Black Tea with Vanilla

The perfect cup of tea - some of us have found it, some of us haven't. For some, the perfect cup of tea changes time to time, and for others, it stays the same for many years. The perfect cup of tea for my grandpa is simply black tea with a hint of milk and a teaspoon of sugar. For my mom, its double bergamot earl grey with a teaspoon of honey. For my friend Emily, it is Earl grey with lavender infused honey, and for Jason, it is either peppermint or black tea with nothing else. My perfect cup of tea often changes with the season. For example, my favorite in the winter is peppermint tea with a hint of honey, while in the summer my favorite is green tea. In the spring and fall, I tend to gravitate towards black tea with some honey.

My tea drawer is quite extensive, with many different types of teas - mostly black, as it is usually my favorite. Finding my favorite black tea, however, has been quite a journey. As of June 2017, my favorite black tea is "Pure Leaf" black tea with Vanilla. I've been through them all it seems, from the Tesco scottish blend, to Yorkshire gold, to Tetley, to other small niche local brands of black tea. Which ever the case, none seem to be as simply delicious as this one by Pure Leaf.

I found this Pure Leaf version at London Drugs on sale for 5$ - not bad for a quality tea like this. I have found that it is very easy to accidentally steep tea for too long, and with black tea, that usually results in a very bitter, unpleasant taste. With this Pure Leaf version, the tea does not seem to go overly bitter, even if steeped too long. I really appreciate that, as I forget easily and have a habit of over steeping my tea.

I am so happy to have found this tea! It is full bodied, with a distinct vanilla flavour - perfection! I like to have it with honey. It is also good plain, and super delicious with both cream and sugar - a treat! If you have struggled finding the perfect black tea, I suggest giving this one a try!

Thanks for reading, 

Madison xx