Vanilla Silk Oolong

So after we all got together and decided to do a cheap Christmas this year (my brother dealing with a big move this past year, and we had the cruise coming up and down to one income), my sweetheart of a brother not only decided to give us six months of The Whistling Kettle’s tea of the month club, he also sent us two tins of tea, Vanilla Silk Oolong and Orange Ginger Oolong. I’ve already had two cups of this beauty this morning. It’s lighter and creamier than its DavidsTea counterpart. I daresay I like this one better! I’m about to go resteep the leaves for a third time, we’re definitely going to get a lot of use from these leaves. They’d fill up a gaiwan beautifully. The leaves in the tin are whole, not crushed or broken down and I just wanted to watch them uncurl. This was a great gift indeed and the taste is just as it promises, vanilla creaminess with some silky smoothness and a hint of citrus to keep it from becoming too rich. Yum.

Sample sipdown!

This one, brewed, smells slightly buttery with strong notes of marigold and vanilla. I’m also picking up some lemon notes. I’m not thrilled on the marigold being so pronounced… but we’ll see.

Taste: I’m definately getting a lot of the floral marigold and vanilla aspects in the taste. There is a slight citrus thing going on as well. There’s a buttery taste in the very beginning of the sip that disappears into floral/vanilla very quickly. This is a VERY smooth cuppa, but unfortunately I don’t think it’s for me. It isn’t undrinkable, I just don’t think the flavors are working for me. The vanilla, in my opinion, is a little artificial tasting, even though the ingredients are supposedly natural. Maybe it’s the vanilla and the citrus together that is making me get this taste. Also, the marigold/floral taste is more pronounced than I was expecting. Finally, the creamy taste I was hoping for is limited to the beginning of the sip. While very smooth on the tongue, the flavor just isn’t showing up for me. =(

Overall, it’s not a favorite. I wouldn’t say it’s undrinkable. It just isn’t my cuppa. Vanilla can be hit or miss with me sometimes, so I wouldn’t blame the tea. Maybe if the person really liked vanilla/floral teas and was looking for something smooth they would enjoy this one more than I.