what it is we could evolve to be. I see the Doctor as a great metaphor for all of the facets inside us. At every moment we choose our response to life, choose who we are. Even with benevolent intent I think the best of us question ourselves. The ability of the Doctor to be caring and frightening in turns and to question whether he is a ‘good man’ I think is an honest look into the human spirit and struggle for completeness – for the day when all of our pieces unite to create an effective, powerful, at peace whole.
 

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"There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, where the sea is asleep and the rivers dream; people made of smoke and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice, and somewhere else the tea is getting cold.
Come on, Ace, we've got work to do."
- The 7th Doctor [“Survival” 1989]

It is no surprise then that the good Doctor has inspired tea blends as well. As a very British bit of entertainment it makes sense that tea works its way into many of the stories – tv, audio and novel. Adagio Tea has a vast array of teas inspired by entertainment ‘fandoms’ including numerous inspired by Doctor Who. I tried two of these charming blends:

Tardis and Exterminate fandom teas from Adagio Teas

Exterminate tea:
http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=46777
 
This dalek inspired black blend was created by Elizabeth o. and includes the following Adagio teas:

• Assam Melody – from the Meleng Estate and described as ‘sweet starchy’, rounded with notes of raisin
• Chestnut black  - a Ceylon black tea flavored with roasted chestnut
• Hazelnut black – a Ceylon black tea flavored with hazelnut
• There are also whole cloves in this blend

 
Tasting notes: A deep, rich cup that reminds me of holidays and warm hearth fires. There is a gentle sweetness from the nutty flavors and cloves as well. This one takes milk well and sweetener brings out more of a caramel/dessert-like flavor.
 
Packaging: You can get both small and larger quantities of the fandom teas in decorative tins and I think that is part of their charm. As you can see in the picture, this blend comes in a tin with a vintage-style dalek design. I am a fan of decorative, opaque tins and will gladly reuse this. Bear in mind the tea is straight in the tin. It is quite full and there is no bag, which is good to know to prevent accidental spillage upon opening.
 

"Never turn down tea if it's offered. It's impolite, and that's how wars start." – The Eighth Doctor [“Memory Lane” – Big Finish audio adventure]

Tardis tea:
http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/blend.html?blend=46414
 
This Time And Relative Dimension In Space blend is made of the following teas:

• White Blueberry – using white tea from Fujian province, China
• White Peach – also using white tea from Fujian province, China
• Vanilla Green – could not find the origin of this but would guess it is Japanese
• This also includes cornflower, marigold flowers, apricots

 
Tasting notes:
Sweet, delicate and mellow. The vanilla is clearly present but not overwhelming. It ties the fruit ‘companions’ together. I agree with other reviewers that it would be a good iced tea candidate.

“Tea! That’s all I needed.”
– the 10th Doctor [“The Christmas Invasion”]

With over 10,000 (!) fandom teas there is likely a fit for any entertainment tea geek on your gift list. Though there is no brewing time or temp on the tin itself the Adagio website is very detailed. There are links to each of the blend’s components on the tea’s page along with brewing time, temperature, reviews and size options. The fandom section is a bit overwhelming. I suggest using the handy search boxes to find a specific show/game/theme to narrow your search. Plus you can blend your own tea using the wide range of Adagio teas, upload original artwork for it and name your creation too.
 
Thanks to Adagio Teas for reaching out to us and providing their fandom teas for this adventure through space, time and taste! Wishing you many such great adventures to come in tea AND in anticipation of the next Doctor as the 12th Doctor makes his exit in season 10 of the reboot! Where did he get that cup of tea?