Vanille des Îles

Mmmm. This smells like the best liquour dark chocolates ever. This makes me think of college when I would send chocolates to my now fiance more. I would sometimes send him a box of little chocolate mice filled with different ganaches and he would share them with me. This smells just like the fillings of one of the little mice (I think the cinnamon dark chocolate one).
This tastes dark, smokey, and slightly sweet. It has an incredible mouthfeel, dense and rich. I am in the mood for a little sweetness, so milk and sugar are being added but this can definitely stand on its own. I get a really neat little bourbon aftertaste.

Tea of the morning….. (SRP #18)

This tea comes from Amanda. And of course, I had it as an inaugural cuppa in my daughter’s new Kati cup. (I know, kind of weird, but I asked her if I could use it to compare to my mug…)

This is lovely. This is my favorite Vanilla tea to date. The Harney Vanilla Black is a close second to this, but it oh so much more affordable, and much easier for me to obtain. I love Vanilla Comoro, but I can still taste the remnants of the decaffienation process, even though it is the best decaf vanilla tea out there, and I do score it a little higher than I normally would because I can drink it at night. I also have to say this is one of the first Mariage Freres teas I have really liked…well this one and The Au Tibet. I have tried a few other popular ones, but they just did not appeal. I am not sure it will make the shopping list due to there being only a few places in the US that carry this tea. I see a cup of Vanilla Black from Harney in my near future just to see if this would be worth the effort to get it.

All that nonsense aside, I am so grateful to Amanda for sharing this with me. It is really good! Thank you!

Usual mug method.

I am just coming back from the Mariage Frères shop Place de la Madeleine in Paris.
I needed to refill my box of Prince Igor …so bought 100gr BUT of course I cannot enter a MF shop without buying other teas…
I wanted to taste this one for ages so here it is !
I am terrible with vanilla : I had too much vanilla teas or ice creams made with a stupid artificial vanilla now I am suspicious.
I generally refuse any vanilla ice cream except those of 2 or 3 brands and I do the same with teas.

Knowing Mariage Frères I was sure the vanilla was a good vanilla and I am not disappointed at all.
This is a sumptuous Bourbon vanilla…meaning the Vanilla comes from the following islands ONLY : La Réunion, Mauritius,Madagascar or Comoros. This is the same Vanilla as the one used in Wedding Impérial but of course here no caramel and the tea base is not an assam but probably a Chinese tea and it is so mellow, awwwww love it !

This blend is perfectly balanced between the flavour and the tea base.
I think it can become one staple.

Another excellent sampling from Amanda this has been on my shopping list and will remain there now that I finally got to try it it is worth the purchase! Creamy vanilla black tea – what more needs be said other than it is a VERY GOOD vanilla!

Another one from Amanda! She spoiled me!!!

I have been wanting to try this for a long time! It was worth the wait!
I’m on my 2nd cup and it’s lovely. It’s a nice black tea base – medium strength and even from start to finish with a different sort of a vanilla flavor…it’s vanilla but….sugary-frosting like…but isn’t really creamy, per say. It has a toasted-bread like flavor right at the end of the sip and lingers slightly into the aftertaste but the vanilla kicks in again by then. It’s unlike other vanilla’s I have tried and it quite special. Neat flavored black tea :)

This tea is awesome.

Dry the leaves are quite large are smell of a natural, soft, sweet vanilla definitely not overpowering or artificial.

Hot the smell is divine it’s a vanilla teacake cooling on a windowsill.

The ‘tea’ component is very light, and as far as away from bitter as you can imagine. I infused it for quite a long time and seemed it to make the tea sweeter rather than stronger which was awesome!

The vanilla is a sweet vanilla – very sweet and so tasty.

It’s the perfect afternoon tea. Absolutely delish! I highly recommend this to everyone. :)

Thanks momo for allowing me to try a few cups of this! Anything vanilla is my favorite. This is a milder tasting black tea base. It brews a medium brown color. Kind of malty. The base is perfect for the vanilla flavor that is neither too subtle or too strong. A tea that is smooth and sweet! I like it, of course (it’s vanilla). I can’t decide which is my favorite of the vanilla teas I’ve tried. I also like Harney’s Vanilla Comoro and ESP Emporium’s Vanilla Black. There was also a teabag I really loved: Numi’s India Night. But why pick favorites?

I’m worried about everyone on the east coast right now! Stay safe and drink some tea!

A friend really loves this tea and drinks it often. We shared a pot of it tonight for the first time and I found it to be a very smooth tea with no astringency. The vanilla aroma is just right and the vanilla flavor is light with a sweet aftertaste that is very mild. It was a very good tea, but as my youngest daughter (who LOVES Vanilla Black by Harney and Sons) said, “I still like Harney and Sons Vanilla Black better!” And it is less than half the price! Vanilla Black does not taste the same as their decaf tea called Vanilla Comoro, which is sweeter and more of a dessert tea but is also delicious.

I love this tea’s smoky, earthy scent. You think there’s no way it’s vanilla with a smell like that.
It’s still not there immediately but it is the best vanilla taste I’ve ever had in a tea. It actually tastes like real vanilla. It’s not too strong, and just leaves the perfect sweet aftertaste.

It is a very smooth, mild tea. It’s not something I would probably drink regularly, but I needed something for making it to Mariage Freres. This was not a bad choice at all.

Interesting but not more that that. I like vanilla, but not when it’s the entire point of the tea. And I mean it – I couldn’t even really taste much of the base tea itself. Satisfied my curiosity, now in need to pass this to some friend…

This is personally one of my very favorite teas. The vanilla is strong when you open the tin and warm in your cup. I find Mariage Freres never lets me down. Sweet and with a lovely color, I find it is wonderful alone or even with a snack. I even made a very nice iced tea out of it. I do not suggest a hot cup for a heavy meal, but it can be a great dessert tea. The iced tea can actually make a nice friend for a sandwich or picnic on a sunny afternoon.

Nice and smooth with a very light taste of vanilla. After the heavenly vanilla smell of the leaves, I expected a more intense flavor. Nice but not outstanding.