Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Product Description:
According to the International Ice Cream Association, Vanilla is by far the most popular flavor, getting a full 23% of all ice cream consumption. Inspired by this love, Adagio has created Rooibos Vanilla, combining rich, warm dark sugar aroma of vanilla with mellow and grounding rooibos herb from South Africa. Soothing, sweet and very ‘beany’ vanilla fragrance (like warm sugar cookies made with fresh vanilla beans). Slight fruit juiciness from the rooibos, melting texture and comforting flavor. Naturally caffeine free!
Ingredients: rooibos tea, natural vanilla flavor
This tea is part of the Sweet Medley Gourmet Tea Collection from Adagio Teas.
Taster’s Review:
It would seem that vanilla and rooibos are a perfect pairing. Rooibos is a naturally caffeine-free herb, and vanilla is such a soothing, relaxing flavor. It seems like just the right combination for night-time sipping.
The vanilla is pleasant enough, although I did find that the vanilla flavor does need some encouragement to reveal itself. A little bit of turbinado sugar does the trick, though. I have tried this also with a drizzle of agave nectar, but I prefer the turbinado sugar here – it really accents the deep vanilla tones nicely. Without the sweetener, the vanilla is a bit underwhelming, and all I really taste is the woody notes of the rooibos. It doesn’t taste bad, but, if I wanted to drink plain rooibos, I would have brewed some, you know what I mean? So, when you try this one, if you find that the flavor is a little less than you’d like, try a little bit of sweetener and see if that perks the flavor up for you like it did for me.
That being said, once I managed to get the vanilla to come out and play, it was certainly worth the effort. Smooth, sweet and creamy! The rooibos has a woody flavor, as I’ve already mentioned, and a natural nuttiness to it. That nutty tone is a very harmonious taste to go along with the delicious, rich taste of the vanilla. I don’t get any of that funky aftertaste from the rooibos, and that is a good thing.
A very pleasant way to end the day!
