Chai Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Kally Tea
Chai Description:
Traditionally Chai is brewed by adding milk/cream and a sweetener. The spicy complexity of this libation is just as delicious brewed as a regular beverage without any dairy or sweetener. Try it both ways to discover your favorite way to enjoy.
Learn more about this masala chai blend here.
Taster’s Review:
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
And what better way to ring in this chilly, wintery New Year’s Day than with a warm, rich, delicious spiced Chai tea? I absolutely love a good, spiced Chai blend. This is definitely a yummy Chai, and nothing seems to warm me up from the inside out quite as effectively as a warm spiced tea like this one.
The black tea base is rich and slightly caramel-y with notes of malt, which leads me to believe that it is either an Assam or an blend of teas that includes an Assam. It has a very full-flavor, and it is a substantial enough tea to be able to stand up on its own while it is surrounded by the flavors of robust spices.
The spices are sensational! Warm and spicy, but not so spicy that I’d consider this to be spicy-hot. It is what I’d call “spicy” … but it isn’t so much so that I feel the need to temper the spices with the addition of milk – and even though this Chai does make an incredible latte – I rather like it when brewed simply in boiling water for four minutes with no other additions except a half a teaspoon of turbinado sugar to help enhance the spices.
It’s rich and warm and satisfying, and very comforting too, with a smooth creaminess thanks to the little touch of vanilla in the blend. And I think that it is the touch of vanilla in this blend that makes it so comforting and smooth … without the addition of milk.
I taste the black pepper and the ginger here, and these are the two “stand out” spices in the masala blend, but I wouldn’t say that this is a peppery chai, really. The other spices are strong enough to mellow the peppery notes out a little, and give the overall cup some balance. I taste the cinnamon, I taste the clove, and I taste the cardamom. It is a warming, delicious blend that I think everyone can enjoy – it is spicy enough for those who like a warm, spicy chai, but, it isn’t so spicy that those who tend to shy away from spicy-hot drinks would not be able to enjoy it.
A very lovely chai – from one of my favorite tea companies! I wish everyone a very happy and wonderful new year!
