Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Enjoying Tea
Product Description:
This Sri Lankan Chai is made from Indian spices and high-grown Ceylon tea with natural cherry and chocolate flavors. The combination of ingredients gives this tea the depth and character of those served in Chai stands prevalent in India and Sri Lanka. This tea has a superb body with mellow Indian spice notes and overtones of mocha. When brewed this chai is coppery and bright in color and is wonderful served with milk. Please note: Turn your bag of Chai upside down a few times. The powdered spices can settle at the bottom of the bag during transit.
Taster’s Review:
This is one of the more unusual chai blends that I’ve encountered. When I first tasted it, even before reading the product description (above), I immediately tasted the chocolate, but there was something else there too. Something I couldn’t put my finger on immediately, and then it came to me: Cherry! I don’t think I’ve ever had a chocolate cherry chai blend before.
The chocolate and cherry flavors really give this a unique and delicious flavor. It isn’t a overly sweet, cloying chocolate-covered-cherry kind of flavor, but more of a savory, dark cocoa powder with slight bitter undertones and a sweet-tart cherry accompaniment.
The spices are mild here. I can taste the cinnamon the strongest, but other spices are difficult to distinguish. The black tea base is a delicious black tea; it isn’t particularly strong and it doesn’t really stand out amongst the other flavors, but it does offer a rich backdrop for the other flavors.
If I were to summarize the flavor of the overall cup in one word, that word would be “mellow.” Not in a bad way, though, because it’s a very pleasant cup. I am finding this to be more about the chocolate and cherry flavors, though, than the chai spices. Again, not a bad thing – just different. As I’ve said before, sometimes different is good. And in this case, that is very true.
I find this to be delicious served straight. If you wish to accentuate the warmth of spices, add a drizzle of honey. If you want a sweet, creamy treat, try adding some milk and make this a latte. It makes a fantastic latte! Very yummy.
