Vanilla Rooibos Parfait

I’ve had this tea latte from Starbucks a few times in the past, and each cup is slightly different from the ones before it. This might have something to do with the size cup you order, since I suspect each teabag is the same size. The smaller the cup, the stronger the tea flavors since there is less water volume for the tea to diffuse through.

Today I ordered a Starbucks tall, which is their smallest size. Consequently, I was able to really taste the flavors coming through the large, fine mesh Tazo teabag that @steepedintruth mentioned in his tasting note. I’ve never seen a teabag this big before, let alone made of such a high quality mesh compared to the normal paper stuff I’m used to (then again, I haven’t been a big tea drinker at all until recently). First thing to hit was the vanilla; like everyone has mentioned, there’s definitely an artificiality to the taste of vanilla in this drink, but it’s not unpleasant to the point of ruining the drink. Reason being the apple cinnamon flavors that hit soon after.

Again, I’m sure the flavors were twice as prominent because I ordered a smaller cup, but man could I taste the apple cinnamon flavors! Not too strong that I’d swear I was sucking on a sour apple Jolly Rancher, but just strong enough for me to acknowledge that the flavors are there… more akin to eating a bowl of Apple Jacks cereal in milk. Soon the apple cinnamon takes over—in a good way—as the vanilla takes a backseat to the fruity spices, offering quite a sensational tea latte that gets better over time.

Amount: 2 filterbags
Additives: none
Water: 20 ounces, hot water spigot at Starbucks
Steep Time: a little over 5 minutes to first sip, and then I kept it brewing
Served: Hot
Smell: sweet, honey
Flavor: sweet, vanilla
Body: light
Aftertaste: sweet, woody, cinnamon

I was doing some school work at starbucks and decided to get something simple. I gave this a shot because I had never heard of it being on the menu. Deeeeelish, I sweetened it a bit. The teabag was kept in the cup but I never noticed any faulty flavor toward the end.

Absolutely deliciously creamy and sweet. I think this blend is very calming and great in the morning or after dinner. It is like a dessert (but without the guilt.) I found it very rooibos-y with hints of wood and caramelized marshmallows, which make it sweet but not in a fruity way.

I was first introduced to this tea at Starbucks by a guy I went on a single date with. Toast to him for this new find!

So sad this is no longer available at Starbucks. This has been my go to tea latte for years!! And of course being a tea newb back then it never occurred to me that instead of paying $4+ per drink, to just buy the tin and make them myself. The fact that Teavana took over Starbucks recently and swapped out the Tazo tea was the ‘kick in the butt’ I needed to purchase the tin. To be honest I have 3 tins of this at home… Whoops. It was hard to come by so I wanted to stock up!

I’m happy I stocked up as I love this tea! I tried it as just a straight plain tea tonight and it was still delicious (even though I’m used to the latte version). Its got sort of an apple=y taste. Not just straight vanilla but delicious none the less and will always be a favourite. Going to try it as a home made latte next time :)

I know a lot of people don’t like this tea because of the licorice. But I really love this one. I really don’t like Tazo teas, but this one I have always found to be soothing and comforting. Took me forever to find a place to buy this too-so it’s even more special now-haha! I like the fullness and texture the licorice brings to this one. The vanilla mixed in with the licorice is just perfect.
This one’s a keeper for me!
And plus, today is a bad day so I am trying to drink teas with little to no caffeine in them. This was the first one I picked. Definitely comforting for today (:

I expected a much stronger vanilla flavor and was initially disappointed by how little I tasted the vanilla in this tea. But now that I’ve adjusted to what it’s really like, I actually quite enjoy it. The rooibos flavor is pretty strong, but it is pleasantly mingled with apple and cinnamon and that little hint of vanilla. There’s also a bit of sweetness to the aftertaste. It’s still not my favorite, but it’s an easy, soothing option for a bedtime tea.

This is really a good, low-maintenance, anytime tea. It’s like a soothing apple pie flavor. Good for unwinding. I’m getting a lot of cinnamon and creamy vanilla today with an apple and rooibos backdrop. Extremely satisfying for a bagged tea.

This tea is just… lovely. I don’t really know what else to say. It’s delicious!! The smell is like apple pie. The taste reminds me of a nice, sweet apple cider but with a splash of vanilla. It’s also has a very good calming effect. Definitely a favourite from Tazo.

Side note: tastes as great iced as it does hot! I like to add a little bit of my German rock sugar to this one, it really helps bring out all of the flavours.