Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
About Tea of Life Ayurvedic Collection:
The word “Ayurveda” is derived from two words – “Ayus” meaning life and “Veda” meaning ‘knowledge’ or ‘science’. So the literal meaning of the word Ayurveda is ‘The Science of Life.’
Life or Ayus, according to Ayurveda, is a combination of senses, mind, body and soul. So Ayurveda does not just limit itself to the body or physical symptoms, but also provides comprehensive knowledge about spiritual, mental and emotional health.
The traditional healing system of Ayurveda is based on a theory of balance between the body (physical), the soul (spiritual) and the mind (psychological).
Ingredients:
Black Tea with cinnamon, Nutmeg, Coriander, Ginger & Rose flavors.
Taster’s Review:
I categorized this Ayurveda Stimulating Tea from Tea of Life as a “chai” because even though it doesn’t have all the “usual” spices of a masala chai blend, it has several of them.
That said, this doesn’t taste like the “usual” chai that I’m used to drinking. It’s not quite as spicy as a typical chai. I taste more black tea than I do spices. That’s not a bad thing – I’m just saying that it’s a different tasting “chai.”
The black tea is smooth and nicely round. Even though it’s a finely chopped CTC (in a tea bag, no less), it has a pleasing flavor. It’s full and robust and energizing.
The spices add a nice depth to the flavor. The coriander is the strongest flavor that I notice in this blend, but I can also taste the cinnamon and nutmeg, and even a hint of kick from the ginger. The ingredient list suggests a rose flavor too, but I’m having a hard time detecting it. When I slurp the cup, I can pick up on whispers of rose notes but it’s very faint.
Overall, this is alright. Not my favorite chai blend, but I do like how the coriander comes through. And it does deliver what it promises: it’s a stimulating cup of tea!
Product Review: Chai Caramels from Big Picture Farm
Product Information:
Where to Buy: Treatsie
Product Description:
Big Picture Farm’s goat milk chai caramel won the gold medal in the prestigious 2013 Good Food Awards. The team at Big Picture makes this exquisite caramel with organic chai supplied by their friend Neil Harley of Chai Wallah.
Learn more about Treatsie’s Subscription Box here.
Product Review:
As you may be aware, I previously reviewed another product that I recently purchased from Treatsie. I bought these caramels at the same time, because … hello, Chai Caramels? Yeah! I gotta try ’em!
I’ve previously tried (and reviewed on my now inactive foodie blog) the goat’s milk caramels from Big Picture Farms, and I really enjoyed those. Goat’s milk caramels do taste a little different than caramels made with products other than goat’s milk, and it’s a taste that isn’t to everyone’s liking. I personally like the flavor, because goat’s milk has a certain “tangy” quality to it and I like that contrast to the sugary sweetness of the caramel.
And these caramels are not only made with goat’s milk, but also organic chai tea supplied by Chai Wallah, another product that I’ve previously reviewed! I was happy to see that Chai Wallah was the supplier of the chai for these confections, because this company makes a very memorable chai. I’ve tasted a lot of chai in the past, and Chai Wallah makes some of the very best that I’ve tried.
So, I was confident that I’d enjoy these treats from Treatsie! The caramel is super-fresh, I can feel the freshness as I unwrap the candy: it feels soft and gooey, and there isn’t even a trace of hardness on the exterior of the candy. It’s soft and pliable. When I bite into it, it seems to melt in my mouth (and of course, stick to my teeth a bit – hey, it’s caramel, it’s supposed to do that!)
The first notes I experience are the caramel notes, you know, that “burnt sugar” taste that’s sort of … incredible and delicious? Then I pick up the tangy notes of the goat’s milk. Then I start to taste the notes of chai. The spices hit the palate as I’m chewing on the confection, and they linger in the aftertaste. Now that I’ve finished the bite of chewy, delicious, caramel-y goodness, I can still taste notes of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom and pepper. Mmm! So good!
Yeah … you gotta try these! If you’re a fan of chai, you’ll love them. If you’ve got a sweet t00th, you’ll want more than just the 10-piece pack! (Trust me on that.) If you just want to try something that’s a little different than your average caramel … get some of these!
Organic Rooibos Vanilla Chai Blend from The Persimmon Tree
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where To Buy: The Persimmon Tree
Tea Description:
Our Vanilla Rooibos Chai tea features a delightful blend of masala chai spices, red rooibos and a hint of vanilla. Rooibos Vanilla Chai is naturally caffeine free, making it a perfect any-time tea. Much like its caffeinated cousin Masala Chai, this tea tastes delicious with milk and sugar.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
Well, as I’m writing this, it’s late at night. I’m a night owl. My husband works the swing shift (although his shift is about to change! This may change my sleeping habits.) Because of his odd hours, I stay up later to be awake when he arrives home so that I can fix him something to eat and maybe watch TV and spend a little time with him before heading to bed. Another bonus to staying up later – at least in the summer! – is that it’s cooler at night so I get to enjoy some cool temperatures rather than trying to battle the heat. It’s been a hot summer so far!
Anyway … when its later at night, I like to sip on something that’s caffeine free, so that’s the time that I typically reach for a tisane like this Vanilla Rooibos Chai blend from The Persimmon Tree. I can still enjoy a spicy-sweet treat in my teacup without having to worry that it’s going to keep me awake when I should be trying to catch some Zzz’s.
This smells awesome. It’s a medley of aromas: orange, cloves, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. I can even smell the nutty sweetness of the rooibos, but I like that this is more of an understated scent, and the fragrance of the spices are prominent.
This is true of the flavor as well. Sure I taste the nutty, honeyed sweetness of the rooibos herb, but, it unifies with the spices and the orange to create a very seamless flavor that’s evoking thoughts of a spice cookie.
The spices are zesty. The ginger adds a real punch of spice along with the cinnamon. This is a warmer cinnamon, almost like a red-hot type of cinnamon flavor but without the overly cloying candied sweetness. The cardamom and cloves add a warm backdrop of spice and the vanilla softens the flavors just a little bit, giving the overall cup a lightly sweet, creamy tone.
I like the touch of orange to this – it really brightens the cup and perks up the flavors of the tisane. Everything comes together in a very pleasing way. It’s sweet, spicy and tasty. It’s reminiscent of the cooler days of the holiday season when yummy things are baking in the kitchen, and that’s a very welcome flavor to enjoy on this late evening.
Just Charming Chai Blend from Just.Organic.Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Just.Organic.Tea
Tea Description:
Spicy and full of flavor. Our premium black teas mingle with cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and orange peel for an intense full-bodied flavor. If you like your chai spicy and rich, pick this blend. Or, for more tea flavor and less spice, mix with our Oothu tea to fit your taste. Fair trade & organic certified.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Just.Organic.Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love a good, spicy chai, so when I read the description above, that’s exactly what I envisioned. Unfortunately, this isn’t quite as spicy as I hoped for.
Oh, it’s still very good! Don’t get me wrong.
It’s just not quite as boldly spiced as I thought it would be based upon the description above. The spices are nicely balanced, though, and I like that. I taste cinnamon, cardamom and clove. These three spices have been assembled in a way that no one spice overpowers the other. It’s a warm medley of spice. Very nice.
I also taste hints of orange from the orange peel. When I first read that this tea has orange peel, I thought that this might just be their Just Outstanding Orange Spice packaged under a different name. But they are two different teas. Here the orange is a very subtle touch of flavor, whereas the orange spice blend has a much more pronounced orange flavor.
This is really quite a tasty blend. I think that if they want to really go bold with the spice though, Just.Organic.Tea should consider adding some black pepper and ginger to the blend. That will give it a really nice, zesty kick. As it is, it’s a nice chai, on the mellower side of chai, but not quite as spicy as the above description would suggest.
This blend is one that I didn’t find on their website, perhaps it’s a blend that’s being rethought? I would love to see this company have a chai blend though, because I do love chai! In the meantime, I think their Outstanding Orange Spice blend is really good, and I also noticed that they have a Pumpkin Spice Chai – oh! I’d like to try that one!
Chai Cacao Tea from Tisano
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tisano
Tea Description:
In India tea has it’s roots in Ayurveda, a wholestic approach to medicine focusing on food and lifestyle. From there, India’s most popular beverage – Masala Chai, “Spiced Tea,” was born. Tisano takes this 5,000 year old tradition into the 21st Century – we source estate grown Assam Black Tea leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and other spices to create a unique sweet and spicy chocolate Chai Cacao Tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was so excited when this tea was offered on sale on the Tisano website recently, because I’ve been wanting to try it ever since I heard that it had been added to the Tisano line of teas and tisanes. I’m really fond of Tisano’s original cacao tea which I reviewed previously (and plan to review again for this site soon!) That moment when I first sampled the original was my first introduction to cacao shells (rather than nibs) as a source for chocolate-y infused drinks. And seriously, there’s nothing better to infuse than cacao shells to get a rich, true, chocolate-y flavor!
When I visited the Tisano website to start prepping for this review, I learned that this wasn’t just a simple blend of cacao shells with spices like I first thought it was! No! This is actually a tea with camellia sinensis leaves, as well as cacao shells and spices.
Mmm! This is so yummy! The chocolate note is rich and prominent. It’s the first note that I taste when I take a sip. Decadent, rich, delicious chocolate! Just beneath the chocolate-y surface is a satisfyingly smooth, malty note of Assam. Then I pick up on the spices.
The spices here are not strong or “spicy.” The spice notes are warm and I love the dimension that the spices add to this cup. There is a really nice balance of the spices. No one spice takes center stage, it is a well-rounded collection of spices that add warmth to the cup without overpowering the cacao. Instead, the spices elevate the earthy notes of the cacao.
The cacao shells are the perfect representation of chocolate. It’s rich and intensely flavorful. It tastes like true chocolate much more so than any chocolate flavoring that I’ve experienced with flavored teas, and it’s also a better chocolate-y representation than cacao nibs. This tastes like a deep, dark, rich chocolate with notes of bitter and sweet. It tastes amazing as a latte too. Perfect!
This is THE CHAI for chocolate lovers. If you love chocolate, you really must try this tea!