Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Herbal Infusions
Tea Description:
We use a well rounded flowery orange pekoe as the base for this decadent and luxurious chai mix. Hand blended ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, anise, peppercorn, and clove is accented by a rich creme brulee flavour.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
Chai blends are among my favorite teas to drink this time of year – when it’s blustery cold outside, there’s really nothing nicer than to have a steaming cup of spicy chai in my tea mug! So, I’m glad I found this Creme Brulee Chai Blend from Herbal Infusions in my stash today. And, YUM! It’s just what I want from a chai: warm, spicy and delicious.
There is a good level of spice to this chai. It’s spicy, but, it’s not over-the-top. It isn’t a jarring level of spice. You know what I’m talking about, right? It’s not so spicy that I’m tasting way too much spice and not enough tea flavor. Here, the spice is strong – stronger than the tea, but that’s alright – but it isn’t overpowering the tea. The tea is tasted. It’s alright if the spices are stronger than the tea in a chai, Most of the time, I prefer it that way when it comes to chai! But I don’t want it so spicy that the flavor of the tea becomes completely obscured by the spice.
I taste the clove and cinnamon above all the other spices, but the cardamom is coming through nicely too. I can even taste that subtle “citrus” note from the cardamom here. The ginger and black peppercorn offer a peppery kick that I like. And there is a subtle hint of licorice-y anise to this as well. Anise is one of my favorite spices to use in a chai, and I’m glad that Herbal Infusions chose to include it in this chai.
And then I taste the creamy, custard-like flavor of the “creme brulee” flavoring in this. Personally, I am wishing I could taste more creme brulee here, not just because the chai is called “Creme Brulee Chai” and I think if it’s going to be called Creme Brulee … I should taste the Creme Brulee front and center and I’m just not getting it that strongly here. I taste it, it’s definitely there, but I want more, because, well, Creme Brulee is my favorite dessert. I was hoping for more custard-like flavor, and also that caramelized note of the burnt sugar atop a creme brulee. As it is, I do taste some creamy notes, some custard-like notes … and barely-there hints of caramel.
This is a very finely chopped chai – the spices and tea are both finely milled into a very fine cut. And because of this, I suggest using a shorter brew time than you might normally employ. It’s good with a dollop of honey or a sprinkling of turbinado sugar to bring out the flavors, however, I found that the creamy notes of the custard flavoring gave this a satisfying latte-like taste so I didn’t need to add milk.
Overall, this is a very flavorful chai. Lots of spice flavor to warm you from the inside out! It’s just the ticket on cold days like this one.
Original Chai from Chico Chai
Tea Type:
Chai Tea/
Black Tea Based
Where To Buy:
Chico Chai
Product Description:
A more traditional blend, robust and spicy. –
Holiday Blend Black Tea from English Tea Shop
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: English Tea Shop
Tea Description:
Holiday Blend: Black tea, cinnamon pieces, ginger pieces, cardamom pieces, nutmeg pieces, pepper, cloves and orange peels with vanilla and apple flavours.
Taster’s Review:
I received a lovely tea package from a friend for the holiday, and this Holiday Blend Black Tea from English Tea Shop is one of the teas that she sent me. And because the ingredients sound very “chai-like” to me, I decided to categorize this as a chai tea as well as a black tea.
However, I must admit that it doesn’t taste quite as chai-like as it sounds. (Yes, I know that chai means tea … but I’ve come to think of chai as a blend of spices and tea rather than just “tea.”) This is a bagged tea, and I’ve never made any secret about my feelings about bagged teas, but for what this is (that being a bagged tea) it’s really not bad. I steeped it for 2 1/2 minutes in boiling water and the flavor is sweet and warmly spiced with tasty fruit notes.
The black tea base is a mild-tasting black tea, leaving me to suspect that it is probably a Ceylon. It has a medium body, and it has a smooth, even taste – it’s not an overly assertive tasting tea.
The spices are not assertive either. They’re gently warming, and I think that with this particular blend, it is the moderate spice levels that make it work … there is just the right amount of spice here. In one sip, I notice subtle touches of cinnamon, ginger and clove. In the next, I’ll pick up on hints of cardamom, and nutmeg. In the next, I’ll notice the softness of vanilla peeking through, and a kick of pepper toward the finish. Every spice is represented without the blend ever tasting too spicy.
The same is true for the apple and orange notes. The apple is smooth and sweet, and the orange brightens the cup with a sunny note of citrus, but neither fruit tastes overly done. All the flavors here have been carefully balanced so that all the flavors are accounted for without any one flavor profile overpowering the blend.
It’s a pleasant cup of holiday cheer!
On The Second Day of Christmas, Della Terra Teas Sent To Me…
The holidays are my favorite time of year. And, for me, it’s not just about the decorations and the gift-giving and time for family – oh those things are very important to me – but there’s also a part of me that can’t deny that it’s also about the TEA! Hot tea just tastes better when the weather is cooler, and I love how so many tea companies out there offer special teas to celebration!
And sometimes, you happen across a company like Della Terra Teas that offers a whole collection of 12 teas to count down the 12 Days of Christmas!
Fireside Spice
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
Open up this amazing chai spice inspired tea and sip away. You’ve earned it!
This black tea will bring more magic to this already magical day with the taste of clove, cinnamon and spice! You may not of gotten two turtle doves, but you did get this impressive tea! Enjoy and relax!
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
When I opened the pouch of this tea, I recognized the scent immediately. It smelled like red-hots! Many tea companies out there offer a tea similar to this one … but don’t mistake that comment as my way of saying that if you’ve tried one, you’ve tried them all. I’ve found that as it is with most things in life, some of the cinnamon-y holiday teas are better than others.
This is one of the better tasting ones I’ve tried. It’s sweet and hot, but, I like that the spice is not overwhelming my palate. I like that it’s not as much like the “red hot” candy as some others that I’ve tried (I like those as well, but, it’s nice to have a more subtle approach to that candy taste too.) This tastes like someone took a few red hots and dissolved them in my tea, rather than like someone liquefied a couple of handfuls of red hots and mixed them with a quarter cup of tea. There is more tea to be tasted in this cup than candy-like sweetness, and that’s got me smiling.
But there is something else that makes this chai-like tea different. In place of the strong, orange-y flavor that is often part of a holiday tea like this, there is vanilla! The vanilla adds a hint of sweetness and a touch of creaminess that gives the cup a sort of “latte” kind of taste without the dairy.
The black tea offers a nice, solid background of rich flavor, while the notes of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and the creamy vanilla tantalize my taste buds. Every once in a while, I can swear that I taste that aforementioned orange-y note, and I’m not sure if it’s just that my taste buds are playing games with me because I’m used to tasting that kiss of citrus in this type of blend, or if it’s actually there. But, I like the way it all comes together.
As I write this review, it is cold and wet outside – we had a bit of snow earlier this week, it’s all melted now, but now it’s wet! – but this tea is warming me up from the inside and working it’s way to the outside, that the chill of the outside doesn’t bother me. I’m happy as I sip this tea!
Coconut Chai Black Tea Blend from Zhi Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Zhi Tea
Tea Description:
Our unique Coconut Chai begins with organic coconut pieces and our top-quality organic Assam Black whole leaf tea.
Accompanying this superb pairing is a medley cinnamon, ginger, and whole cardamom. Bursting with the essence of the tropics, this handcrafted blend will soothe, nourish, and uplift your spirits. Share a steaming mug with a good friend.
Learn more about this chai here.
Taster’s Review:
The aroma of the dry leaf is tempting with notes of sweet coconut and spicy cinnamon and ginger. I waited anxiously for this Coconut Chai Black Tea Blend from Zhi Tea to finish steeping … three minutes seems like forever when you can’t wait to taste the tea! (And then there’s the cooling time! Argh! The anticipation!!!)
But this chai is well worth the wait! YUM! It’s a delicious way to warm you up. The spices are sweet yet spicy, and mingle in a very enjoyable way with the sweet, creamy coconut notes. I like that the coconut adds just the right creaminess to the cup; no dairy is needed to enjoy a latte-like experience. However, if you want to enhance those creamy tones, a splash of milk will do that for you.
The black tea base is an Assam tea, and I can taste the richness it provides. It has a smooth texture and a malty flavor that melds well with the sweetness of the coconut. The tea is full-flavored and has a sweet, caramel-esque undertone, and it is moderately astringent. It is bold enough to stand up to the strength of the spices, and I like that I can enjoy the flavor of this Assam as well as the other ingredients of the blend.
This is not an overtly spicy chai. The cinnamon tastes sweet, the ginger adds a pepper-ish kick to the cup while the cardamom adds a touch of warmth to the cup. It isn’t what I’d call a hot or spicy chai, rather, I would call it warm and inviting. This is the kind of chai that I think most people could enjoy – even the ones who tend to shy away from chai because they’re a bit too much for them. I think that the coconut mellows out the spices just enough to make this a warm chai but not a spicy one.