Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Pipers Loose Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
Black tea infused with black pepper, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla and orange flavor. Add milk and your preferred sweetener or sweetened condensed milk for a rich, spicy chai.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Pipers Chai from Pipers Loose Leaf Tea is the first tea from this new-to-me company that I’ve tried. I was in the mood for something satisfying and warming from the inside out and this tea certainly fits the bill.
I brewed this chai in my Kati tumbler, using 1 1/2 bamboo scoops of tea and 12 ounces of boiling water. I steeped it for three minutes, and it produced a really strong, warming cup of tea! Nice!
The black tea is a robust black tea. The description doesn’t tell me what type of tea is used here, but I think – based upon the richness of the tea – it’s an Assam. There are also some faint notes of bitterness which hint further at the Assam.
The spices are bold. There’s a lot of clove in there though. I find myself tasting more clove than any other spice. The cinnamon and cardamom are warm and the ginger and pepper add some kick to it. I think it would be better if the clove were not quite as strong so that the other spices could shine through better, it might make for a more balanced spicy note.
The vanilla is the best part of this blend. It adds a nice creaminess to this and accentuates the malt notes of the black tea base. It softens some of the edges to the tea and it gives a slight ‘latte’ taste to the cup without going latte with a dairy addition. It also adds a pleasant sweetness so you don’t have to add too much in the way of sweetener to this (I suggest tasting before you sweeten so you don’t add too much and overwhelm the tea.)
The orange is a nice flavor here too, however, I think it could be even better without it. I don’t mind the orange, it tastes good with the orange notes, but I think that it detracts a little bit from the spice and I find myself wanting to focus more on the spice and a little less on the citrus.
Overall, I enjoyed this chai.
Tulsi Green Indian Chai Tea from Teabox
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green Tea & Tulsi
Where to Buy: Teabox
Tea Description:
This Organic Herbal Tulsi Green blend is one of the first products aimed at combining the health benefits of green tea with Tulsi (Holy basil) leaves.
A work of art and science as it is a classic India-style masala (spice) tea with the best of all worlds: Darjeeling tea, fresh Indian herbs and spices.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Hmm … different. This Tulsi Green Indian Chai Tea from Teabox isn’t exactly what I think of when I think “chai” but it’s still pretty tasty.
The base is composed of a Darjeeling green tea and tulsi. I definitely taste the tulsi in this – it’s warm and has distinct peppery notes with notes of basil and whispers of crisp mint. The tulsi gives this cup a distinct herbal flavor.
I find that the green tea flavor is a little less discernible. It’s definitely there and I can taste it, but it’s not a strong presence and has a difficult time asserting itself in the presence of the tulsi which seems to really dominate the cup.
The same is true of the spices. I can taste warm spices but they’re difficult to really pick out and say, yep, I taste this or that spice. I can taste notes of clove. Every once in a while I taste a note that reminds me of cardamom and every once in a while my palate detects nutmeg. Because of the strong tulsi notes dominating the rest of the flavors, it’s difficult to determine with certainty what spices are in this blend and Teabox doesn’t mention on their website or on their ingredient list, which mentions only “green tea” and “tulsi.”
This is a warm and comforting blend though. It’s not particularly spicy – again, the tulsi is probably the ‘spiciest’ of the flavors that I taste. But it’s a cozy sort of blend with which to unwind. I do wish that the green tea was a little more assertive and the spices more expressive in this cup, but, as it is, I enjoyed what I drank.
Chocolate Marshmallow Spicy Chai from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Zoomdweebies
Tea Description:
Following the success of our Spicier Chai, one of our faithful customers requested a version with chocolate and marshmallow. How could we not do that?
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yum! I’m loving this Chocolate Marshmallow Spicy Chai from 52Teas. It’s the perfect tea to enjoy on a cold, wet afternoon!
If you read this blog regularly, you’re probably well aware by this point that I’m trying to raise funds so that I can take over 52Teas. And if you aren’t yet aware of this, please check out my Kickstarter campaign by clicking right here. (Remember, every little bit helps!)
Anyway, after taking my first sip of this tea, my immediate thought was, “oh yeah, I have to reblend this one!” In fact, I just finished posting a comment on the campaign, stating that I nominate this for a reblend for the next vote!
Every time we reach another $2,000 in pledges, we vote on a new reblend. So far, we’ve reached on $2000 in pledges and the winner of that vote was the Raspberry Cream Cheese Danish Honeybush. If you want to get in on the next vote, you need to contribute and help me reach my goal!
So, yes, I guess you could say that I like this tea. I like it a lot!
The black tea base is rich and flavorful. That in itself is quite an accomplishment because the spices are spicy and the chocolate and marshmallow are both strong components to this cup too. To be able to be tasted beyond the bold spices and the strong flavors, that’s impressive to me.
I also appreciate that the black tea isn’t astringent or bitter. It’s smooth and robust, but not aggressively so. It stands strong amid the other strong flavor profiles in this cup without having to be too harsh tasting.
The spices are very reminiscent of the Spicier Chai blend that 52Teas introduced a few weeks back. And there’s a good reason for that. It would seem that the Spicier Chai was the inspiration behind the request for a Chocolate Marshmallow version. Genius. It sounds like something I’d think of. I didn’t. But, whoever did think of it, you’re a genius.
The spices are spicy! Peppery! Zesty and invigorating! It’s a good, strong, BOLDLY spiced chai. It not only warms you from the inside out but it’ll feel a little like someone started a tiny fire in the back of your throat. Yeah, it burns, but it burns SO good!
And then you have chocolate and marshmallow! I’m usually quick to say that more chocolate is better, but I really am enjoying the level of chocolate in this blend. It’s not SUPER chocolate-y but I think that more chocolate might have interfered with the spices a little bit and I like the balance as it is right now. Spicy and chocolate-y deliciousness.
And the marshmallow is light and fluffy.
What this tastes a bit like is that someone brewed up a cup of that Spicier Chai, and then added a scoop of hot cocoa powder to it and stirred it up, and then topped it with a marshmallow that is now melted into the beverage, making it creamy and sweet and delicious.
So, yeah … totally yum. Please help me save 52Teas so that I can reblend this one!!!
Maharaja Oolong Chai Tea (2014) from Teabox
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong (Darjeeling)
Where to Buy: Teabox
Tea Description:
This is a spiced Oolong Chai Tea, which is flavourful and aromatic. It’s guaranteed to soothe your senses and recharge your mind.
An eclectic addition to our Indian chai category, the Maharaja chai is made by our in-house master blenders by mixing classic Darjeeling oolong with crushed pieces of cardamom pods, cinnamon, and cloves. The dark red liquor is a visual delight, while the teasing fragrance of cardamom and other spices makes this a great tea to start your mornings with.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This chai is one that I was really excited to try! I can’t recall ever having tried an Oolong chai before! And even better – this is a Darjeeling Oolong Chai!
And it’s a really tasty Darjeeling Oolong Chai!
The spices are not as aggressive as you might find in a typical black tea chai blend. An enchantingly warm combination of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom, the spices are comforting and cozy without presenting too strong a spice flavor. It’s there – it’s strong enough to be tasted but not so strong that it overpowers the notes of the Darjeeling Oolong (which is one of my favorite types of Oolong tea).
The Darjeeling Oolong has a really lovely texture to it that’s soft and silky. I like the way the spices taste with this silky texture. It’s quite luxurious tasting. There are some hints of fruity notes to the Oolong tea: sweet and slightly grape-like. These add a compelling element to the cup, a flavor that I’m not quite used to with a chai blend. I also taste the slightly woodsy notes of the tea and the earthy elements and these complement the spices in a pleasant way.
With later infusions (this IS an Oolong and I want to get those extra infusions out of it!) I found that the spice notes tapered somewhat. The second infusion was still pleasantly spiced, but with the third and fourth infusion, the spices began to wane. The Oolong was still very pleasant and it’s certainly worthwhile to infuse this several times to enjoy the many layers of flavor that this tea has to offer!
A really enjoyable and unique chai! This is a tea that Oolong enthusiasts as well as chai lovers would enjoy! I highly recommend giving it a try!
Assam Masala Chai Tea from Teabox
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teabox
Tea Description:
Our Assam Masala Chai blend is made with premium Assam CTC black tea mixed with dry spices that include cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves and black pepper corns.
This spiced chai blend has been expertly put together by our in-house tea masters for a flavorful cup that envelopes the decadent flavor of Assam tea in the warmth of exotic spices.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
A new to me company that I had been hearing about on Steepster, I was in the mood for some new chai and I saw that Teabox had a really nice selection.
My first impression of the company following my order? I’m impressed: I placed this order five days ago. Five days after I placed the order, my tea has been delivered! From India! (I’m in the US!) I don’t think I’ve ever had an international order arrive so swiftly.
The packaging was nice too. It arrived via DHL, so the outer package was nothing spectacular, just a DHL poly envelope. But inside was a box. The inside of the box was lined with tissue paper that was adorned with a sticker, and my teas were tucked a bag. It’s a nice presentation. It looks like someone took a few minutes to prepare this package instead of having everything thrown into a box or an envelope and shipped out. It was packaged with some care and this shows me that this vendor cares about the product that they’re sending out.
Unfortunately, there was a little problem with what I received from them. I received two pouches of tea that are called “Assam Masala Chai” – actually, one is labeled “Masala Chai” but on the label, it lists these ingredients:
Cinnamon, Cardamom, Clove, Assam Tea
The second pouch is labeled Assam Masala Chai and lists the following ingredients:
Cinnamon, Cardamom, Clove, Ginger, Black Pepper.
Since it’s called “Assam Masala Chai, I guess it’s also fair to assume that Assam Tea is part of this blend.
When I brought this issue to the attention of Teabox, I was sent some very prompt replies to get the issue resolved. They informed me that the first tea that I tried (which included the first set of ingredients) was their Masala Indian Chai Tea, but it isn’t. Even though the SKU matches, the Masala Indian Chai Tea has green tea and Tulsi, and this tea was a black tea with no tulsi. It had Cinnamon, clove, and cardamom. And Black tea.
Teabox asked me to send them a photo of the tea and the label, but, I’m not going to do that because the battery in my camera isn’t working at the moment and the camera in my phone is pretty much worthless. I love my phone, it’s great for texting and phone calls and that’s what I use it for. I haven’t gotten on the smart phone train yet. I’m still pretty old school with my LG enV3. Love it. Not ready to ditch it yet.
So, I’m still pretty impressed with this company, because I’m not going to let something like this product mislabeling get me down. I still got six chai teas for a low price and with very speedy shipping. And their customer service IS responsive. I just wasn’t so concerned about the tea that I was going to worry about sending them photos. I’ll just let the issue be. I decided to ditch the review of the “Masala Chai” and go with the “Assam Masala Chai.”
The spices are very fragrant. The tea is a fine CTC (as is in the picture) but the spices are much larger in the photo than in the actual tea. And the photo shows ginger and there was no sign of ginger in this blend. Everything has been chopped pretty finely.
And what that says to me is to reduce the steep time. A smaller cut to the leaves means more surface area exposed which means it steeps faster, releasing its flavor faster, but it also means that the tea can become bitter faster so take care to not oversteep. With a chai like this one, I steeped the tea for 2 1/2 minutes. (1 heaping bamboo scoop in the basket of my Kati Tumbler along with 12 ounces of water heated to 205°.)
Mmm! Nice. It’s a good, flavorful chai with a warm, zesty kick of spice. The Assam is a robust black tea with notes of malt. This is a tea that I strongly recommend not oversteeping. It’s a very finely chopped CTC and I think that for my palate, I wouldn’t steep longer than 2 1/2 minutes. I might even go for 2 minutes if I were steeping this for someone else because while I’m not getting a strong bitter note, I do detect some bitterness.
But it does have a very lovely malty flavor and a pleasant richness to it. It’s a hearty, full-flavored Assam.
The spices are strong but well-balanced. I get a spicy, peppery note from the ginger and black pepper, but this flavor doesn’t overpower the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. It’s warm and spicy, but it’s not what I’d call spicy-hot. It doesn’t have my throat or mouth feeling as though I need a fire extinguisher, but it does offer a soothing warmth that is perfect on this cold afternoon.
If you love a sweet, creamy chai latte, brew this tea a little stronger than you would for a straight up cup by adding a little extra leaf. (Don’t steep it longer, it will be stronger but it will also be bitter!) Then warm up some milk (or almond milk!) in the microwave for about 45 seconds and add a splash of the milk (to your taste) to the brewed chai. If you have a frother, use it on the milk before you add it to the tea, this will make it frothy and fluffy. Add a little bit of honey or turbinado sugar if you like your chai sweet. (A little bit of sugar will enhance the spices too!)
Rather than go latte with this tea, I decided to not add the milk but I did add about half a teaspoon of turbinado sugar to the cup. As I said above, I find that this brings out the flavor of the spices just a little more.
This is a delightful chai for these chilly winter afternoons (or morning!) A great tea to curl up to while reading a good book.