Vanilla Cake Batter Rooibos

Free sample from my recent AQ2T order – I still have to enter those teas into my cupboard, but that’s going to be a problem for tomorrow…

I could have sworn that I’d tried this tea before, but I don’t appear to have reviewed it and I’m usually very good with getting reviews up – so probably not. Anyway, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. It tastes like the vanilla cake batter from a Betty Crocker box cake; so maybe not the highest quality stuff, but still quite taste and SUPER nostalgic. Hints of coconut.

Sample Sipdown! (19)

Caffeine free time! I admit, I’m a sucker for sprinkles in tea. They’re just so darn cute… My sample of this didn’t have any of the bigger star sprinkles, but it did have small pearl dragées and freeze-dried mini marshmallows!

Hm. This mostly just tastes like rooibos to me… There is a bit of cake battery flavor, but it’s very faint next to the strength of the base. The rooibos is pleasant enough with its woody, somewhat bourbon-esque flavor.

Unfortunate… I don’t dislike rooibos, but I was hoping for more cake batter here! It does say that milk and sugar are recommended, but I’m not really in the habit of making those additions.

Sipdown! 79/365

Not a bad example of a rooibos, but I wasn’t thrilled by this one. Just didn’t get anything special out of it. Failed to add sweetener as I’d suggested to myself I should next time; more evidence for reviewing my own tasting notes before drinking down the last of a tea.

Apparently this was already saved to my wishlist but I got it as a sample with my most recent order and man, I hadn’t remembered how delicious it is. I got 2 steeps out of it and wow. I don’t usually wow on a rooibos blend but this one is so very very well done.

It’s very rooibosy, which is to be expected. Not my favorite base in general, but I was curious enough to try it anyway. The sip is mostly rooibos, but I do pick up a bit of the vanilla marshmallow coconut flavor in the finish. I get a little of the dry mouth feel after each sip. It’s okay, but nothing I’d seek out as a generally rooibos adverse person.

Tried this one with a little sugar and milk last night, and it’s still the most decadent vanilla frosting-style tea I’ve tried in a long time. I think on the whole I prefer it without additions, but it’s excellent either way. My only complaint is that the rooibos is a little more prominent due to the longer brew time I gave it, so as not to drown it completely in milk, but that’s a minor thing when it’s so delicious! Definitely a repurchase.

Sample time…I always am appreciative of samples included in my orders. I don’t feel I can honestly judge this one as I just can NOT find a way to like rooibos teas…though this one is better than most I’ve tried.

Ordered a sample of this and drank it up as a full pot last night. If rooibos blends were like this more often I’d possibly enjoy them. Also goes to show that my dislike of rooibos or honeybush isn’t necessarily towards the base or being over exposed to lower grades; I can sure taste the woody-hay rooibos here. I just think the light coconut-vanilla flavouring works well in conjunction.

I didn’t enjoy this blend as much as I expected to, but I think it could be because of the name. I was expecting notes of caramel and vanilla bean. Instead I’m getting mostly rooibos with hints of coconut and sugar. It is very good, but I do not taste any caramel, pasty, cake, or cookie like I would have liked. It is pretty good if you ignore the name, but I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who does not like rooibos.

Sample. I smell vanilla sugar. I get vanilla cake….rooibos. The rooibos is not woody in this blend so it works. Pretty good tea, but sugary. More sugary than I prefer my teas to be. It did capture it’s intended taste.