Chai Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Chai Description:
As for this blend, well, it’s just a bit of heaven in a cup. Our house blended masala chai with lemon myrtle, lemon peel, marshmallow root and all organic flavors. It’s chai with a sweet pucker.
Anybody who thinks chai is just for wintertime hasn’t had a chai like this before. I’m pretty sure this will be a major crowd pleaser. Make it as an iced tea latte for a real special treat.
Learn more about this chai here.
Taster’s Review:
It may come as no big surprise to anyone reading this right now that I’m a subscriber to 52Teas Teas of the Month program. Once a month, I get an envelope full of teas from 52Teas. When April’s envelope arrived, THIS was the tea I was most excited to try. I love chai … and I LOVE lemon meringue pie. I was sure this would be a winner for me.
And while this Lemon Meringue Chai from 52Teas IS a tasty chai, I’m finding myself a wee bit disappointed. First of all, the tea base is a straight up Assam, and while I do love Assam tea, I don’t know what it is about the Assam teas that 52Teas acquires but they just seem to work better in blends than they do straight. The Assam teas from 52Teas tend to be on the harsh side when used on their own (that is, not part of a black tea blend) and I’m noticing some harshness with this tea (I only steeped it for 2 1/2 minutes too!) Of course, I’m about to contradict myself here … because one of my all-time favorite teas from 52Teas is the French Vanilla Assam … but somehow the Assam worked well with the french vanilla notes but not so much with the lemon meringue chai flavors.
I like the spice blend just fine, it’s got a nice level of spice … not so spicy as to overpower the cup, but spicy enough to remind the drinker that this is a CHAI. I like the lemon-y note as well but, I’m finding myself wishing that there was just a touch of vanilla in this to make the lemon notes a little creamier … you know, like a lemon-y curd kind of taste … that’s the kind of lemon note I was looking for here but didn’t find.
The marshmallow root is a pleasing touch but it’s almost overwhelmed by the rest of the flavors of this cup … in particular, the Assam. As I reach mid-cup to the last few sips of the cup, the marshmallow root starts to emerge more, and this is a delightful surprise, but, I do wish there was a tad more … marshmallow-y goodness to this … that may make up for the lack of vanilla-y notes for the lemon.
Overall, this is alright. Not the worst cuppa I’ve ever had, certainly, but also not my favorite from 52Teas. I think I like the idea of a Lemon Meringue Chai blend better than the actual execution of it. It does make a tasty iced tea, though (It definitely gets better as it cools!) … and it is certainly worth a try, and I’m glad I did try it.
