Vanilla Black

The smell of vanilla definitely hits you when you open the bag! I am reminded of vanilla ice cream. Organic, Fair Trade Certified tea, a definite bonus in my book.

I brewed this for 4 minutes using the water/leaf ratio that Rishi recommends. The brewed tea is a nice and simple way to start my morning. I drank this with some plain soymilk. The vanilla is still fairly strong in the nose but mild on the palate. The vanilla flavor is most strong in the finish of the tasting. I liked this but I do not think it is going on my list of things I must buy again but I’m also just not sure if vanilla tea is really my “thing”. I got a sample of the H & S Vanilla Black also so it will be interesting to try that one soon to compare.

First of all, I was surprised to see that the tin calls for one tablespoon of tea per 8 oz. water. When you are making a full pot of tea, that comes out to appreciably more leaf used than the standard one teaspoon per 5-6 oz. water. Since it was my first time trying this I decided to use their parameters.

The tea base has a little more bite than the Harney Vanilla Black base. I believe I taste some Assam in the base, as it is reminding of some of the tea bases I have had in flavored French teas. The vanilla smelled great when I opened the tin, but the taste is very subtle in the steeped tea. I need to experiment a bit, but right now Harney and Sons is superior to me. There is a lot more vanilla flavor if that is what you are after. If you want a subtle vanilla and more tea, this is a good bet.

No additions this time, just plain tea.

I just Love this tea. Pure, simple and smoothe. It really tastes like all the ingredients are really high quality.

This tea is swell. It’s not nearly as strong or bold as an earl grey which is nice for me. What I enjoy most about this tea is taking in a good waft of vanilla just before drinking and then waiting for the aftertaste. I enjoy this tea more-so once it has cooled way down; it takes on a bit more of a sweet taste throughout.

I probably wouldn’t buy it again, but I will enjoy this Rishi sampler until the last loose leaf.

This morning I drank what was left of the Vanilla Black tea that Rishi previously sent me for review in early 2012.
I thought it was utterly delicious, but then I really like the taste of vanilla.
I could definitely taste a smooth black tea beneath the vanilla. I could not, however, tell which black tea it was. I do not know if I am allowed to leave links. I apologize if not. Here is the full review I gave a few months back. http://www.examiner.com/review/tea-review-rishi-organic-vanilla-black-tea

I really wanted to like this tea. unfortunately I did not. The best I can say is that the tea is decent. Its not a bad tea. Smooth enough and quite drinkable but lacking any depth or complexity to make me want more.
In the can the vanilla overwhelms most of the tea scent and carries a bourbon overtone that is likeable but not particularly evocative of fine vanilla. In the cup the vanilla settles down behind the tea without getting lost. This feature might be the tea’s finest attribute.
Unfortunately the tea it’s self is a rather ordinary and single note black that did not distinguish it’s self from other ordinary teas.

I might be a bit unkind to this tea. As noted the tea is smooth, consistent and easy to drink. The vanilla flavor is present without being overwhelming and overall pleasant. These might be the reasons to give the tea a try and just the thing one might look for.

For my personal taste these reasons are not enough to recommend the tea. To me, tea is all about the amazing complexity of flavors that drive me to keep tasting it over and over again until I reach the bottom of the cup. Though this tea is a pleasant easy drinker, this is not enough to hold my interest for more than a few mouthfuls.

I had this tea at a local cafe and the first thing I noticed with the powerful vanilla aroma of the tea. I first tasted the liquor plain fresh from the pot and found the vanilla flavor a bit overwhelming. I finished it with a very small portion of raw sugar and some non-fat milk to fill out the cup.

As for the tea itself, it was quite tasty in general. It is a nicely flavored tea, which is a bit of a compliment from myself (who is not disposed to care for flavored teas). The vanilla did quite overpower the flavor of the tea itself, so I cannot speak for the quality of the leaves. I should, however, have this tea again when in the mood for a sweet, full tea on a chill morning.

I loved the vanilla scent and taste from this tea, but – and this surprised me – I think next time I want to try it with a bit of sugar in it to sweeten things up a tad.

A refreshing change from artificially flavored black teas. The vanilla, which predominates, is authentic and creamy. I initially couldn’t taste the tea at all through it, although the tea flavor came out and balanced more at around 100°F. A four minute brew just starts to get astringent.

Overall, too mild for my taste.

I feel wrapped in vanilla, a very good vanilla. The tea is there, but as an understatement. I added my normal amount of sweetening, but that made it overwhelmingly sweet. Now I want to go and bake some cookies.

A nice morning tea for me. I take mine with a splash of cream as it’s a little bland black (in my opinion.) The vanilla scent definitely hits you in the nose more than the tongue.

Strong strong vanilla aroma on opening the pouch. Those chunks of real vanilla bean are going strong. However, much less taste on the tongue in the tea. Need to try this with a little milk or kick to see if the fats or alcohol bring out more of the vanilla. The tea itself is standard Rishi black.

Steeped 3 tbs in 8 oz for 4 min in french press. Added 1 tbs local honey. Thoughts: creamy, rich, strong. Will try 2 tbs 4 min next time.