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Cameron B. drank Vanilla Spice by Murchie's Tea & Coffee

4572 tasting notes

I’ve been good about not buying tea this month (since I haven’t been drinking much anyway), but couldn’t resist grabbing a few holiday teas from Murchie’s that I didn’t try last year. I got the Birch Blend, which was a tasting lab blend but was brought back (yay!), Gingerbread, and this tea.

This sounded intriguing to me, it has vanilla and spices (as mentioned), but it also has roasted carob and sarsaparilla. It does smell a bit like a root beer float in the bag, and in the steeped cup. Sipping it, I really like the blend of spices, and they keep it from straight up tasting like root beer. The vanilla is subtle but noticeable. However, the base is just so tannic and astringent that it’s making me pucker a little bit. Not sure if this is a different Ceylon than some of their other blends, as I don’t remember it being quite so brisk before. Might have to give it another go with a shorter steep, and if that doesn’t help I’ll try it with oat milk.

Flavors: Acidic, Astringent, Brisk, Cinnamon, Drying, Root Beer, Sarsaparilla, Spices, Sweet, Tannic, Vanilla

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, wax melts, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- December sipdowns: 0
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 176

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing