English Tea Shop Vanilla, Mint and Mango Tea Review
Vanilla? Sure, that’s a festive flavour. But mint and mango are usually reserved for the summer months. This is what drew me to review English Tea Shop Vanilla Mint and Mango tea, one of many teas in the Holiday Collection tea set that I received as a gift!
English Tea Shop (ETS) are usually exceptionally good at blending flavours. Their peppermint tea is one of my highest-rated and tastes just like a delicious candy cane. So, don’t be too scared to try some of ETS’s more adventurous blends.
In this review, I’ll cover what to expect from this tea and how best to brew it.
English Tea Shop Vanilla Mint Mango at a Glance
Izzy's Rating
3.1/5
- Blend: Green tea with lemongrass, mint, cinnamon, vanilla and mango
- Flavour: Smooth and refreshing green tea with dominant mint notes and sweetness
I found this tea to be quite refreshing and smooth, but it lacks the many flavours ETS claim that it has. It’s predominantly a mint tea with subtle notes of mango. You could add a drop of vanilla extract to enhance it.
Full Review – ETS Festive Green Tea
Izzy's Rating
3.1/5
- Type: Tagged paper filter teabag
- Tea: Green tea
- Additives: Lemongrass, mint leaves, cinnamon pieces, vanilla pods, mango pieces, natural flavourings
- Flavour Notes: Smooth green tea, slightly sweet, refreshing mint aftertaste, hint of tropical mango
- Aroma: Musty mint leaves, tropical mango, peppermint sweetness, hay, lemongrass
- Milk or Lemon: Sweetener and/or lemon
- Where to Buy: Amazon (part of the festive collection)
Opening the individually wrapped teabag, mint is quite clearly the dominant note. It’s musty, like dried herbs typically are, and sweet like peppermint. There’s also a hint of tropical mango that adds a refreshing note to it. The aroma combination is reminiscent of a revitalising, minty cocktail. Best sipped by the side of a pool, not at Christmas time!
It brews into a slightly dusty mango orange-yellow colour. A result of the mellow green tea and fruity pieces.
Lemongrass pops up in the steam, with notes of warm spearmint and sweet peppermint. The green tea is a warm, mellow and smooth base for the brighter flavours. There’s a hint of mango and lingering minty tingles on your tongue and dancing around your mouth.
I can’t help but be disappointed that there’s no sign of the vanilla. It would work well with the mango. Perhaps it’s hidden beneath the powerful mint notes.
How to Brew Vanilla Mint and Mango Teabags
I brewed at 90°C for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. ETS recommends brewing at 100°C but that’s just madness for green tea! Brew at boiling temperatures and the green tea will burn and leave bitter notes in your cup.
You could add a few drops of vanilla extract before drinking, to complete the cup. You could also try icing it with slices of lime and fresh mint, or even slices of mango if you have some. This will play up the refreshing notes in English Tea Shop Vanilla Mint and Mango tea.
Why English Tea Shop?
The masters of tea blends have almost let me down with this one! Nonetheless, the quality of this tea is very good. It’s certified organic by the Soil Association in the UK and uses mainly natural ingredients rather than relying on flavouring.
My only gripes with this tea are that there’s very little in the teabag… and said teabags are wrapped individually in plastic. That’s not good for the environment at all. My experiences with ETS in the past have been more positive, with eco-friendly wrappings and larger tea pieces rather than finely crushed green tea leaves.
Summary
I did enjoy this tea but it didn’t wow me. I’m not craving another cup. However, it is a refreshing change to the many heavier, spiced teas in the Holiday Collection tea box and I’ll be finishing them over the summer in iced tea concoctions. Check it out on Amazon using the link below.
Tea Recommendation
Feeling festive? Luckily for you, I wrote an entire article about tea advent calendars. If you want to stock up on Christmas-themed teas, you need to read that! It includes a great English Tea Shop calendar and others from popular tea brands.