So I fiiiiiiiiiiiiinally made time to sit down and treat myself to a cup of this tea. I was so excited to open the bag and, I must say, I was not disappointed by the smell. It smells so much like chocolate and vanilla. Really wonderful smell – something like a really chocolate-y fudge or a particularly vanilla-tinged brownie.
Though the wet leaves don’t smell nearly as good (still got the vanilla, but that generic roast/black tea smell has kicked in), the infusion itself smelled wonderful – still super sweet and so much vanilla :D
I can see what a couple of other reviewers meant about this being quite delicate – after drinking Verdant’s Zhu Rong for so long, particularly with their pretty extreme steeping conditions, I did find it a much gentler cup. But that definitely isn’t a complaint. It had hot chocolate, vanilla and fudge like notes. It’s exceptionally smooth, with little-to-no astringency. And so much vanilla, especially in the after taste. It just lingered for a few wonderful moments.
The vanilla and cocoa notes seemed to come through much more strongly as it cooled, too – once it got down to a really sippable temperature, it was much stronger and really flavoursome. Still on the mild-side of black teas, but definitely not in a way that is negative. It’s just light and sweet, like (I suppose) any good vanilla dessert ought to be!
Delightful. I’ll definitely be drinking this again soon :D
Flavors: Chocolate, Cocoa, Vanilla
