The July TeaLog Catchup !
This one was part of a variety pack, which included vanilla black tea and decaf vanilla black tea, that I got in a set of four Bigelow variety packs for Christmas from my grandma. I quickly drank through first the decaf vanilla black tea, because I don’t have a lot of desserty non-caffeinated teas, then the vanilla black tea, because even though vanilla was overwhelming to the tea and kinda fake tasting, it still made for a comforting warm cup convenient because bagged. But when I tried this one the first time, thinking it would be my favorite of the three because I love caramel, it was very bleck to me in both smell and taste. I wondered how I would finish the remaining five bags of it. I even thought about foisting it off on my mom via leaving them at her house in her miscellaneous bagged teas jar (for when there are only a few bags left in the box so the box can be recycled and new teas brought to replace). But I thought after enough time had passed, my memory of disliking it would diminish and I would try it again.
Recently, I noticed at my mom’s house on some of the other Bigelow teas (namely the variety pack including English Breakfast, Earl Grey, and Constant Comment) that the teas were too strong for me and decreased the steeping time thus enjoying them more. The other day, looking for the quickness of a bagged tea, I pulled this one out and thought hmm maybe it’ll be better steeped on the lowest end of the recommended steeping times range but I was doubtful. But glad to be proved wrong when it was! Don’t get me wrong, this will never be a favorite among bagged teas, but it was much more drinkable and I finished the whole cup, which I did not the previous time I had it. I will easily be able to finish the rest of the bags when the mood strikes me now, and feel oddly victorious about this discovery.
This tea still gets a 40 (low end of decent bagged teas range) but it would have gotten a lot lower had I logged and rated it the first time I drank it.
