133 Tasting Notes
This was my breakfast tea today to go along with a blueberry scone. Yum! I do really enjoy this as a stand alone vanilla tea.
JacquelineM is on to something – I also followed her lead in cutting up a fresh vanilla bean and adding it to the stored tea = WOW! It takes the vanilla to a whole new delicious level.
I’ve also used this tea to blend with. Many times while having Mexican food I have a desire to have a sangria-type tea (sans alcohol, most of the time). ATR’s Organic Vanilla Noir mixed with Adagio’s Fruit Sangria/Fruit Medley works beautifully!
Organic Vanilla Noir is a fantastic tea that’s very versatile. It has a permanent place in my tea cupboard!
Preparation
I’m hesitant to write this review for a couple reasons: 1.) I only have enough to make this into iced tea one more time before I’m completely out and 2.) by the time I do have some cash to buy more, Frank could be completely out of this – then what will I do?
So be nice and don’t buy it all! Save me some, like 4 pouches to get me through this summer, um okay? :)
Forest Berry Silver Needle is awesome iced! I can’t say what it’s like hot because I already love it when it’s cold and slightly concentrated. I did add a couple more dehydrated strawberries to the mix, because I like to over-enhance things… (its the former-coffee drinker in me!)
I was a little heavy handed with the leaf and was able to get four steeps out of this, each time increasing the temperature 5 degrees and brewing a minute longer. The last two steeps I brewed with half the amount of water I used for the first two. A bit of simple syrup to make the berries shine, and I’ve got a great carafe of Frank’s Forest Berry Silver Needle iced tea waiting to be rationed enjoyed!
I’m with Azzrian – this is definitely worthy of being on the list of permanent stock! Heck, I’ll settle for just being in stock seasonally, I don’t know – say, around summer?!
Preparation
I am reading the comments. It is an awfully expensive tea to promise to keep on hand permanently, particularly when I still haven’t sold the first batch.
I’m glad you are enjoying it though!
I have never been to Paris – heck, I don’t even own a passport. I need to remedy this situation someday. In the meantime, Paris is making its way into my cup.
The tin is hiding in my cupboard under another tea that I use more, but like less. Lifting off the lid, I sneak a whiff – sweet, vanilla-y and fruity. While the 8 oz. of water comes to a boil, I measure out the leaves at 1.5 teaspoons.
Steeping the leaves for 4 minutes seemed like a long time when you’re just standing there willing it to finish. But I also love watching the color of the water change from sand to amber to nearly coffee-black. Finally, the timer goes off and the leaves are removed from the liquid.
Too impatient to wait for it to cool, I dangle an ice cube in the hot tea until three-fourths of it is dissolved. Add some simple syrup and my small cup is to the brim, full. A scary sight! I know better than to try lifting it to my mouth as I’ll end up wearing a quarter of it. After weighing my options, my best bet is to bring myself down to the cup and gently slurp enough so it won’t slosh when I go to pick it up.
A slightly turbulent journey, but I’m reminded of why Paris has it’s position in my cupboard – its special. The everyday teas are there to get you by, but it’s what’s underneath that counts.
