Good Hope Vanilla (Red)

This was last nights cup. It is a little strange, but apparently my favorite cup from Republic of Tea so far, is not a tea but an herbal or is it a tisane? What’s the difference? I don’t drink a lot of rooibos but this one I thought was really pretty good. The tiny bag just maybe did it a favor. The vanilla is not very strong but hits at the perfect amount to take the harsh edge off the late sip and add just enough flavor to be pleasing. If they would cut their prices in half I might be tempted to keep this around.

Asking seriously – how do you describe the taste of straight rooibos? To me it seems kind of spicy but sweet. The sip can have a harshness that makes me image tasting cedar sawdust (not that I ever have). I am at a loss to put it into words. My blog covers a lot of bagged tea for those looking for a review of grocery store teas along with my loose leaf journey. Help me out and if I use your description I will credit you on my review of this one.

Just a short note before dashing off to work they were serving tea at my meditation group last night and I got to try some of this, I was pleasantly surprised that one teabag in my cup seemed to provide enough flavor and the vanilla added a nice touch to the roobois. Did not hate it as much as I thought I might but will probably stick to the Celestial seasonings brand due to the price.

Wow, a RoT sample that’s actually drinkable! Enjoyable, even! (I think I threw the last 3 out ofter one sip!).

Celestial Seasonings (I know, I know…) Madagascar Vanilla Red is my go-to easy, serviceable rooibos in a bag, but I think this will supplant it next time I buy. It has a deeper, richer, rounder rooibos flavor and definitely seems fresher. The vanilla is stronger (especially in scent) and tastes more natural.

I got this as a sample with RoT’s latest catalog. I figured I’d try it before bed tonight. I’m smelling a LOT of cream and vanilla as this steeps. Added a little silk creamer to cool it down a little. It isn’t half bad. But I’m glad they gave me the sample. I don’t think it’s one I would buy on a regular basis. Mostly because I’m not tasting what I was smelling – I was really looking forward to that.

I received this as a free sample with the Republic of Tea catalog. This is a decent vanilla flavored rooibos, but I’m not tasting any cream flavor in it. It’s not any better or worse than other vanilla rooibos teas that I’ve had. I’ll probably stick with Adagio’s Vanilla Rooibos, since it’s very similar and cheaper. Prepared with stevia.

I’m trying out all the teas from The Republic of Tea Experience Sampler Cube. This one is delicious. The vanilla stands out more in this blend than it does in Adagio’s. I like it. It smells just like Adagio’s too. I like this one.

My husband gave me this tea for Christmas and I finally got around to having a cup (and then another) of this tea today.
I steeped it with 202* F water out of my Kuerig coffee maker and forgot about it. The good news is that although I steeped for over 10 minutes, the flavor was not too strong and there was no bitterness.
The first sip I took was sweet and had a nice vanilla flavor. I personally like very sweet and flavorful teas, but I would be able to drink this one straight if I had no honey and milk available.
I added about a teaspoon of honey and a french vanilla coffee creamer to bring out the vanilla flavor. It was pretty tasty.
I don’t think I would buy it again, only because I have several other teas that are similar in flavor, but if it was gifted to me or if it was available at a friends house, I would drink it for sure.

This was the best rooibos I’ve had in a while. I love the real vanilla taste in this like others have said. Every time I have a tea with vanilla is seems to suffocate any other ingredients or taste odd. Even with bad brewing conditions the flavors melded well and highlighted the tea insted of trying to convince us it wasn’t as bad as it seemed.

I got this tea in “The Republic of Tea Experience Sampler Cube”. I rather like it! It has a smooth, lovely, creamy vanilla flavor with a beautiful aroma. After taking a sip and then breathing, it almost feels like I’ve gotten a whiff and slight taste of vanilla cake. I was expecting a bland ho-hum thin vanilla flavor, not the robust and well-balanced authentic flavor that it actually has. What a nice surprise! This is more like what I was expecting from the Double Dark Chocolate Mate that I also got from Republic of Tea… I wonder how a mix of the two would taste…? Alas, I only had one sample of the Good Hope. I will likely buy a tin of this in the future.

This was my first Rooibos tea and still is my favorite. The vanilla flavor is not as pronounced as I would have hoped but it is enough to be noticed and compliment the earthy rooibos flavor. This one is a staple for me. I’ve read that rooibos soothes the central nervous system and I certainly believe it. After a couple cups of it at night, I’m relaxed and ready for bed.

I don’t think I’m chancey enough to buy a Republic of Tea canister without trying a sample (50 tea bags!) so I’m happy to receive a sample from them once in a while. I haven’t tried many RoT but this one is good and also my favorite. I guess I like teas with vanilla, especially if its a red tea. This is very smooth, tasty and vanilly.

Don’t know what to say other than it’s good :) Just left the tea bag in my mug with no fear of oversteeping.

I love this tea. It’s creamy and delicious on a chilly spring night!

I got a free sample of this tea with a Republic of Tea catalog (Yay!). It smells nice in the package, stinks to heck while steeping, but tastes lovely when you add milk and sweetener. I like it.

This is the closest I’ve come to tasting vanilla in my tea. I’ve had a couple of cups a day of this stuff.. trying to get my fix! The scent is beautiful in the tin and is definitely a strong mix of red tea and vanilla.
The Rooibos and the vanilla blend so well together. This tea is smooth, truly. I don’t use any milk/sweetener and think that this makes a beautiful drink on its own. Another thing I like about this is that it isn’t a bit drying in the mouth… simply smooth and rich. Well done, Republic of Tea.

This was my first red tea, and after a moment of adjustment, I rather enjoy it. Normally I stick to greens, but my sister gave me a tin of Good Hope Vanilla to try it out. Also, I rarely go for flavored teas, being more of a ‘tea is tea’ person, however, I continue to enjoy this the more I drink. The vanilla flavor is excellent, there’s enough there to notice, but it’s not overwhelming. The creaminess of the tea was almost surprising at first, but again adds to the character and doesn’t ‘steal the show.’ I’m enjoying the color very much, a deep burnt sienna. I recommend it, and will most likely keep a tin on hand for an after-dinner drink (as it’s naturally caffeine-free).

This has been my favorite brand and flavor of red tea for many years. First experimented with while working in a cafe, I heartily enjoyed this special tea without guilt daily, for not only was it caffeine-free, it was also free! Ah, the long-gone perks of being a coffeewench!

I will always recommend this brand and tea to newcomers to the rooibos plant.

I admit, I’m a sucker for vanilla in my tea. While it’s not a tea I keep around all the time (like RoT’s Vanilla Almond) I’ll still sit back and enjoy a cup.

Curiously fruity when sweetened! This stuff doesn’t last a week when we’ve got it in the house. Beautiful.

I curled up with a big tumbler of this tea almost every night during the three weeks i spent reading Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, so the smell of it always brings that very pleasant experience to mind. I find it best with a touch of honey. I’m still working on my latte-making technique, but i find a vanilla rooibos latte even more tempting than a masala chai latte, and this one is an absolutely lovely vanilla rooibos.