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Scheherazade drank Vanilla Cupcake Rooibos Tea by True Tea Club

2238 tasting notes

280/365

This was last night’s pre-bedtime cup, and I was hoping for something along the lines of Bird & Blend’s Birthday Cake. The ingredients list is intriguing, since there’s nothing there that suggests either vanilla or cake; it’s composed of banana, orange, and papaya, on a rooibos base.

I brewed this up according to the directions, and added a splash of milk. As you might expect, knowing what’s in it, it tastes like tropical fruit. The banana is most prominent, and that’s quite pleasing, but the orange and papaya in the mid-sip don’t do much towards replicating cake. The rooibos is woody and a little scratchy, and ultimately it overpowers pretty much everything else. By the end of the cup, it’s pretty much all I can taste.

I’m not really sure how this one was ever supposed to taste like vanilla cupcake? It would pass muster as a tropical-inspired blend, but there’s nothing here that pays even a remote homage to the blend name. Why give people tropical fruit if they’re expecting cake? This blend reminds me very much of Irish Rum and Cream from the same company, which tastes like banana to me, and I don’t think I’d order from them again.

Disappointing!

Preparation

Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp

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Hi :) I’m Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I’ve been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway.

I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter.

I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they’re the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer — their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day.

I’m still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don’t think they’ll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don’t hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I’m also beginning to explore pu’erh, both ripened and raw. That’s my latest challenge!

I’m still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

You’ve probably had enough of me now, so I’m going to shut up. Needless to say, though, I really love tea. Long may the journey continue!

My rating system:

91-100: The Holy Grail. Flawless teas I will never forget.

81-90: Outstanding. Pretty much perfection, and happiness in a cup.

71-80: Amazing. A tea to savour, and one I’ll keep coming back to.

61-70: Very good. The majority of things are as they should be. A pleasing cup.

51-60: Good. Not outstanding, but has merit.

41-50: Average. It’s not horrible, but I’ve definitely had better. There’s probably still something about it I’m not keen on.

31-40: Almost enjoyable, but something about it is not for me.

11-30: Pretty bad. It probably makes me screw my face up when I take a sip, but it’s not completely undrinkable.

0-10: Ugh. No. Never again. To me, undrinkable.