Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: compressed, dark brown
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Steep Time: 30 seconds
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: dark reddish brown
Generally, I don’t usually review flavored teas here on the blog. This one was just too interesting to pass up. Vanilla Bean Dream Machine is a compressed shou puerh blended with vanilla beans. I have never seen that done before, but I could see how the flavors might work well together. In this post, I am reviewing the 2023 release. While I no longer see that listed on their website, new versions are available with Tahitian or Ugandan vanilla beans. This is the first tea I have tried from Intergalactic Tea, but I like that they have some unique offerings that I don’t see elsewhere.
Leaf
Vanilla Bean Dream Machine is pressed into a 100g cake, but I easily broke off pieces for brewing with a puerh pick. The leaves were mostly whole with a mix of dark brown and more golden tips. The aroma of the dry tea was earthy and sweet with a dominant note of vanilla. It reminded me a lot of vanilla extract, but it wasn’t quite as sharp. I prepared it in a porcelain gaiwan using 212℉ water and a first infusion of 30 seconds. That time was gradually increased across the session. Tiny black flecks of vanilla could be seen floating in my gaiwan.
Liquor
Vanilla Bean Dream Machine brewed up a very dark reddish brown. Even before I took my first sip, a strong aroma of vanilla brought fresh pastries to mind. The taste was earthy and woody with sweet notes of dark chocolate. The vanilla was present but not in an overwhelming way. It almost lends a slight creaminess. The vanilla lingered pleasantly after each sip. Thar aspect slowly dissipated in later infusions, letting the base tea shine through. It never became funky or cloying and there was no astringency at all. The overall feeling is very cozy and comforting.
I am so glad that I got to try this tea! I would definitely recommend Vanilla Bean Dream Machine to anyone who already enjoys shou puerh and wants to try something unique. It could be a good tea for dipping your toes into this type of tea, but it is still very earthy. You may not enjoy it as much as I did if you don’t already like this type of tea.
Pro tip: Make sure to store this tea separately from other teas because the aroma of the vanilla can transfer.
Vanilla Bean Dream Machine provided for review by Intergalactic Tea.
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