I decided to take a break from all the new-found teacompanies I’ve been visiting lately, and return to an old favourite.
Nancy has a system there, where if you buy a certain amount of teas, you get one free. It’s a card-system—Tealicious’ business cards have boxes on the back, and she punches a hole for each tea you buy, and keeps them all organized in her desk.
Anyways, I didn’t start a card until maybe my third visit, but I’m already only one or two boxes away from a free tea. Hahah.
The leaves are as dark as midnight. That kind of black you obtain by mixing a bit of red, which gives the illusion that it’s even darker.
The tea and vanilla smell together is beautifully delicious. Brewed, the ratio of vanilla-smell to tea-smell is the same. The vanilla doesn’t overpower the tea.
I still love her tea base. It’s very slightly astringent at five minutes, but the vanilla smooths it out wonderfully. This is mellow, not STRONG but not weak. I think this is a very good balance. I’m not disappointed, even as a person who normally enjoys very strong vanilla.
Her tea base choice has its own somewhat creamy element… It doesn’t SEEM to come from the vanilla, although it goes very well with it. The base is also sliiightly malty… It’s listed as a “China” tea. As it cools I can smell the tea more. It baffles me, but it’s very nice.
