Vanilla Strawberry Rose

Even though I don’t necessarily think this is the greatest tea in general, every time I drink it I appreciate the uniqueness of it. It’s just really nice to have something so different once in a while. I steeped it for a long time today and there was no bitterness or weird strong notes… just decent fruity black tea with a background of rose and tiniest hint of vanilla.

Slowly making my way through the last few bags of this blend… I wasn’t able to find it again in stores (I had a futile hope that it might reappear for the holidays), so I assume when it’s gone it’s gone! I drink it sparingly but there are only about 5 bags left! It’s sad that Celestial Seasonings has a blend that I like enough to repurchase (rare for me—I generally don’t love their teas), and it won’t be around for me to do so.

I’m getting toward the end of my current stash of this blend, and I’ve still got a fair amount left but I think I’ll miss this one when it’s all gone! I’ve been keeping an eye out in local stores to see if I could buy more if I wanted to, and I haven’t seen it anywhere. I think I bought it right after the holidays, and I got the last box and have never seen it since. Ah well, even if I never get more, it has been one of the only CS teas I’ve cared for and it’s one of the more unusual “big name brand” blends I’ve ever tried, so I’m glad I had the chance to enjoy it!

Getting down to the last handful of bags of this blend, and it’s making me sad! I have to be in the right mood for it, but when I am it really hits the spot. Maybe I’ll write a letter to the people at Celestial Seasonings and ask if there’s a chance in hell they’ll ever bring it back… it’s really the only tea of theirs I’ve ever liked enough to repurchase (okay, besides Tension Tamer, but I don’t drink that for the taste!). This morning’s cup was lovely!

Every time I see this tea in my cabinet, I have to remind myself that it doesn’t taste like it smells (or sounds) and that I won’t mind drinking it. I still don’t get excited over this blend, but it’s a decent tea (and mild, as someone else also noted). I just can’t get over the association my brain has with the smell because it’s convinced it’s an herbal blend with that strong rose/strawberry scent.