Silk Dragon

After an icky Monday, it was a treat to find a box from The Tea Merchant waiting at home! (And props for the nifty little packaging touch—a wax seal on the bundle of samples.) Of the samples I received, this appeared to be the lightest for an after-dinner unwind.

The dry leaves smell wonderful—vanilla potpourri. I aimed for mid-range of the prescribed 3-5 minute steeping time, and was right on target: got a beautiful, blonde-gold cup that has the vanilla sweetness of a golden Oreo or a homemade sugar cookie. The citrus elements are faint accents, not leading themes.

It’s medium-thick on the tongue and … oh, shoot … so much for accurate adjectives. It just smells and tastes great. Fortunately, the sample pack was generous—I can have more!

Uh oh, this tea is AMAZING.
Reminds me a LOT of DavidsTea’s Vanilla Oolong, which I haven’t had a taste of since the Christmas sampler.

As soon as I smelled the dry leaves, I had a serious craving. Like an addiction. Ah!

Working on a longer review for the blog – will post ASAP but first – prepping a chicken for the slow cooker. And enjoying this tea with some homemade English Muffin bread and honey! Happy Hump day!

I have had this several times since I first rated it, enough that I ordered again, a larger amount, and am working my way through that at a good clip. Everyone I have shared this with loves it. It is perfectly vanilla, lightly sweet and deliciously creamy.

/non-tea rant on

I had it last night as a comfort-hope-I-can-sleep-soon tea. I have some bronchial thing going on, which my husband also has. Broad brush statement follows: Honestly, why are men such babies when they get sick? Women get sick and still take care of everyone else. Men get sick and they curl up in a corner and moan. I get it – it sucks. We both have the same thing and I’m not happy about having it, either. The aggravating thing about it is that he’ll be better before I am since he got it first and when I’m still sick he won’t ask if he can bring me anything like juice or medicine. He’ll bring it, but I’ll have to ask for it. Sigh. I guess if they did what we did, they’d be women and what would be the point. I just have a leftover grumpy from last night. :)

/non-tea rant off

Anyway, I’m ramping up my rating on this since I evidently enjoy it immensely and I’ve not yet shared it with anyone who didn’t like it.

I think I may be getting sick, and as such this resteep isn’t nearly as good as I know it can be. This has everything to do with my tastebuds and nothing to do with the tea. I’m not noticing any of the flavorings at all, just the oolong flavor; however, the oolong base is so nice that it’s still a good cup. It’s just not earth-shaking like previous steeps have been.

The last of this sample from the summer is keeping me company over a late night. It’s the third steep, and it’s still going. Thank God.

This is the first time I’ve ever really had Hell Week for a show. Sure, I’ve had rough weeks, but I’ve never had a show this bad: a props-heavy show where I’m not allowed to help with set changes because I needed to be on book until the week of the show; the biggest scene change occurring as quick change because you “can’t break for intermission there;” a director who’s so obsessed with being perfectly period she wants us to print out paper labels and tape them onto beer cans so that the label is right.

I can’t take it anymore. I’m crackin’ up.

On the plus side, I love my cast to death. I’ve never had a Hell Week before but I’ve never loved my cast as much as I do now. Sigh.

Tomorrow’s going to be absolutely awful. I have my 7:30 class and then I have to teach until 3, and then I absolutely have to meet my professor sometime between 3:30 and 4:15 because I missed the meeting I was supposed to have today, and then I have one rehearsal, and then I go straight to this rehearsal… It’s gonna be horrid. And I’m doing it all completely exhausted.

Sorry.

Tea.

This tea is getting me through the night. It’s so creamy and smooth, and it’s a darker oolong but it’s not especially rocky. The vanilla tastes so natural that originally I didn’t think I tasted any vanilla. I don’t taste any vanilla flavoring, that’s the difference. Bravo, Tea Merchant. Bravo.

Finishing up this sample today (in almost record time!) and wanted to share that I am getting a cuppa peaches and cream corn today. That is the smell and that is the taste – the dry smell actually makes my tummy a little upset (some greens and oolongs don’t agree with me) but the taste isn’t having that effect. It’s interesting how vanilla can lean so many ways in terms of flavouring – thankfully this isn’t coconutty vanilla, but more baked goods style. And apparently corn. : )

My final sample from The Tea Merchant.

Wow! Thanks for this one. The sip on the first cup is vanilla. No surprise there. The aftertaste is a lingering green oolong. There is just a hint of citrus that I catch high up, to where I can’t determine if it is a taste or a smell. This has a creamy feel to it. This is a really nice cup. The more it cools the more the mix of flavors is making sense. Each sip is a blast of vanilla that slowly fades through citrus into floral oolong that lingers until you take the next sip You can gulp this, but don’t. Slow down and enjoy journey.

The second cup is very different. This starts out plant like. My brain immediately thought geranium, but since there is marigold in this, maybe that is what I am sensing. This changes quickly into green oolong. Just as quickly it changes to vanilla briefly and then back into the long lingering floral oolong aftertaste. I would swear this is a different tea, had I not prepared it myself. What a roller coaster ride. Totally different than the first but also a really nice cup.

The third cup starts with the plant/flower notes mixing with the floral oolong. The vanilla is light and mixes with the creaminess. The whole thing ends with the lingering aftertaste. The sweetness of the cup, mixed with the floral oolong flavor, reminds me a bit of watermelon.

This is an interesting cup. If at anytime you don’t quite like what you are tasting (though I don’t know how that is possible) just wait until the temperature changes of for the next cup and it will be something else. This is definitely worth trying.

Additional notes : Had three steeps of this one this time and the flavor stayed consistently vanilla until the last drop. Unlike last time, when it was still very good but tasted less like vanilla by the third steep. I must have timed all three steeps just right, and you could probably get many many more steeps from the same leaves. This one is very divine and luxurious.

Well well this may just be the vanilla you have been looking for!
The first thing I want to say about THIS vanilla tea is that it is NOT cloying nor does it have that fake vanilla after taste commonly found when a tea company is trying so hard to give you that really strong vanilla flavor, YET this does have a strong vanilla flavor WITHOUT that nasty after taste!
I have not added any sweetener and it has a sweet sensation to it without any clinging lingering effects on the mouth that come with sweetened teas. I really like this one.
Its calming and unpretentious and is not trying to shove vanilla down your throat yet it had such a nice presence!
The aroma is to die for!
I would indeed stock this tea and keep it in my stash for when I want a nice straight vanilla tea. This tea is not confused about what it is trying to be! Could be a nice mixer with other teas as well as it is strong enough to hold its own but not so over done that it would mask other flavors!
The only downside here is that the oolong is pretty mellow. Its not a strong oolong. Being an oolong lover I could use a bit more of that kick I am used to.

OH my!

This is really very good. The vanilla melds so beautifully with the Oolong to create a very creamy sensation for the palate. Sweet, creamy, rich vanilla flavor. I taste hints of orchid. A slight earthiness. And hints of citrus toward the tail. And even a hint of peach-like undertones. But mostly what I taste is vanilla. Smooth, creamy, decadent vanilla.

If you like vanilla – You’ve got to try this!