Leaf & Kettle

Sipdown. I was pretty pleased with this tea when I first got it, but it hasn’t worn well. It just got boring, somehow. Welp, good enough while it lasted, but not feeling the need to replace it.

I guess I’ll always be wishing the vanilla in my vanilla teas was stronger, but that aside, this is a really nice one. Though mellow, the vanilla is definitely present and it blends nicely with the smooth base. The vanilla tastes natural, not like an alcohol-based extract, and there’s a hint of cookie flavor to it. Overall, favorite vanilla tea to date.

During my recent hospital stay, my cousin was thoughtful enough to buy this tea for me instead of flowers….. how fortuitous for me! Since I went straight from the horse-piddle (as it’s known around here) to my mom’s home for a week, this tea helped nurse me through the panic of “will my tummy let me have tea?” after gastrointestinal surgery. Is this tea an astounding assam? No, not really. Is it a solid citizen in the tea world that relieved my fears by easing me back into the world of caffeine with quiet malt notes and low astringency? Absolutely. Because of this, it will always have a place in my heart when things look bleak and confusing. A comforting cup has never been more welcome, and this was mine.

Oh dear Monday is going to be hard. So I opened up this lovely comtainer of vanilla tea and floated in the scent for a few moments enjoying the bourbon and vanilla clouds, then brewed up a strong cup to start the day. No matter how long I steep it, this tea stays smooth and doesn’t get bitter. The vanilla clouds remain over the cup, I added some mesquite honey for an extra treat and I’m hoping it will get me grounded and energized to deal with the day.

Today’s tea is my favorite vanilla to date. I’ve had it on and off for a while but this is the first time I am reviewing it. Sad to say, not long ago I thought it was expensive now I think its one of the less expensive spectacular teas around. This tea has all sorts of vanilla goodness, its scent reminds me of Mexican vanilla, brewed (long or short) its starts with a vanilla cookie flavor that settles into a bourbon vanilla with cognac. The tea base feels light and supportive. Its black but has more of an orangey hue and there is certainly a caffeine kick but all in support of that vanilla trip. The first few resteeps are similar, missing the sugar cookie sweet start but giving the rest of the vanilla trip. After a few resteeps the vanilla begins to retreat giving a nice rounded clear and light tea after 4 resteeps I move on.

I’m trying to clear out my tea cupboard, its not so impressive as most of the steepster’s tea stashes and I have to share it with my SO who loves twining’s packaged tea bags. So this tea is still kicking around. Brewed it traditionally in the am but doubled the leaf and surprise it has a bit of a malty almost assam like flavor. I also sunbrewed a batch and its not bad it loses some of the too floral and sweet notes that troubled me the first few times around. I am hot because I am outside applying shellac to a chair for that very same SO (a rocking chair) resteeping tea and applying shellac seem similar to me. you keep going one more and one more wondering how it will come out and should just do one more coat than that will it still be worthwhile or have I tapped out this portion? Perhaps I’m just dizzy from the alcohol fumes?

The description of this tea sounds wonderful and much like a tea I should like. So as I was leaving Leaf & Kettle without the teas I wanted (they were sold out) I had them throw this in. Why do I do this to myself, I hadn’t’ tried it the aroma of the dry leaf was unremarkable. All the same I’ve tried brewing it twice with boiling water the second time even overleafing it and I get..colored slightly sweetened water? Is that a hint of honey? It tastes like corn syrup but so slight. I expected more well anything, not sure why but I thought I would be more like a good Ceylon. I will try once more with cooler water but I gave up and threw out my second cup because I really need something cheering and bold this Monday morning.