Vanilla Comoro

So I drank this partially because it’s a sample and will be an easy sipdown for my mission, but mostly because I’ve read on a few people’s notes that Mr. Harney has passed away sadly. It’s not much, but a little token of respect. I’ve only just recently started exploring Harney & Sons teas more, and only own a few of their blends, but each one I’ve tried so far has been lovely. I really enjoyed this tea, too, which is truly a testament to how good Harney’s teas really are, as I have vanilla listed on my flavour dislikes. So rest in peace, Mr Harney, and thanks for sharing your teas with the world.

This came in my recent parcel from MissB, and I was curious to try it to see if I can in fact like vanilla flavoured tea (turns out I can!) Although it was a sample and I had only two cups worth, I wasn’t planning on drinking this any time soon. I have some older small samples I was planning on sipping down first. After I heard the sad news, though, I went rootling around my (far too messy) draw for some Harney’s blends and this was the first one I came across. I quite fancied a dessert tea and I couldn’t be bothered to look thorough for another one, as it took quite a while to find this in the first place. It was hanging out with my caffeinated samples, so I was surprised to read that it was decaf. As it turns out, this was perfect as I’d just finished a huge mug of coffee (Starbucks microground Colombian – genius) and didn’t really fancy the jitters. I will have to remember to switch it to my 6pm onwards draw, though.

As I’ve already said and mentioned in previous reviews, I came to the shock conclusion around four months ago that as a flavour in its own right, I am not vanilla’s biggest fan. Because of this, I wasn’t the most excited I could have been to try this tea. This lack of excitement continued right up until the moment I took my second sip. The packet smelled sweet and vanilla-ish, much as expected, and the tea brewed up smelling of Ceylon with a sweet hint. I added a level teaspoon of sugar (for the first time in a while) and a splash of skimmed milk, as I wanted a desserty treat, and the small sip I tried black was too astringent for my liking. After the additions, the whole cup brightened up, and was actually quite lovely. It wasn’t necessarily the strong, almost chemical vanilla flavour I am used to, but instead a more mellow and somewhat creamy and more rounded vanilla which reminded me both of birthday cake and sugared almonds. These two have a common element so I’d hazard a guess that what it most reminded me was of icing, although I swear there is some spongey cakiness in there somewhere, too. Despite how it sounds, it was not at all cloying or sickly – the black tea base actually shines and works as a part of the blend rather than just something for the other flavours to use. Does that make sense? I don’t know. It was delicious though, and whilst my views on vanilla still haven’t changed that much, and I still wouldn’t reach for it every day, it’s nice to know that I can still appreciate a really good vanilla blend.

I’m not quite a vanilla convert, but I will enjoy every last drop of my remaining sample. Thanks for the opportunity to try this, Bonny!

From the Tea and cards TTB: I have found my favourite vanilla tea. This tea tastes exactly like McDonald’s vanilla ice cream and I want to drink it every minute of every day. MAJOR YUM!

Ugh this tea. Seriously of the best vanilla teas out there. Will always be a staple in my collection. Love how creamy and smooth this one is. ^^

There was so much hype about this. I bought it in sachet form from iHerb and it didn’t taste like anything! I figured maybe it was a very old tin or it was damaged by light or heat. So I went ahead and bought another tin. I can taste the vanilla, kind of like a plain vanilla cupcake, but it still seemed weak to me.
Perhaps all the rave reviews were for the loose leaf, which I’m now desperate to try but is sadly unavailable in Australia. Will have to wait until I go on exchange in the U.S.
At least the tin is pretty.

It’s hard to believe that this big bold tea is caffeine free! With a bit of milk it reminds of vanilla bean ice cream from hagan daas, so tasty! This one is for sure going to be a regular evening treat for me!

Thank you to Carol Who for this sample!!! I have been wanting to try this one for a while! So yummy! It’s a light malty, vanilla, creamy tea that hits all the right buttons for me.

The flavor doesn’t knock your socks off, but instead, it’s a nice calm way to end a good tea day.

I don’t usually pop on here this late, but I’m afraid if I don’t jot something down, I won’t remember it as clearly. The lovely Marzipan sent this my way, and I can’t thank her enough for the samples. This is the best decaf black tea I’ve ever had, with creamy vanilla hanging in the back. It’s got enough mouth pucker to be interesting, and it doesn’t suffer from the same watered down quality that most decaf teas do. While I could tell that it was a decaf as I sipped, it really gave me the ‘black tea’ taste that I’m sometimes looking for at night.
I found this to be really lovely and will definitely add it to my shopping list for the future.

The flavor vanilla can be hit or miss with tea. I find it’s either too light or just right. Luckily I haven’t found a tea that has over done the vanilla; but I have found one that mixed it with a weird flavor. Anyway, I really like what they did with this one. The smell and the taste are great. Not liking the after taste much but whatever. Do you notice that the steeped smell is also really good?

And I’ve been forgetting… This one is from the Tea box.

Another review on a tea that I love. It is truly one of my anytime, anyplace, any reason teas. I’ve never made a bad cup. I added a little French Vanilla Stevia and all my cares have just melted away!

I’m visiting my very grumpy 88 year old mother in FL. Oh joy! It’s hot and sticky. I’m staying in a guest apartment in a “Senior Residence”. There are is no real kitchen and making tea is going to be a pain. Luckily I brought my big ice tea pitcher with the infuser so in 12-24 hours I’ll have some lovely cold brewed tea.

I’m still trying to do my exercise program of walking 3-4.5 miles a day. Ya know what… it’s really hot out side! I’ve ended up walking up and down the halls, over and over, back and forth, up and down stairs. Luckily, I can listen to Doctor Who and Orphan Black podcasts while I walk so the time goes faster.

One of the best parts about this trip is that there are several tea shops in Sarasota that I’ll get to visit! Uh oh, there goes all my money.

I am constantly tempted to buy tea even when I have drawers stuffed full of it at home. Out grocery shopping yesterday, this caught my eye and I could feel my resolve breaking. Truth be told, I’m very glad it did. This tea is terrific. The smell alone of it is purely intoxicating. I love how the vanilla doesn’t taste artificial and how the black base doesn’t fight for dominance. As a bonus, it’s decaf! Now I have a tea I can drink while curled up on the couch knitting when those bouts of insomnia hit.