Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tealish
Tea Description:
Creamy, coconutty and delicious, this chai blend is pure perfection! Premium black tea, shredded coconut, vanilla, ginger root and cinnamon combine for a new adventure in chai!
Learn more about this chai here.
Taster’s Review:
I was very excited to try this chai. I love chai, and I adore coconut, this tea seemed like a sure thing!
And while it is a tasty chai, I find myself left wanting just a little … more … with this one. The coconut is delicious, and I love the creamy element to this tea. And the black tea offers a good, strong flavor and a nice malty tone that melds beautifully with the creamy notes. It is astringent with a slight bitterness to it, however, I find that the creamy notes seem to soften the blow of the bitterness as I get to mid-sip. Nice.
But, it is when we come to the spices that I’m left wanting. Chai should have a certain kick to it… it doesn’t have to be spicy, but, I do think it needs to have a solid taste to the spices, and I am just not getting that from this cup. Chai should taste like it has a substantial foundation of spice to it, the spices should be the backbone of the blend. And with this cup, the ginger and cinnamon just aren’t filling the bill.
Sure, the ginger has a pleasant peppery taste to it. And the cinnamon tastes warm and cozy and delicious. But, this needs something else. Immediately, I think cardamom and cloves, as these are the “usual suspects” when it comes to chai ingredients. And I think that a little bit of cloves and cardamom would really fill in the gaps that I notice here.
This tastes a bit more like a Spiced Coconut Cream tea than it does a chai. And yes, I know that chai means tea and all that. But, here in Northern America, I think that most of us recognize chai as a spiced tea. And to be called a chai … this needs to have more spices.
Good … but not great. I think it could be great with a reworking of the recipe. As it is, it is certainly enjoyable, and is especially good when served as a latte, but, it could be so much better, and I can’t help but think that Tealish fell just short of the mark on this one.
