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.
Christmas Cookie Shou Mei from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
If this tea doesn’t make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, you might just be the Grinch. With premium shou mei white tea, almonds, ginger, orange peel, cinnamon chips, a few cloves, marshmallow root and organic flavors, combine this tea with a nice crackling fire in the fireplace and someone to snuggle up to on the couch, and you’ll be in holiday heaven.
Learn more about this blend here.
Learn how to subscribe to 52Teas’ Tea of the Week program here.
Taster’s Review:
Yum! It’s no big surprise to me that this tea is already sold out! With a name like “Christmas Cookie” – who could resist, right? And it’s oh so tasty!
The aroma of the dry leaf was a little off for me. I could smell the spices and those were very pleasant to the nose, but I also picked up on a slight chemical-y note to the dry leaf fragrance. I hoped that this would disappear after brewing (usually, that flavor oil smell does dissipate in the brewing process).
To brew this, I used my Kati tumbler and added 1 heaping bamboo scoop to the basket and 12 ounces of hot water (heated to 170°F) and let the tea steep for 3 minutes.
The brewed tea smells warm and gently spiced. I’m not picking up on any of the aforementioned chemical-y notes – a good thing! It smells like gramma’s kitchen at Christmastime when she’s baking all those magical cookies that she used to bake. I smell spice cookies and almond cookies. I smell hints of orange. My mouth is watering and wishing it was eating cookies right about now!
And the flavor is delightful. I don’t know that I’m actually tasting cookies as much as I’m smelling them from this tea. I think that there should be more of the buttery, cake-y, pastry flavors that 52Teas does so well here. Maybe a tad more marshmallow root to emphasize the cookie aspect rather than the spiced aspect of this tea. As it is, it tastes like a mild chai made with a white tea base rather than a cookie.
I find that as it cools, the flavor improves a bit and the baked goods flavor seems to develop a little. However, it never becomes fully realized. I find myself wanting to taste something more “bake-y” – brown sugar? Buttery cookie? Pastry/cake flavors? Even a hint of icing might help bring the “Christmas Cookie” to life just a little more.
The white tea has a smooth and silky texture. It’s not bitter or overly astringent. It’s sweet and has a delicate flavor that is lightly vegetal (more like hay than grass or steamed veggies). I appreciate that I distinctly taste TEA here and those flavors have not been overpowered by the presence of the strong spice and other flavors.
Since this is a white tea, I decided to resteep it and see how it turns out. YES! There it is! That cookie flavor! This tea MUST be resteeped to get to that yummy cookie flavor. I even taste a hint of frosting!
As I said before, it’s clear to me why this flavor has sold out – not only is the name of the tea tempting but the taste is delightful!
Himalayan Masala Spiced Black Tea Blend from Nepali Tea Traders
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Nepali Tea Traders
Tea Description:
An authentic medley of black tea lightly spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves and other spices traditional in Nepal.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a different chai! Usually, when I think of a chai, I think of a very strong black tea base with spices that are equally as strong to create a robust, full-flavored cuppa that is ideal as a latte. This isn’t that chai.
That’s not to say that I dislike it. On the contrary, I’m actually quite enjoying this Himalayan Masala Spiced Tea from Nepali Tea Traders! It’s different, sure, but, I like the warm, cozy flavor of this tea. It’s a lovely tea to enjoy on a chilly afternoon – like today!
The black tea base is lighter than I’m used to in a chai – but it’s smooth and crisp. I’d categorize this as a medium-bodied tea, it’s a little crisper, and a little lighter than an Assam or a Nilgiri which are the teas most often used as a base for a chai. This base is more reminiscent of a Darjeeling, but perhaps a little more substantial. It has some lovely fruit notes to it that meld beautifully with the warm spices.
The spices here are consistent with the body of the tea – that is to say that the spices aren’t overpowering the tea base. Instead, since this is a slightly lighter bodied tea, the spices are not as strong. I get gentle notes of cardamom, ginger, cloves and cinnamon. It’s a cozy, comforting combination of flavors that is reminiscent of a spice cookie.
I didn’t go latte with this blend because I felt that it would overwhelm the lighter character of the cup. And because it is a little lighter, if you’re one who automatically adds sweetener to your tea before tasting, I’d suggest tasting this one first. It has a gentle sweetness to it and it’s really good without anything added.
A really lovely chai – this is one I’d recommend to those who tend to shy away from chai blends because they find them to be too spicy. This one might be more to your liking – it’s a warmly spiced blend, but not what I’d call spicy. It’s quite delightful.
Celebration Medley Rooibos Blend from Sloane Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Tea Information:
Sweet spice and delightful seasonal aromas! Meet the perfect tea to get you through the cold months. Warm baking spices of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg blend seamlessly with citrus and the natural sweetness of apple and rose petals. This is a unique blend destined to become one of your favourites.
This tea is available from Amoda Tea.
Learn more about subscribing to Amoda Tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I loved how apple-y this smelled when I opened the pouch. And as it steeped, I was treated to more apple notes – it smelled a bit like apple cider! YUM!
The apple notes are well-defined as are the spices. The cinnamon and clove add warmth and I’m getting a hint of “spicy-hot” cinnamon, like someone added a red-hot candy or two to my cup and let it dissolve. It’s not overly ‘hot’ but there’s just a hint of that candy-like cinnamon-clove-y hot-sweet flavor.
The nutmeg adds earthy and nutty flavors that meld nicely with the rooibos. The orange is more of a background note, but it adds a tangy, bright taste that is rather pleasant. The orange note also plays with the red-hot flavor of the cinnamon and clove.
I don’t taste a strong rose note, but every once in a while I get this lovely floral note. It seems to weave its way in and out, not always making itself obvious or apparent, but this blend wouldn’t be the same without that gentle whisper of rose.
To steep, I used my Kati Tumbler and added 1 1/2 bamboo scoops of tisane to the basket and 12 ounces of water heated to 195°F. I steeped it for 10 minutes.
I enjoyed this and would be happy to drink it again! It’s a little spicy-hot, it’s sweet, it’s fruity, and it’s got enough going on with it to keep the palate interested. It’s a fun and tasty blend!
Pumpkin Spice Chai from The Tea Spot
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Tea Spot
Tea Description:
Our NEW seasonal Pumpkin Spice Chai may soon become your favorite tea to look forward to each Fall! This chai blend boasts a perfectly-balanced full leaf Assam black tea base with cinnamon, clove, cardamom, allspice, and pumpkin flavor to get you warmed up for Fall. This tea makes an amazing pumpkin latte with the simple addition of steamed milk. This seasonal treat will have you jumping in piles of rainbow-colored leaves in no time!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This year (at least this time of the year this year) seems like it’s been the year of the pumpkin chai! I’ve reviewed quite a few different pumpkin chai teas this year! I’ve enjoyed most of what I’ve tried (nothing comes to mind immediately that I did not enjoy, but some I definitely enjoyed more than others), but I think I’m saving the best for last! This one – this! This is one of the very best pumpkin chai teas that I’ve ever tasted.
The first thing that really impressed me when I opened the pouch of this tea is the aroma! Wow! I can really smell the pumpkin! It is a distinct pumpkin-y fragrance. It smells like the kitchen on Thanksgiving morning when the pies are baking! I smell notes of spice and black tea too, but the pumpkin notes are prominent!
The aromatic pumpkin notes are there in the brewed tea too. The fragrance wafting out of my teacup right now are scrumptious! To brew this, I used my Kati Tumbler and measured 1 heaping bamboo scoop of tea into the basket. I like to use just a little more leaf when I’m brewing a chai! This is especially important if you plan on going latte, because you want to accommodate for the heavier flavor of the dairy – or whatever product you’re using to make it a latte.
I brought 12 ounces of water to boiling and poured it into the tumbler and let this tea steep for 3 1/2 minutes. I usually stop at 3 minutes with a black tea (and especially an Assam, which this is!) but because of the spices, I wanted to give them a little more time to develop so I crossed my fingers and hoped that the Assam would let me steep it a little longer!
Fortunately, the Assam didn’t seem to mind the slightly longer steep.
This is a really delicious pumpkin chai. The pumpkin notes are distinct. They are THERE. There’s no mistaking the pumpkin here! This isn’t a pumpkin pie spice type chai where you’re tasting the spices of a pumpkin pie but no pumpkin flavor. This is PUMPKIN!
And even though the pumpkin flavor is strong, it is a true-to-the-squash type of flavor. It doesn’t taste artificial. It tastes like someone liquefied pumpkin puree and added it to my teacup.
The spices are nice. They’re good and strong – flavorful – without pushing it to the spicy level! It’s a distinct, spiced blend. Not just warmly spiced, but not quite “spicy” either. It’s somewhere between. Consider the amount of spice that you’d find in the typical pumpkin pie. Let’s call that mild spice. And then there’s the super zesty, spicy level … this is somewhere in between. This tastes like a chai that is also a pumpkin tea.
And I like that the spices are so thoughtfully balanced. I like that this tastes like a chai! I taste each of the spices: cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger. I am also tasting the allspice which is nice (and not always something that’s added to chai!) It’s warm, it’s cozy, but it’s also got a certain zippy invigorating quality that I get from a well-spiced chai.
You might think that with all that pumpkin and spice, that the tea winds up on the short end of the stick. But no! This is an Assam tea and it’s got some gusto! It is a rich, malty tea and the sweet, caramel-y notes together with the malt really play nicely with the flavors of pumpkin and spice.
For the purposes of this review, I didn’t go latte with this chai. I wanted to experience the tea straight up, with just a little bit of raw sugar added to enhance the spices a little. (This would also be amazing with honey!) After I finished writing my thoughts about the non-latte chai, I decided to add some steamed milk and it’s awesome like that too! So rich and creamy and yum! Better than what you’d find in the local coffee stop!
This is a very clever, well-crafted pumpkin chai. This is the best of the pumpkin patch!