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Cameron B. drank Not So Vanilla by Tippy's Tea

4320 tasting notes

Two more to go from Tippy’s Tea! This is the one I was most excited about, as I love all things vanilla and I also happen to find Golden Monkey quite tasty. The leaves are medium-sized and thin and twisty. The combination of dark grey and golden colors reminds me of tiger stripes. Dry scent is sweet cocoa and creamy vanilla, and it reminds me of Golden Orchid.

The steeped cup also smells of cocoa and vanilla bean. This is quite tasty! It does remind me of Golden Orchid, which makes sense given the combination of vanilla bean and Fujian black tea. I think I may have underleafed a bit, as the base tea doesn’t have a ton of presence in this cup. I mostly taste the vanilla bean with creamy cocoa and wood weaving their way into the background. Tasty! Next time I’ll use more leaf.

Flavors: Cocoa, Creamy, Sweet, Vanilla, Wood

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

I Like This

17 likes

2 comments

Nicole
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vanilla golden monkey? Yum!

Cameron B.
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It’s good. I can send you a sample if you’d like. :)

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Nicole
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vanilla golden monkey? Yum!

Cameron B.
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It’s good. I can send you a sample if you’d like. :)

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January sipdowns: 34
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 34

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing