Since I just made a note on Vanilla Orchid I felt it was only fair to pay homage to its predecessor: The original Vanilla Oolong. I made both of these together so I could get the full effect of their differences.
Instead of the beautiful green balls of the updated version this oolong has long black wiry leaves that unravel green during steep. They’re also accompanied by a marigold and lemon myrtle tag team. It has more of a boozy bottle kind of vanilla aroma than the milky kind observed in Orchid during dry stage.
Steeped: I can barely smell any vanilla compared to Orchid cup. The taste is also not as smooth- the creamy vegetal Pouchong carrying most of the flavour profile. It’s nowhere as milky sweet as the newer model and the finish has an odd lemon-y flavour too it that makes it a tad sour and more astringent. There’s something a tad artificial about it too.
This is not a bad cup at all but it is in need of some creaminess and cohesion. Vanilla Orchid almost has too much floral cream in comparison- it’s so rich and buttery! The more I drink the Orchid the more the Vanilla ‘O’ tastes weak and watery. I don’t even want to re-steep it (I always feel like a criminal when I don’t re-steep my oolong).
I think taking out some of the additives and changing the type of oolong was a good move. I like flowers and vanilla bean ice cream, and I’m for this upgrade.
