Vanilla Rooibos Tea Latte

This evening I went to watch the Olympic Torch as is passed through my city on its way back to Vancouver. It was a fantastic experience and good times all around. It was also freezing cold outside and when it was over I needed something to warm my hands and and my stomach so I got this at Starbucks. This one tasted a bit like apple cider actually – vanilla-flavoured apple cider with milk. I’m thinking that’s the rooibos talking, the sneaky little bugger.
;)

Ummy yummy! Starbucks after a nice jog!

(Store-made, medium size, 2% milk, with a full-leaf teabag rather than liquid concentrate.)

Meh. I remember these being much tastier. Or maybe my palate’s matured / gotten snootier? Last time I had one was 2008.

Woody and minty rooibos, something a bit like toothpaste, and tepid milk. To be fair, did a great job of calming my jangled nerves, but I did not enjoy drinking it. I really don’t care for minty/woody red rooibos. There must be region/farm/estate differences with rooibos leaves just as there are with any other tea or tisane leaf. Anyway, this tasted at once medicinal, fakey-sweet and grenadine-y to me. And it cooled off very quickly.

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 c
Additives: 2 c lactose free milk
Served: Hot

Bring to boil, a little too much it formed a skin I had to skim off.

Tasting Notes:
Steeped Tea Smell: woody, vanilla, sweet
Flavor: delicious woody rooibos, sweet, vanilla
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: woody vanilla
Liquor: opaque cloudy brown

Delicious, I love this tea! To me vanilla and rooibos go very well together, and I’m always a sucker for a tea latte.

MilitiaJim and Bobbie only are getting vanilla sweet milk.

Post-Steep Additives: none

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/tazo-tea-concentrate-rooibos-tea-liquid.html

I like how the rooibos holds up in the milk, what I don’t agree with is the amount of sugar in it a whole 32g of sugar?! Oh my. I’d hate to work my butt off to try and burn those extra calories. I enjoy the vanilla sweetness that it has albeit a tad artificial, but it’s sort of like the same complex I have when I go to the Cheesecake Factory: Everything is so good, but I really shouldn’t think twice about consuming it. Tea lattes should definitely be more about the tea than the milk or sugar that goes into it.

It enjoyable and a once-in-awhile indulge, but definitely not something I would drink everyday.

Picked this up out of curiosity. The rooibos while a little medicinal in flavor isn’t to bad. I’m glad it’s decaf naturally, however would wish the Starbucks staff knew a little thing or two about preparing tea. Can’t be to picky. ;-) If it’s all you can get, I’d say pick it up.

I really miss good tea, but I’m glad to have a decaf option.

best tea latte at starbucks

Not a huge fan of Starbucks but I grab this at times when I am out and don’t have much else of an option. Pretty good stuff not the highest quality and its an artificial tasting vanilla but pretty drinkable.

Had this at Starbucks on Tuesday, made with soy milk. It smelled heavenly and tasted delicious. It was warm and comfy and made me hug the cup to me as I drank it.