Twice in one day I find myself not aligning with some of the other reviews. I am not a vanilla fan normally – well except in my morning frap. I don’t dislike it. Vanilla just doesn’t enter my radar as a choice often. That said, I liked this one. The white tea stars are pretty to look at but I don’t think they add or take away from the taste. The vanilla is a bit overwhelming in the dry scent. The wet leaf has a caramelized vanilla aroma that I liked. The taste is strongly vanilla but not in an off or offensive way. My favorite thing about this blend is the aftertaste is pleasantly vanilla and fades quickly. It does not leave that sweet icky taste I dislike in many vanilla blends.
The thing I noticed in a some of the reviews is that the Assam base was bitter. I just don’t get that. Back in my tea bag only days, Ceylon was the ragged bitter cup and Assam destroyed my stomach. This caused me no grief at all. So maybe the difference is past experience (some of you have just had a lot better Assam in the past than me) or I have simply become immune to moderate or less bitter. I found it nicely smooth.
Someone (don’t remember who) mentioned latte in their review. I am thinking a little sweetener and some milk, this would be delicious.
