Name: Madagascar Vanilla

Brand: Golden Moon

Type: Black tea, flavored

Form: Loose leaf

Review: I like vanilla and I like tea, and I like them together, unless the vanilla flavoring is fake and overpowering.

That isn’t a problem with Golden Moon’s Madagascar Vanilla.

Golden Moon blends the tea with both vanilla extract and pieces of vanilla bean. When I sniffed the dry leaf I was surprised at the subtlety of the vanilla nose: most of the vanilla teas that I’ve tried boast a strong vanilla scent. The leaves infuse to a dark amber, with what continues to be a subtle vanilla nose.

In the cup, the Madagascar Vanilla tastes more of tea than vanilla. This is by no means a bad thing: The tea is of good quality, and the vanilla enhances, rather than dominates the tea. On the other hand, if you are mad for vanilla and buy this tea thinking that you are going to get a vanilla bomb, you will be disappointed.

Recommendation: This is a good tea for folks who want to transition into drinking their tea without milk and sugar. The vanilla in this blend is very subtle, but does make the tea rich, slightly sweet, with creamy notes that are a good alternative to the milk and sweetening habit. I’d also recommend this tea to those who like to invent cocktails. I bet this stuff and some vanilla vodka could be the base of some very tasty drinks. On the other hand, you may want to try adding some almond milk to this tea: I did, and it was absolutely delicious. Wonderful on ice, too!

Preparation Tips: The vanilla flavoring is very subtle, so don’t be afraid of adding a bit more leaf to your infusion. Experiment with steep times, as you may find that a longer steep produces a richer flavor.

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