Good Hope Vanilla (Red)

Pleasing color red
Matches the bag it came in
Pleasant enough taste.

It smells pretty delicious with the creamy vanilla scents coming out strong. The liquor is a dark reddish color. Maybe it’s because it’s still hot, but when I drink it, I mostly taste generic “hot liquid” flavor with a chaser of sweet vanilla. xD What I find interesting is that the decaying leaves smell/flavor I have thus far associated with rooibos is not present. Though, I am hard pressed to describe what it is I /do/ taste. Maybe….earthy.

Well, last night was a complete bleep-show in the U.S., and there really isn’t any end in sight. Anxiety is high, and ability to focus is nil. To make matters worse, I drank too much coffee to combat the too-much-beer-not-enough-water—last-night-bordering-on-migraine brain fog that I woke up with. So, herbal and non-caffeinated beverages are what’s on tap for the rest of today.

I’ve had these teabags for probably 6 years now. It’s obviously weaker in flavor than if they were fresh, but it’s still a very nice vanilla rooibos. The vanilla tastes genuine, like real vanilla bean. It pairs well with the woodsy notes characteristic of rooibos, and is a comforting flavor. Soothing and healthy-feeling. I will probably follow it up with some kind of tulsi later on.

black tea, but vanilla and chai-ish.

use milk and sugar

I bought this tea at my local supermarket as I enjoy both Rooibos and vanilla flavors. I found this to be a well-rounded tea that I enjoyed very much for late night sipping when I didn’t want any caffeine. I would love to have some more, but it’s on the expensive side.

This tea took me by quite a surprise. I find Republic of Teas rooibos varieties to be hit or miss (I’m looking at you Red Velvet Chocolate), and at first taste I thought this was a miss as I tasted mostly rooibos. I gave it a second chance and realized I hadn’t steeped it in hot enough water initially (almost boiling is best to bring out the vanilla). I now find this tea to be oddly addictive, and even think I prefer it to one of my fave vanilla flavored teas-ROT Vanilla Almond. It tastes as if you are sipping on vanilla pods with a slight earthiness from the rooibos, and I find it leaves me feeling all cozy and calm. What’s better than that? It leaves a very pleasant aftertaste on the tongue that is almost creamy in it’s sweetness. This tea is excellent both plain and as a tea latte, but either way I find it best steeped for 10+ minutes if you enjoy a strong vanilla flavor.

This was my first time trying this one. I’m always on the hunt for good vanilla teas, and this one was pretty good. The taste and smell of vanilla are about equal in this one, which I’ve found to be rare in vanilla tea. Definitely tasted like rooibos, but not too sharp or grassy like it can get sometimes. Very nice for bagged tea!

I really like this – it’s sweet and creamy. Vanilla rooibos is my favorite way to drink it.

I curled up with a big tumbler of this tea almost every night during the three weeks i spent reading Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, so the smell of it always brings that very pleasant experience to mind. I find it best with a touch of honey. I’m still working on my latte-making technique, but i find a vanilla rooibos latte even more tempting than a masala chai latte, and this one is an absolutely lovely vanilla rooibos.

I’m getting sick. Chest congestion and just a general malaise. So, I decided something full of stuff that’s supposed to be good for me is what I’m supposed to be doing.

Bluh. Now I remember why I have a vague distaste for rooibos. It’s the scent. Pretty awful. But, like may of the other rooibos teas I’ve recently had from The Republic of Tea, it grows on me as I finish the cup.

I enjoyed this tonight at a wonderful cafe. I was looking forward to trying it as I love vanilla. It is the first red tea I have tasted and I loved the color. The experience was good, but nothing remarkable. I actually couldn’t pick out the vanilla which I found surprising after reading some of the previous tasting notes.