Organic Bombay Chai from The Boston Tea Company

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  The Boston Tea Company

Tea Description:

You’ll do the cha-cha over our Chai tea! Ever so popular, worldwide, Chai is a centuries’ old tradition of Indian culture. Boast to your friends about Boston Tea’s aromatic, cheery blend of black tea with sweet fragrant spices. Simply add a pinch of sugar to bring out its rich flavorful spices of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and anise seeds. Top with a generous splash of milk and sensually savor each sip!

Learn more about this chai here.

Taster’s Review:

Seldom do I make chai lattes anymore, usually, when I drink a chai, I drink it straight.  Sure, I still do love the creamy, spicy goodness of a chai latte, but I’ve been discovering just how lovely a chai tea is without the milk.  When brewed in boiling water, and just a touch of turbinado sugar is added to enhance the spices.  It becomes a lovely, warm and spicy blend that is delicious no matter what the weather is like outside – at the moment, it’s 72°F outside – a bit on the warm side and the sun is shining brightly, but, I still find this warm, spicy chai (served hot, no less!) to be absolutely refreshing.

When I first opened the package, I could smell the cardamom.  It had a delicious, exotic warmth as well as a hint of bright citrus tones and I could feel my mouth start to water just from experiencing the aroma of this chai.  I stood impatiently over my timer today … I WANTED – perhaps even NEEDED – this tea!

And this chai was indeed worth the wait.  It is gently sweet from the turbinado sugar (I added about a half a teaspoon), but more than the sweetness I notice the depth of the enchanting spices.  I like that the ginger and cinnamon do not overwhelm the cup – which is so common in chai blends, it seems – they are more of a background flavor.  The cardamom and the cloves tend to be the strongest spices here.  The anise is also in the background, offering its unique sweetness to the overall flavor.

I like that I can taste the tea here too.  It is rich, a little malty and smooth.  It is not bitter (although, I wouldn’t recommend over-steeping it, as that may cause bitterness), and it finishes with a tangy astringency.  The spices compliment the black tea quite nicely, providing a cup that is robust with black tea flavor as well as invigorating spices.

I really enjoyed this lively chai, and I like that it is available in both loose leaf and sachet form.  At the time of this writing, I noticed that this is currently out of stock – I hope their supply is replenished soon!