So today was the first day I broke out my leather jacket. I don’t get cold so that means this morning’s weather has finally reflected the season. Cold weather means certain flavors take center stage. Of course pumpkin spice is one but among tea drinkers, the spices of a nice chai really scream Fall. And what’s the best way to have a chai? As a latte, of course.
Now chai is something hard to get right because it is a mix of various spices. Different people like more of one spice and less of another so a chai that pleases everyone is hard to find. For instance, I am not a cardamom lover so cardamom pods in my tea makes me a little apprehensive. This tea was no exception. However, though I am getting a fair amount of cardamom flavor here, it isn’t taking over. Would I like a little less cardamom? Yes, but that’s my personal preference.
The surprise to me in this cup is the actual spice kick you get when drinking it. My tea is diluted among the milk of the latte and yet I am still getting some of that cayenne hitting me, which is rather impressive since 9 times out of 10, I don’t taste the hot spice in plain teas, let alone a latte.
Right there with the cayenne is a dark cocoa note. It reminds me of the chocolate tasting party we had for my sister’s bachelorette party in which melted dark chocolate was mixed with a bunch of different flavors and we had to guess what each chocolate cup was mixed with. The cayenne and dark chocolate was the only one we could actually pick out since its flavor is so distinctive. 52 Tea’s captures that nicely. With that said, I probably wouldn’t say no to a little more of that chocolate note.
The other flavors such as the cinnamon and ginger add to the overall tea. Rather than standing out on their own, they are acting in a way that puts emphasis on the other flavors. The ginger, for example, helps the cayenne give that spicy kick to the back of the throat.
This was a surprise for me since I don’t usually love chocolate in teas or chais and yet I found this to be quite enjoyable. With this tea, you get what you are being promised: a Mayan Chocolate Chai.
