This is my first rooibos tea. I’m not sure why it took me so long, but I’m glad I tried it.
Besides the vanilla, I’d compare the flavor to what you’d get if you took the intersection over the flavor of all black teas, and then also took out any hint of harshness or astringency. Not really any of the wonderfully diverse terroir-based flavors you’d get in most black teas, but it’s just so damn smooth and friendly. It’s funny how close this tea gets to the flavor of a black tea with milk, without any milk added.
It’s a little heavy on the vanilla for me, but overall it’s enjoyable. If black tea is a ripe cheddar, then this is American cheese. I’ll stick with black for my everyday tea, but this is worth having when you want a tea that you can drink as much of as you like, or just as a change of pace.