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This tea is a great example of how important it is to get your water temperature correct!!
I had this tea a couple of times and didn’t really enjoy it. It has almost a soapy taste and was overly floral. I really struggled to drink it, even with added sugar. Then I got a variable temperature kettle. I had been brewing this tea at a cooler than boiling temperature, but probably closer to 190. It really needs a temp closer to 170-180. What a change!
I made an infusion this morning at 170 and mixed in a small spoonful of honey. I then made a second infusion at 180 and mixed the two. It was smooth and lovely.
The taste is very fruity and floral. Due to the calendula and sunflower petals, it is also smooth. I think the base is tea kwan yin, as it has a little roasty character. There is a light and pleasant mineral aftertaste.
This has become a tea I can enjoy! Thank goodness for variable temperature kettles!

To start with, this was a free sample from Tealated – thank you very much! It came very nicely packaged with free filter bags and a card.
I opened the bag and immediately could smell a very sweet vanilla aroma – it was quite inviting! It got me excited to brew it. I used boiling water for about 3:15 and when I pulled the leaves, the aroma was there again, and stronger. The leaves themselves smelled of citrus, so I will likely try a rebrew. The initial taste, after cooling slightly, is of strong black tea with a very pleasant aftertaste of cream. The bergamot is very light, and natural. It definitely does not overpower the taste of the high quality tea. I do put sugar in my Earl Grey Cream teas (I just wanted to taste this one unadorned first), so when I added it, the taste was fuller. It was very smooth and pleasant. It’s a tea I could drink all day. I would like to try it iced as well.
All in all, a tea I will definitely buy more of. This comes from a seller with a vision I share – spread joy through tea. She also supports water.org. Moreover, the samples she sent came with a handwritten note. This made me ant to review her tea quickly and get her message out. Little touches like that mean so much to a potential customer. She definitely made me into a customer for sure.

I was inspired by the Soritea sisters to sip a different tea each day leading up to Christmas. I made a list last night. I love all of my teas, but I think I drink my very favorites more often, and I need some motivation to drink the breadth of my stash!
Today’s selection: Vanilla Orchid. It is even better than I remember. This is possibly because I just got a variable temperature kettle. This says to brew it at 190, but I set my kettle to 180 and it turned out even creamier. It is a little less floral, which is fine with me. I added 1 tsp of sugar to my 3 cup pot and brewed it with 3 tsp of tea. I poured it off and then added water for a resteep. I mixed the two together to get 6 cups of tea total to sip on throughout the day. It’s a lovely vanilla cupcake-y taste, with just a hint of flowers. The oolong base is definitely there, too, and provides a nice undertone. I’m sad that I only have a few servings left in my tin. I’ll be looking into adding more around christmas time. It is almost as good as Silk Dragon oolong, and brewed the way that I did, it is even richer. Keeping me happy and warm on a cold and damp day.

Ahh – this is refreshing! I love this tea, and it tastes like summer in a cup. It is ever so slightly smokey, especially if brewed at a high temperature, but not at all bitter. I like it best steeped at 190 for 4 minutes and then again at 190 for 5ish minutes. I mix the two steepings together to get a mellow, very drinkable, tea. It sort of tastes to me like Ruby Red grapefruit juice, but without the sugar and without the bitterness. It tastes like the best parts of a red grapefruit.
My only complaint today is that I added too much sugar. I don’t think it needs any, but I was treating myself today. I added 1 tsp for 6 total cups. Still too much. Next time, I’ll only use 1/2 tsp.

This seems to be my go-to tea these days, and I’m glad I ordered more so I can have it several times a week. My latest blend with it turned out very nicely. I used a 4 cup pot and 3 tsp of this mixed with 1 tsp of Vanilla Cream Black Tea and 1 tsp of dried lavender. I added about 2 tsp of sugar. I tried it both with and without milk, but with milk dilutes the flavor too much. It is really soothing and perfect as it is. It is tangy and creamy from the Earl Grey, but has a candy quality from the vanilla tea and the lavender.
I did a rebrew with a bit of added tea and that turned out okay, but not as good as the first brew.

To me, this tea is smooth and yummy! I love rooibos, as I get the feeling of tea without the caffeine in the evenings. My new tea plan is to drink a different rooibos each night to calm down before bed.
I brewed it for about 10 minutes. My first impression was that it was a little weak, but that is because I have been mainly drinking black teas. After a few sips, I picked up cocoa and vanilla flavors. Then I added a splash of almond milk and a pinch of sugar. The caramel flavor really popped out at that point. It almost tasted like a milky way candy bar. Very soothing as well. I will be drinking and ordering this tea often.

It’s been a long week. A very long week and I’m in the middle of several weeks with no rest. So, my teas are what I am looking forward to right now. I bought some dried lavender today and decided to try it in this tea. It took a good tea to great! I’m a little new at tea blending, but I definitely enjoyed this one. I mixed 1.5 tsp Earl Grey Cream with 1/2 tsp Vanilla Cream (also from ETS) and 1/2 tsp dried lavender flowers. It is creamy, sweet, and floral in about equal parts. What a great, relaxing tea to be drinking in the middle of a busy Saturday!
I also love this tea on its own. It has a nice, sweet, citrusy taste. I do wish it had slightly more vanilla and bergamot, but is is still good. I find that I actually like this best very lightly sweetened (about 1/3 tsp per cup) and without milk.

I have drank this twice this week, both times in the afternoon. It is so relaxing and easy to drink! As it cools, the sweet flavors start to pop. This is especially true for the first steep. Subsequent steeps are still mild, but more fruity than creamy and sweet.
It’s been a really long week, and a tea like this helps a lot. I love the way that green oolongs immediately make me feel better and much more relaxed.

I’ve brewed this several times, and I think I’m ready to review it. It is sweet, floral, and citrusy. It’s pretty much what I expected, but maybe even a little smoother.
Today’s brew is slightly weak. I think this tea might be better brewed at the 4 min mark. I’ll give that a try next time.