Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
This week’s blend is a special blend of premium Japanese genmaicha, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, clove and black pepper. Our genmaicha blends always go fast, so don’t delay.
Learn more about this chai blend here.
Taster’s Review:
AWESOME! I’ve had one or two chai blends made with genmaicha before, but, I think that this one may just be the best I’ve had. The spices are perfectly blended with the green tea in this GenmaiCHAI Green Tea Blend from 52Teas … it’s not so overly spiced that all I taste is spice … I get a really delicious, roasty-toasty, nutty, genmaicha taste too. This is so yummy!
The genmaicha and the spices are really balanced well with this blend. It is warmly spiced – not quite “spicy-hot” but it certainly does pack a well-spiced punch! I taste cinnamon right up front and then again right at the finish and in the aftertaste. The ginger and black pepper give it a peppery taste that dances on the palate … but this isn’t overly peppered. I like that these two ingredients were not overdone in this blend.
The cardamom and cloves give this a spicy-sweet essence that is very exotic, and I think that because the genmaicha is a lighter flavor than the typical Assam tea that is found in most chai blends, I taste MORE of the cardamom and cloves than I typically would in a chai blend that is crafted with a black tea. I like this difference.
And then there is the genmaicha! It is sweet, toasty, and nutty. There is the slightest intonation of vegetation in this cup, it is a soft flavor but the palate does pick it up. This isn’t as obviously “genmaicha-y” as a straight genmaicha would be, of course, and since it is a chai blend, I don’t suppose you would expect it to be, would you? The genmaicha does fill out the background flavors nicely though, and I love that sweet nuttiness that the cup has … it pairs with the spicy notes really nicely!
Overall, I’m really enjoying this tea … so much so that the cup is nearly empty! A deliciously different twist on chai!
Mint Masala Chai from Blue Lotus Chai
Tea Type:Chai (Black Tea Base)
Where to Purchase:
Blue Lotus Chai
Product Description:
Our new variety is a taste sensation! Exhilarating and surprising, it rises to the same standard of excellence that defines Blue Lotus Chai, and that our fans have come to expect. Ingredients: Naturally brewed and flash-dried black tea powder; 100% Certified Organic powdered spices: ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, peppermint from extract. Available in 3 oz. tin (makes 100 cups) and ½ oz. pouch (makes 17 cups).
Tasters Review:
Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! I LOVE THIS Chai! There…I said it…Direct and to the point! I LOVE THIS! I LOVE Everything about this chai mix!
I love the package this comes in. It’s small and convenient enough for easy and compact storage but the package opening is wide enough for just about any spoon or tool to get in there with ease. It’s also a nice zip-lock! AND it came with it’s own scoop!
Upon opening the package the spices and mint fill the air! Wonderous! Wonderous Aroma!
This dissolves beautifully! It’s Hot! It’s Cool! It’s Ying and Yang! It’s North and South! Perfect example of how opposites attract! The Spicy HOT notes pack a powerful punch! They are true and intense. The Mint is Cool and Fresh. Together they work really well! I can’t remember the Chai Spices working so well with cool mint before. Just when I think the spices are hotter than the mint or the mint is cooler than the spice they flip-flop again. The ratios are RIGHT ON and amazing!
This is a GREAT product! I wouldn’t change a thing about it! I think I will have another cup…come to think of it!
Organic Masala Chai Blend from Fashionista Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Fashionista Tea
Tea Description:
Organic blend of Assam tea with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and other spices to create a finely balanced aromatic blend. Excellent infused with milk and sugar, hot or iced.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I know I’ve said it before, but I’m going to say it again: I love spiced chai blends! And this Organic Masala Chai Blend from Fashionista Tea is fantastic! It is delicious!
It has a good amount of spice to it – it’s pleasantly spicy – but there is a certain sweetness to this that is grabbing my attention. I can taste the sweeter side of the cinnamon, of the cardamom and of the cloves, and these sweeter notes are really delightful, and a lovely contrast to the spicy, peppery notes of the ginger, and the zesty notes of the other spices. This chai is a really lovely balance of sweet and spicy.
And as good as the spices are to a chai blend … a chai also needs a solid background of tea … and this blend uses an Assam blend that is rich, malty and flavorful. I like that I can taste the black tea … it doesn’t taste bitter or overwhelming … but it is strong enough to stand on its own too.
This chai is really good served straight up – with no additions! If you’re trying to eliminate dairy from your diet, this chai tastes great without the milk. But if you don’t mind adding a splash of milk … this chai is also yummy served as a latte – brew it double strength and then add a little bit of milk or cream to the brewed cup, along with a drizzle of honey or a half a teaspoon of turbinado sugar … just enough to bring out the spices without making it too sweet. I like that the milk does not mask the flavors … it just enhances the cup!
Another AWESOME tea from Fashionista Tea. And … every time I write about Fashionista Tea, I mean to make mention of their packaging … but I keep getting so caught up with the delicious teas that I keep forgetting to mention how much fun the packaging for Fashionista Tea is! Very colorful and very FUN … it’s a pure delight to receive a package from Fashionista … and I love their beautiful tins!
Chocolate Chai Pu-erh Tea from Della Terra Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
This tea has all that you love about chai, the spice and the clove, blended just right with chocolate! Made with Pu-Erh tea it gives it a dark, rich, spicy flavor that, for the chai, chocolate or Pu-Erh lover, will having you steeping another cup before you know it! The chai hits you at first sip and and the chocolate soon follows. Delicious tea for all who love a nice, dark, rich tea!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Chocolate Chai Pu-erh Tea from Della Terra Teas is a very tasty take on the traditional spiced chai blend. It has what I’d expect from a chai – exotic spices that taste warm and comforting – plus CHOCOLATE which you know I am loving … all with a rich, mellow Pu-erh base.
The Pu-erh provides a really solid background of flavor that is earthy and flavorful, without being extraordinarily robust. The Pu-erh complements both the chocolate and the spices here … the earthiness of the Pu-erh works so nicely with the earthy notes of the spices, while the rich flavor of the Pu-erh enhances the rich, sweet flavor of the chocolate.
I am also liking the way the orange comes in to play here. It isn’t a strong orange flavor — it kind of tastes like someone might have squeezed a few drops of fresh orange into my cup. It brightens the cup just a touch without offering a real pronounced citrus-y flavor. It tastes a little bit like someone liquefied one of those chocolate oranges and added a little drizzle of the liquid confection into my teacup along with the tea. Deliciously intriguing.
This is a really well-conceived cuppa … I found it very enjoyable to drink without any additions … although a little bit of turbinado sugar does bring out the spices just a bit and gives a nice sweetness to the chocolate. I bet it would be good as a latte too … but I found it really delicious without the dairy! Try it both ways and see which way you like it best … but you’ve got to try this. This one is a must try for spiced chocolate lovers!
Chai French Vanilla Black Tea from Simpson & Vail
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Tea Description:
Chai Masala (Spiced Tea) is a tea blend with origins in India. It is traditionally a mix of black tea and spices that is steeped in milk with sweeteners added to it. For this blend, we’ve taken our popular Chai tea blend and added the subtle, creamy flavor of French Vanilla. This tea brews to an amber cup with a spicy aroma and a taste that is creamy with spice notes. Rich and delicious tasting!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Spiced Chai blends are among my favorite … especially this time of year when it’s cold and wet outside. There’s nothing quite as comforting as a nice, warm, chai latte. So cozy and yummy! And I’m absolutely loving this Chai French Vanilla Black Tea from Simpson & Vail!
The black tea base offers a solid background of flavor … it is delicious and strong, with a hint of malt to it (which melds quite nicely with the French Vanilla flavor!)
The spices are very nicely balanced … the cinnamon has that sweet yet spicy taste to it. The cloves and cardamom add a lovely warmth to the cup, and I’m loving the anise in this. It adds just a hint of snappy taste to the cup without tasting too licorice-y. Don’t get me wrong, licorice is one of my favorite flavors and I love it when a tea goes a little overboard with its licorice-y flavor … but here, I wanted to really enjoy the French Vanilla flavor … and this blend allows me to do just that!
The French Vanilla is the main event … but that doesn’t mean that it overwhelms the cup. This is still a chai and it still has the warm, robust flavors of the spices … but the vanilla is front and center. It is sweet and creamy and adds a really nice dimension to the cup. If you didn’t want to go latte with this, you wouldn’t need to, because the vanilla gives it enough creaminess to taste latte without the dairy. However, I was in the mood for a cozy chai latte, so I added some milk … and this really UPPED the creaminess immensely. So decadent … such a cozy, comforting treat.
A wonderful chai from our friends at Simpson & Vail. This is a great company run by some really terrific people. I have had some really great dealings with them and they are very responsive to their customers (and they go out of their way to accommodate special requests too, like if you want to create a special gift bag for someone!) Excellent teas … and an excellent tea company!