Sweet vanilla bread tea just sounds so good! It sounds like sweet French toast in tea format. But does it live up to its name? This week I’m reviewing English Tea Shop Sweet Vanilla Bread to find out.
By the way, if you haven’t had sourdough bread drizzled in honey, you really should. That was my snack of choice to photograph and eat while taste testing this tea!
Below in my full review, you’ll find out what this tea tastes like, how I brewed it for the best results, and where you can buy it online.
Sweet Vanilla Bread Tea at a Glance
Full Review – ETS Sweet Vanilla Bread
- Type: Tagged paper filter teabags
- Tea: Ceylon black tea
- Additives: Cinnamon pieces, ginger pieces, cardamom pieces, apple pieces, vanilla pods, natural flavouring
- Flavour Notes: Plain black tea, subtle mixed spices, honey sweetness
- Aroma: Cinnamon, cloves, spice, bread, malty
- Milk or Lemon: Milk and/or honey
- Where to Buy: Amazon (part of the festive collection)
Ripping open the packet, I’m expecting a malty black tea base. This is the best way to create that warm, freshly baked bread aroma. While the loose tea leaf is a bit bready, it’s not very strong. The spices are pleasant though, with notes of cinnamon and cloves instantly detectable.
It brews into a light maple brown tea colour that’s slightly dusty – I’d recommend running English Tea Shop tea made from teabags through a strainer. They’re all a bit dusty and it might catch in your throat.
Once brewed (find timings below) the aroma of the tea is smoother and slightly malty, but those pleasant spices have all but vanished.
Thankfully, they’re still present in the flavour. Overall, this tea tastes comforting and cosy with Christmas-themed spices, but the black tea base isn’t bready in the slightest. There’s no hint of vanilla either, just a subtle sweetness.
How to Brew English Tea Shop Festive Tea Blends
When it comes to English Tea Shop Sweet Vanilla Bread tea, the longer the better. I brewed one teabag (that holds 1.5g) for 6 minutes to get a light and fragrant tea. Don’t be afraid to brew for 10 minutes.
No, I’m not joking.
A really long brew time will draw out more flavour but won’t get too bitter. It’s unusual but true. Once brewed, this tea is really nice with a splash of milk and teaspoon of honey. You can drink it without, however. You won’t be missing out.
Why English Tea Shop Teabags?
I was gifted the festive collection by a friend, as they knew that I have adored English Tea Shop teas in the past. Unfortunately, the tea quality isn’t great. It’s very finely chopped and with less than 2g of tea per bag, you really don’t get much flavour out of it.
On the other hand, English Tea Shop are Soil Association Certified. That means all the ingredients from the Ceylon tea to the dried spices to the natural flavouring, are all made in a healthy and chemical-free way.
That’s better for the planet and it does you a world of good too.
Summary
This is a really pleasant tea. Maybe it’s not as amazing as sweet vanilla bread sounds, but it’s still lovely to sip in the evenings in front of the fire. I highly recommend you buy the full festive collection and share it with your friends and family over Christmas. There are some real gems hidden inside.
Tea Recommendation
Looking for more Christmas-themed teas? Head to my Tea Review Index. This is where all my tea reviews are logged, so you can sort by ‘cinnamon’ or ‘black tea’ or pick your favourite tea brand to find something tasty to drink.