Product Information:
Antioxidant rich black tea, fresh ginger, spices and a touch of soy milk.
Learn more about this product here.
Taster’s Review:
While out shopping at Whole Foods, I found Bhakti Chai! Having previously tried their Chai concentrates, I knew I would enjoy this Ready-to-Drink Original Iced Bhakti Chai, so I grabbed a bottle of it. (In case you’re wondering, my favorite of the concentrates is the Unsweetened Chai.)
I really enjoyed this RTD Chai … although, I must say that I really prefer the concentrate because I can control the type (and amount) of milk product that is added. This ready-to-drink iced chai is made with soy milk, and I found the texture of this to be somewhat lacking.
Yeah, I know it’s the hip thing to like soy milk, but, I prefer good old cow’s milk. Or, if I need to go dairy-free, I’ll go with an almond milk. Soy just doesn’t do it for me. One thing I will say about the soy … it was less creamy and heavy tasting, which was nice for this very warm, end of the summer day.
But I was happy that this tasted as spicy as I remember Bhakti Chai tasting. Lots of fiery ginger and warm spice. This is sweetened, so it is a little sweeter than I usually go for when it comes to chai but, it is still a really tasty RTD, and better than a lot of the RTDs that are out there.
Overall, I really enjoyed this Chai, and I was happy to find it at my local Whole Foods. I tried to find the concentrate at Whole Foods too, but, I didn’t find it anywhere. I would love for them to start carrying the concentrate because this is a yummy, delicious, ginger-y chai!
PRODUCT REVIEW: Coffee Blend Bhakti Chai Concentrate from Bhakti Chai
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: For more information about this product including how to purchase, visit: Bhakti Chai
Product Description:
Original Blend with a splash of cold-pressed organic coffee.
Taster’s Review:
I realize that I run the risk of sounding redundant here… but I love Bhakti Chai! So far, I have tried their original concentrate and their unsweetened concentrate and I enjoyed both of them… and now I am tasting their “Coffee Blend” – which is essentially their original blend with a little bit of coffee in it.
This is vibrant and full of flavor. The ginger is not quite as peppery tasting as it is in the other blends, perhaps the coffee mutes some of the strong spice. That is not to say that the spices are gone, they’re just a little bit softer than I remember them from the previous tastings. It is still very gingery, and very delicious.
Now, I am not a big fan of coffee. As I’ve said before, I used to drink it regularly, but, I realized that it was upsetting my stomach so I stopped drinking coffee and switched to tea. I’m happier now that I’ve switched… but, this chai offers me a little opportunity to enjoy that coffee flavor that I miss sometimes… only time will tell if this particular blend will upset my stomach the way that drinking coffee did… I’ll have to report back in a few hours with the verdict!
Revisiting one day later: I sit here with another cup of this chai in hand, and I must say that yesterday I did not notice any ill-effects from my first cup. I suspect that this might have something to do with the ginger in the tea (which has a soothing effect on the tummy), and perhaps it might also have something to do with the polyphenols in the tea and it also regulated the caffeine in the coffee. I will also say that I didn’t notice a jolt or spike in energy levels after I drink this, so perhaps it is the polyphenols at work here.
Either way, this is an excellent variation on chai. I am quite enjoying the addition of coffee in this blend, it adds a very pleasant flavor! I do believe I’m developing an addiction to Bhakti Chai!
PRODUCT REVIEW: Unsweetened Bhakti Chai Concentrate from Bhakti Chai
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: For more information about this product including how to purchase, visit: Bhakti Chai
Product Description:
Absolutely zero sugar added. Try with honey, agave nectar or stevia.
Taster’s Review:
OK… so basically, this is the same formula as the Original Bhakti Chai that I previously reviewed, except that this does not contain the “touch of evaporated cane juice” that the Original has.
This is every bit as good as the Original too, even without the cane juice! Sure, it tastes different without the sweetener, but, it is still very tasty. I find that the spices come through a little differently without the cane juice, as sweeteners tend to help accent the spices. The ginger still comes through loud and clear though. It’s the other spices that need a little encouragement from the sweetener. But that’s not to say I don’t enjoy this latte without sweetening it!
The first time I tried it, I tried it without the sweetener. The second time I tried it (within a half an hour of the first tasting!) I decided to make myself a chai latte float! I didn’t add sweetener to that either, because I figured the vanilla ice cream was plenty sweet enough without additional sweetening. And I was right.
To make my float, I simply measured out 1 cup of the chai concentrate and heated it, and then I added a scoop of ice cream to the measuring cup, along with enough milk to make 1 cup. When the chai concentrate was good and hot, I added the milk and ice cream. The ice cream melted pretty rapidly, but it still made for a deliciously creamy, vanilla-y, chai treat.
Today, I am sipping this for the first time with a little bit of sweetener added. I used a teaspoon of Turbinado sugar, and this is a delicious chai latte. I love the amount of sweetness with this, not too sweet or cloying. It would also be nice with some raw honey, but I wanted to see how the molasses-y note would work with the chai ingredients. YUM!
Having now tried both the original and unsweetened chai concentrates from Bhakti Chai, I must say that I think I prefer this unsweetened version because it gives me the freedom to determine just how sweet I’d like it to be. Both are absolutely delicious, though. Certainly one of the very best chai concentrates I’ve EVER come across!
PRODUCT REVIEW: Original Bhakti Chai Concentrate from Bhakti Chai
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
For more information about this product including how to purchase, visit: Bhakti Chai
Product Description:
Antioxidant-rich black tea, fresh organic ginger, milled spices and a touch of evaporated cane juice.
Taster’s Review:
Oh. My. Goodness! This is SO good. This is so good, that I am on my second cup within a half an hour!
According to the website, Bhakti Chai uses fresh pressed ginger as opposed to dried ginger. The difference this makes can be tasted! The ginger tastes zippier, zingier, and ginger-y-er!
The black tea base here is a smooth tasting tea, but really, the focus of this chai concentrate is the spices. And, that’s quite alright with me, because this is so delicious that I wouldn’t want to change it. It’s absolutely perfect.
The ginger is the dominate flavor, and I can taste the black pepper supporting the flavor of the ginger. The cardamom and cloves are a bit more subtle but can be tasted, providing that familiar background chai flavor. The fennel is also quite subtle, but, I taste a hint of licorice-like sweetness in the distance.
One spice that seems to be “missing” is cinnamon – which is a common chai ingredient. But, even though it isn’t in this chai, I’m not missing it. Don’t get me wrong, I love cinnamon, but, like I said before, this tastes so good that I wouldn’t want to change it.
The ginger provides a lot of warmth (or “agni”) and offers a very warm, comforting sensation starting at the back of the mouth and permeating its way to the belly. This is a perfect cuppa on those cold winter-y days. Like today!
This original concentrate is sweetened, but, I am not finding it too sweet. Bhakti Chai also offers an unsweetened version, which I will review at a later date.
If you like Chai Latte – this is definitely one you should try. I love this stuff!