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VariaTEA drank Vanilla Black by Cuppa Geek

6444 tasting notes

CuppaGeek Advent Calendar – Day 6

I steeped this up and enjoyed it while procrastinating my studies and wrapping a few presents that recently arrived. We have a literal present mountain with presents sitting on top of other presents and more just keep arriving. It’s my nephew’s first Chanukah and between my sister and brother-in-law, he has 7 grandparents. He will be three months old when Chanukah starts and will basically be surrounded by endless gifts. And who is wrapping all these endless gifts? Me. It’s fun though.

Anyways, the dry leaf of this tea has a great vanilla smell, which made me excited to actually drink it. The vanilla flavor in the steeped tea is nice. It’s smooth and fresh and really good vanilla. Alas, being just a vanilla tea, I am getting more of the black base. The base can be a touch astringent/coppery in the end of the sip at times.

For me, 52 Teas is the company for vanilla teas and while this is a great attempt, it doesn’t quite beat the 52 Teas vanilla blends for me.

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My cupboard has grown exponentially since joining this site and I have a lot to share. Feel free to snoop through my cupboard and message me if anything interests you – I am always happy to swap!

For me, flavored teas are definitely my sweet spot. I will most often reach for black teas and rooibos or honeybush blends but I do keep some flavored whites and greens around for when the mood strikes. I have a few herbals/tisanes but most of the time I find myself disappointed by them as they often smell deliciously sweet and then end up tasting tart/sour. I have a little bit of an aversion to pu’erh and oolong teas. I am also wary of florals, earl greys, and chai teas. I do not like overpowering citrus flavors nor do I usually like hibiscus, licorice or chamomile. I love dessert teas – caramel, vanilla, toffee, cookie, cream, and other sweet flavors make me smile. Fruits like strawberry, peach, mango, and pineapples will often catch my attention as well.

I have also realized that although I really enjoy adding frothed milk to some of my teas, if I do not like the tea with zero additives (just in plain water without milk or sugar), I probably won’t drink it. The one exception is flavored matchas which I will happily drink in cold milk if I do not like it mixed with hot water. My theory is if the tea can’t stand on its own then it is not for me and I will more than likely try to swap it out for something else.

Tea Ratings Guide (as of December 10, 2017)
90-100 Teas I NEED on hand at all times
80-89 Teas I want to keep around for a cup every now and then
70-79 Teas I am glad I have around and can experiment with but probably don’t need more than what’s in my cupboard
60-69 Teas I would not turn down a cup of from a friend but that would probably be enough
50-59 Teas I can see why someone would enjoy but are not for me
Under 50 Teas I really did not like and most likely got dumped

Location

Waterdown, Ontario

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