Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Arbor Teas
Product Description:
This organic, Fair Trade Certified Masala Chai Black Tea blend has a medium-body with exceptionally spicy flavor and aroma. This formula is based on traditional South Indian blending methods and ingredients, using a CTC leaf grade (i.e. very small), as well as green cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and black pepper. Despite the CTC grade leaf, this tea has surprisingly little astringency. The clove and ginger really come through, with a wonderful cardamom finish. We recommend steeping a triple-strength cup of our Masala Chai Black Tea and serving it with honey and steamed milk.
Ingredients: organic black tea, organic green cardamom, organic cinnamon, organic ginger, organic clove, and organic black pepper.
Taster’s Review:
I have wanted to try this chai ever since I reviewed the Masala Chai Tea-Infused Chocolate Truffle from Arbor Teas in November. And I am so glad that I’ve finally had that opportunity, because this is a remarkable chai!
I steeped this just as recommended in the description from Arbor Teas (which I’ve included above), I steeped it extra strong and then served it with honey and steamed milk. AWESOME! This makes a delicious chai latte.
First of all, I must say that I love that Arbor Teas recognizes that we don’t all just want to stand at our stove and brew chai tea using the “stovetop” method. Get real! It’s messy and to be quite honest, there are few things that I enjoy heating on the stove less than milk.
This chai tastes great when brewed at a concentrated strength in water, and then adding steamed milk to the brewed liquor. It is a chai after my heart!
The black tea base is strong but not bitter and there is very little astringency to it. The astringency – what little there is – seems to nearly vanish after the steamed milk is added. It is smooth and rich tasting, and I love that it is organic too.
The spices are nicely balanced in this blend, and they stand up well to the addition of steamed milk. The pepper seems to stand out for me, but I like pepper in a chai so that’s not a problem. It doesn’t overwhelm the other spices – it just adds a new level of warmth to this chai which I am finding to be remarkably complex even with the addition of milk.
Delicious!
