This came as a bonus sample with the sampler pack I ordered. This tea isn’t on their site yet, and the note said they were still working on it, so I’m not sure if I have the final version or not.
This is supposed to have chopped vanilla beans in it, but I couldn’t see anything but tea leaf in the dry blend. The dry leaf has a faintly vanilla-ish note, but not as much as I was expecting.
I steeped one teaspoon for three and a half minutes in 93C water. The liquor is a dark brown.
Again with things not being as expected – if I blind taste tested this, I would never have guessed it’s a vanilla black. There’s some of that vanilla creaminess in the background, which contributes to the thick, smooth mouthfeel, but the dominant notes on my palate are dark chocolate and mint! The mint is fairly subtle, but impossible to ignore, and the dark chocolate is right in your face. I’ve had teas with pieces of chocolate and mint leaves that were less chocolate-mint than this. The sip starts with mint, followed by sweet maltiness and then the dark chocolate makes a really rich appearance toward the end, with the mint reappearing in the finish.
So if I was looking for a straight up vanilla black, I might be disappointed, but setting aside expectations of what this could have tasted like, I’m really impressed with the flavour. I feel like this would make a killer latte.
I think this also might be one of the first teas I’ve had with chocolate notes, where I’m not guessing that maybe it’s chocolate. There is no question about the chocolate flavour in this.
Flavors: Creamy, Dark Chocolate, Malt, Mint, Sweet, Vanilla
Preparation
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Have you tried any of the Whispering Pines tess that have vanilla in them – like Golden Orchid? I was going to look in your cupboard but with the sort not working….. If you haven’t nudge me when we talk about Lupicia. :))
I have not, though I’m dying to try some Whispering Pines stuff (I have one old sample of a discontinued rooibos, but that’s all.) I definitely will.
Awesome. Don’t be afraid to snoop through my cupboard. 90% of it is available for swap/trade/negotiation. :))
That’s a dangerous offer ;)
LOL and a year from now you will probably be doing the same. Looking at your cupboard explosion reminds me of me a year ago. :))
Have you tried any of the Whispering Pines tess that have vanilla in them – like Golden Orchid? I was going to look in your cupboard but with the sort not working….. If you haven’t nudge me when we talk about Lupicia. :))
I have not, though I’m dying to try some Whispering Pines stuff (I have one old sample of a discontinued rooibos, but that’s all.) I definitely will.
Awesome. Don’t be afraid to snoop through my cupboard. 90% of it is available for swap/trade/negotiation. :))
That’s a dangerous offer ;)
LOL and a year from now you will probably be doing the same. Looking at your cupboard explosion reminds me of me a year ago. :))