Vanilla Orchid

So I made the last of my sample this morning and just as I took my first sip I remembered that I had wanted to try this iced! I reluctantly put my mug in the fridge and made something else to go with breakfast. While it would have been a wonderful tea to start the day with I am happy I had the restraint to wait. It’s a lovely iced tea. Nice to have something different iced, because normally I do really fruity herbal teas for my cold tea. Also, my throat has been killing me today so it was great to have a soothing, vanilla iced tea.

So I totally had this tea a couple nights ago, but I put the tasting note into Vanilla Oolong, not Vanilla Orchid.

So umm.. do I delete the previous note? Well, it’s here soo…
http://steepster.com/jump62359/posts/237149

Oolong #3 on today’s oolong-comparing journey.

Oh, this tea. Such high hopes. And such disappointment as a result.

This came as part of the “Sweet Indulgence” pack I bought about a week ago. I was really looking forward to trying it, as the smell of the dry leaf was like vanilla cream cheese icing, like the kind you would get on a carrot cake. So inviting!

I steeped the tea according to the provided instructions, and the liquor was a nice deep yellow with flecks of leaf at the bottom of the cup. It still had that lovely vanilla icing smell, too. But when I tasted it – yuck. The vanilla sweetness did not play well at all with the ooloong base, and in fact actively clashed against it. Also, forget about any floral notes or hints of orchid – I’ve tried other blends with a more floral base (such as my Bonsai Hill Coconut Oolong), and this was nothing like that.

The oolong base was really nasty here – worse than the earthiness/muddiness I’ve sometimes experienced with other oolong teas. Here, it was almost a sourness, and it did not mingle well with the vanilla flavour at all.

Once I finished this cup, I didn’t consider resteeping the leaves at all. I just hope someone else doesn’t mind taking this blend off my hands.

Wow it’s been awhile since I posted here. Jeeze, how did that happen?!
Well I started a new job last week(still, I haven’t posted for even longer than that, when I thought I had?? curious!) It isn’t the greatest pay, nor is it exceptionally challenging. But it is super busy, so it’s been fun learning the ropes. Sadly, I can already tell that it will get old fast so I really need to get on the ball looking for a “real” job. I’m happy to have a pay cheque. For now. And the people are nice, for the most part. Oh and I am not loving the 8am start. Too early!! More because of my commute. The way the train timings worked out it means I need to wake up at 5:30. Ugh. That extra hour of sleep make all the difference to me. I miss it so!!!

Anyhow. I’m not sure if this is the one I tried. I had it a few weeks ago and someone threw out my empty packet. Sighs.
All I know is that my tea tasted like vanilla yogurt! I shared a pot with my friend Jo and she agreed. Yummy delicious yogurt. Sadly, it covered up most of the “oolong”-ness.
The second steep was more or less the same, only it became quite scratchy on my throat. That was a surprise, as I haven’t experienced scratchy throat from tea syndrome in quite a while. Covering up an iffy tea base with tasty flavouring hmmmm?
Oh David’s….! Please don’t do that…

My verdict? I’d have it again, if it was free.

The perfect balance between the floral/vegetal quality of oolong and the sweetness of vanilla. I’m always in the mood for a Vanilla Orchid.
It smells like vanilla yogurt, too.

Vanilla Orchid was quite a surprise. A lot of times DavidsTea’s flavorings overpower the taste of the tea itself, but I didn’t think that was the case here. The vanilla flavor wasn’t too overpowering and nicely complemented the oolong. Plus, it smelled delicious!

I steeped this multiple times, but only the first cup had the subtle vanilla flavor. On subsequent steeps, I got more of the very slight floral flavor from the oolong, though.

This is one of my absolute favourite teas. I love that as soon as I pour in the water, the leaves expand significantly – the smell is like a light vanilla with some floral-ness to it. For some reason when I drink this tea it tastes so full and wonderful that it almost seems…thick! Unbelievable.

Day #20 of the advent calendar! Finally an oolong for me to try. I’ve had this one before, but it’s been a while. Nice light taste, not a lot of leaves needed for the flavour. And I like anything with vanilla. So, overall, this is another win for me.

Got this tea on the way home from an appointment, and I really enjoyed it! David’s was great about filling up my travel mug, and by the time I stopped for some dinner and caught a train, it was just the right temperature for winter drinking.

I’m a bit picky with burning my mouth, so I like my tea at the 60-70% heat range after steeping; I’ve also been trying to drink more “single flavour” teas, and this was just awesome. Not overpowering, and does exactly what it says on the label. Simple, but not in a bad way.

I am very new to loose-leaf tea, and very, very, very new to oolong.

That said, I enjoy this. The vanilla flavouring is at just that right level – not overpowering at all.