Vanilla Orchid

so i have this weird thing where i feel like oolongs NEED to be brewed in my gongfu pot. so i can watch them get fat and bulk up. like i have to be able to witness the leaf puffing in order for the tea to be brewed.
and i recently realized that this has basically kept me from drinking my oolongs.
sad i know.
so today i have brewed this in my timolino (using a tea bag cuz that basket is tiny)
and the smell is heavenly.
but you knew that already.

i’m turning over a new oolong leaf. let’s celebrate.
more bulk!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0naDFDPe9Q8

Today I visited the David’s tea in downtown Boston. It was the first time I had been inside a David’s tea shop. This was the tea of the day. I really liked the oolong and vanilla combination. The tea was sweet and just creamy enough.

The smell was very vanilla but the vanilla does not overpower the taste. I HATE super artificial tasting vanilla and this one avoided that tinny on your tongue feeling>

I love this tea. I will likely purchase some of this loose next time I visit a David’s shop!

OKAY OKAY I know…MORE Vanilla..well it can’t be helped!

At first I thought Vanilla Oolong was Vanilla Orchid just with a vamped up name (they did this with chocolate orange and renamed it for Halloween and also did it to Dr.Chocolate or something similar and changed it to Spiced Carob???If you know the actual name I’d be grateful..PLEASE STOP DOING THAT DAVIDsTEA)

Off the rant path now let’s down to business.

This actually does not smell like Vanilla Oolong it smells like it’s in the same family but once removed.This smells less milky and more creamy and a little sweeter.Also the quality of the Oolong is vastly superior just by the dry smell alone it seems to have fully absorbed the vanilla and created this Vanilla Heaven..I wish I could smell like this..It is sexy but pure,Rich but attainable and smooth but not sassy.

Once steeped the Oolong takes centre stage but the vanilla is the best back-up singer not out-doing or showing off but complementing the premium Oolong..this even smells expensive( and it sooo wasn’t it was in the 2 for 5 bin I got one for myself and one for my bff Linda Irvine)

As for taste…I like this so much more then Vanilla Oolong and that drink was beautiful!I think I prefer this because it lacks the milk base but still stays creamy,sexy and smooth.It’s not quite as sweet either..more delicate and just lovely,lovely lovely!

Perfect for: late nights,people who don’t like milk bases with oolong and Vanilla but want creamy still,studying,watching marathons of a guilty pleasure show and basically any time you want to feel like you are indulging heavily without the mess or consequences.

Reminds me of: feeling rich,thick silk drapery,pretty french lacy underwear,Simone De Beauvoir,Orchids and being comfortably alone.

Last thoughts: I love this…I don’t know if I’ll buy again or not but I’m really crushing on this at the moment.I’m not an Oolong girl unfortunately so that may be the death knell of our relationship but for now it’s the most lovely tryst, affair ..passing ships in the night?If I want decadence I may just reach for this.

1.25 tsp for 250mL water @90C. 1st infusion: 3 minutes. 2nd infusion: 5 minutes.

1st infusion: A lovely genuine vanilla scent and taste here — vanilla bean, as several others have said. Something lactic, too — vanilla yogurt, again, as others have noted. I found the finish very clean, almost cool. I didn’t get much oolong.

Liquor is a lovely sunshine yellow.

2nd infusion: less vanilla, more orchid, more oolong. Clean and mineral finish. Much prefer the second infusion.

This 30g packet came to me as a gift from the DavidsTea fan who initially suggested this recipe to the company. She sent it in months ago, they played with it, then released Vanilla Orchid. Tea geekery!

When looking for a vanilla tea prior to this it was often the “Cream Earl Grey” that caught my attention. Mostly because of my enjoyment of London Fog tea lattes. Now to have it in an Oolong I have to admit it is like drinking a vanilla cloud. Light and refreshing to the tastebuds yet wonderfully aromatic. Just the right amount of pure vanilla flavor to provide that comfort one hopes for in a very romantic tea like this. Loved it, very much so.

Wasn’t sure if I was going to like this or not. I had passed up getting this in the DavidsTea store I visited awhile ago, but was able to get some through a swap with Shmiracles.

I brewed it in my new Ingenuitea (I got it cheap ‘cause it was used) which made it awesome to watch the leaves unfurling and brewing. It also was alot easier to brew a single cup since my usual teapots don’t manage one cup well at all. If you have a chance to pick one up, I highly recommend it.
But I’m getting off subject.

This tea smelled wonderfully vanilla-y with a smidge of floral/green-ness when it’s dry. Brewing it came through a bit more green so I was a bit hesitant since I find I dislike most ‘green’ tasting teas at the moment. Taking that first sip I did get that green-ness, but it wasn’t too bad. I also got the vanilla nicely mixed with the floral sense that didn’t really overpower. I did add some of my usual truvia that made it much better. The vanilla and floral came through more than the green-ness and I enjoyed the cup much better.

I went for a second steep since it’s an oolong and I figured why not. I steeped it for a minute longer at the same temp, and I almost didn’t drink it when I smelled the wet leaves after draining. They smelled awful, though I can’t recall exactly how since I shut the lid back. Wet rotten spinach comes to mind. Lol. Now that it’s cooled a bit, the vanilla has come back making me consider a third steep.
Anyway, I took a sip of the second steep and found it wasn’t all that bad either. A bit more muted, but still tasty, especially after adding sugar. I found that the vanilla came through more as it cooled, though not necessarily in a good way. Much better hot.

Tried for a third steep at 5 min total steep. It’s alright. Certainty drinkable, but nothing overly noteworthy or impressive. Maybe a bit more green and not as vanilla-y. /shrug/

Overall I might keep this around for when I want something lighter, or until I find a better replacement (read cheaper). Lol!

this tea is just bloody perfect. i just made it at home for the first time after drinking multiple cups at work. I’m going to resteep these leaves all night and clean my apartment. Also, I forgot how heavy it gets. I went to lift my infuser out and dropped it back into the cup! it goes from this little scoop of pebbles to like a basket of wet spinach in like three minutes!

I had this one today as a Latte when I was in checking out the new holiday sets. Which btw are amazing, good job Davids for continuing to try to take all my money.

It was really vanilla-y. I think I like it more than Vanilla Oolong (which I haven’t had in a year). It tasted exactly like vanilla ice cream with milk and agave, which I was not expecting. I Maaay pick some up, but I really want my next oolong to be the skinny since I miss it so much. We shall see.

Finally, an oolong other than Pineapple Oolong that both tastes like an actual oolong and appeals to me! This is super smooth, as buttery as tea can be. I think that is the vanilla part of it. There is also a strong floral note to this tea, which I am usually not a fan of, but in this one I actually think it works. This is not a strong, hugely flavoured oolong, but I have quite happily been working my way through a pot of it while enjoying its subtle sweetness and natural taste.

This one has a bit of a bizarre smell. Not bad, just bizarre. Like the oolong and vanilla are battling for first place. Comes off kind of yogurt-y. Maybe? Hard to say.

It’s yummier than the other flavoured oolongs I’ve tried but I’m still preferring the Tung Ting Vietman unflavoured I had.

Almost like a plain oolong with a hint of vanilla at the end of the sip.