Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where To Buy: The Persimmon Tree
Tea Description:
Our white chai is perfectly blended with white tea, chai spices, lemongrass, coconut, fruit pieces and peppercorn for a delicious bold taste. It comprises sweetness from the fruit pieces fused with a bold kick from chai spices and peppercorn.
Learn more about this chai here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! OK, so take everything you know about chai and throw it out the window, because this will challenge your thoughts on what chai should be! This is a deliciously different chai!
After reading the above description, my first thought is that this tea has a lot going on. But everything is nicely represented in this cup. I’m not getting too much of anything and it all works together surprisingly well.
Because it’s crafted using a white tea base, the flavors are kept to that level. That is to say that the flavors here are blended skillfully so that the delicate flavors of the white tea are not overpowered. And yes, I can taste the white tea! It’s got a fresh, light, airy taste with hints of a hay-like flavor. It’s subtle, yes, but the other flavors of this cup are also kept on a subtle level so that the white tea doesn’t get lost in the mix.
And that’s not to say that the “chai” here is a mild chai, either. This chai has some kick to it! The ginger is zesty, the cinnamon is well-defined but not overdone. The cardamom and clove and pink peppercorn offer warmth. The “usual chai ingredients” have been utilized here (along with pink peppercorn which is not what I’d classify as a “usual ingredient.”)
With another tea type used as a base, the level of spices used this blend would probably seem a bit on the mellow side, but when combined with a white tea, it becomes rather invigorating and bold!
Then you get the fruit flavors: coconut, pineapple, apple and lemongrass. Yeah, I know lemongrass isn’t technically a “fruit,” but because it adds a nice, lemon-lime-ish flavor to a tea, I’m calling it a ‘fruit flavor’ for the purposes of this review. These sweet fruity notes add a touch of tropical flavor to the cup which is quite enjoyable.
I find myself especially appreciating the coconut because it adds a touch of “creamy” to the cup and because this is a white tea, I didn’t want to go latte with this chai. But I do still like a touch of creamy to most chai blends, it just seems to make it taste a little more indulgent. I like that the coconut adds a little bit of that “latte” creaminess to the cup without overwhelming the blend.
It’s a very unique spin on the traditional chai, one that I enjoyed quite a bit!
To brew: I used my Kati Tumbler (I prefer not to steep chai blends in my Breville because the spices impart their essence in the tea maker that are difficult to remove without soaking in baking soda) and put 1 1/2 bamboo scoops into the basket (remember, I like to use a little extra leaf with a chai as well as with a white tea!) and added 12 ounces of water heated to 170°F. I steeped it for 3 1/2 minutes. Perfection!
Creamy Autumn Chai Tisane from Because UR Priceless
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Because UR Priceless on Etsy
Tisane Description:
Autumn is hands down my favorite season! The spectacular show of fall leaves, the crisp fall air, and the smell of bonfires is amazing. I cannot think of a better tea to accompany this vibrant season than our Creamy Autumn Chai. Reminiscent of pumpkin pie, this delightfully delicious blend of red rooibos, cinnamon, orange peel, ginger root, and cloves makes for a great dessert tea (without the calories of an actual slice of pumpkin pie). Adding a touch of milk and honey (or sugar) will complement the luscious flavor and add to decadence of the moment. Go ahead, celebrate fall.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
I was quite excited when my package from Because UR Priceless arrived. The samples were neatly packaged in glassine envelopes that have been colorfully labeled and sealed with a strip of decorative tape. These envelopes were tucked inside a small box that also labeled with an inspirational quote:
“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” -J.M. Barrie
The box was finished off with a bright yellow ribbon. I love it when I get packages like this – it’s the special little touches that keep customers coming back for more!
Out of the samples that I was sent, I grabbed this one first. I’m not sure why, exactly, but something about the name of the tea jumped out and grabbed me: Creamy Autumn Chai. It seemed like just the right tea to be drinking today.
As I steeped this tea – 195°F for 10 minutes – I found myself wondering what element of this tea would make it seem creamy? The rooibos? The cinnamon or the ginger or the cloves? The orange peel? None of these ingredients strike me as a particularly “creamy” flavor when infused.
While I’m still unsure which ingredient was considered creamy, I’m guessing that the rooibos is the creamy factor in this arrangement. I never really considered rooibos to be a creamy tasting herb, except when cream and/or vanilla flavors are added to it. Maybe it’s the natural nutty tones of the rooibos that give off a creamy taste?
Anyway, I started to find myself confused and dedicating far more thought to it than maybe I should. I decided to just sit back and enjoy the tisane instead of focusing on the word creamy.
It’s a nice blend of spices. I feel like just the right balance was achieved with these spices. The cinnamon is sweet yet zesty, the cloves are warm and the ginger adds a nice bit of heat to the cup without going too spicy. I like that I can taste each of these ingredients and they seem to be working together in a unified way to create a cozy medley of flavor. No one spice is trying to overpower the others.
It tastes like pumpkin pie spices! Definitely autumnal. Warm and comforting. Soothing to drink. I especially like the orange and the bright touch of flavor that it adds to the cup.
The rooibos is a nice base for these flavors. It’s nutty and woodsy – certainly two flavors that I would associate with autumn. A sweet, honey-like flavor. Quite a pleasant mix of flavors: the rooibos, the spices and the orange.
And you know what, the more I drink this … the more I understand the creaminess. It’s not an obvious creamy note, but there is a certain creaminess to this that becomes more noticeable as I continue to sip.
The flavors evoke thoughts of autumn – specifically of autumn leaves. It probably goes without saying that the spices are very autumnal. But it’s the addition of orange that makes me think of the leaves and the natural woodsy and nutty tones of the rooibos that make me think of the leaves as they change their color and fall to the ground.
This is the first of the teas that I’ve tried from this company, and I’m pleased with what I’ve experienced thus far from them. I look forward to more!
Pumpkin Chai Blend from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Zoomdweebies
Tea Description:
This week’s tea is a new blend of Indian, Ceylon and Chinese whole leaf teas with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, black peppercorns, cloves, and organic pumpkin flavors. If this doesn’t get you in the mood for fall, nothing will.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
I know that 52Teas was planning on working on a new black tea base to use with their black tea blends – I wonder if this is the blend? It’s a little difficult to judge a black tea blend when it’s in a chai because the spices tend to be the star of the show, so it will be difficult to give you a clear idea of what I think of this “new blend,” but I’ll do my best!
This is actually a really tasty cup. The black tea base is strong, smooth and robust. There is some astringency to it, but I’m not finding it to be overly astringent. It’s got a rich, full flavor.
But as I said in the first paragraph, the spices tend to be the star of the show when it comes to a chai and that’s certainly true here. I like the way the spices come through here – it’s spicy and warm. There’s a good balance of spice flavors: I taste all the components. I guess if I could change anything about the spices that have been used in this blend, I’d want just a tad more pepper. Maybe instead of using “whole peppercorns” – crack them so that more of the peppery aspect comes through. But, I like that there isn’t too much cinnamon or ginger. I like that I can taste the cardamom and cloves. Overall, I’m enjoying the way the spices present themselves in this blend.
And I like that I’m tasting pumpkin too! The pumpkin tastes sweet and has a certain savory element to it too, and I like the way the pumpkin and spices taste together.
This is good served straight but even better when served with a dollop of honey to bring out the flavor of the spices. If you want to go for a serious yum factor: go latte – the creaminess of the dairy adds something to the pumpkin to make it more pumpkin pie-ish.
Product Review: Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte Mix from Trader Joe’s
Product Information:
Based on the traditional Indian drink masala chai (mixed-spice tea), Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice Chai starts with a chai tea blend that’s a combination of honey, vanilla, and black tea, heightened by a mélange of spices like cinnamon, anise, clove, cardamom, and ginger. In honor of Pumpkin Season, in addition to the traditional chai spices, Pumpkin Spice Chai is accentuated by pumpkin pie spices and real pumpkin. Like pumpkin pie, you can enjoy Pumpkin Spice Chai hot or cold. Unlike pumpkin pie, Pumpkin Spice Chai is drinkable, and ready in moments—you just add (hot) water and enjoy!
Where to Buy: your local Trader Joe’s
Taster’s Review:
You’ll be seeing a few different reviews for a few different pumpkin flavored chai blends on this blog over the next week or so … what can I say? It’s that time of year!
I just returned home from Trader Joe’s and I think that they had a pumpkin explosion in their kitchens (or wherever it is that they make all their food) because there is pumpkin EVERYTHING in the place. They had pumpkin waffles, pumpkin scones, pumpkin butter, pumpkin macarons, pumpkin bars and pumpkin soup just to name a few things. They even had pumpkin ravioli. Yep, I bought some of that too.
They also had a few pumpkin tea selections including a pumpkin rooibos blend and this product: Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte Mix. And it is mmmmm!
I don’t usually go all crazy for chai tea latte mixes like this because they tend to be more sugar than they are tea and I like to decide how much milk and sugar I’ll be putting in a tea (if I decide to put any in it at all). But, something about this tin of Pumpkin Spice Chai called to me and before I could say no and walk away, the tin was in my basket.
And I am really happy to say that while this is a sweet drink, the sweetness in this works. It doesn’t taste too sweet (then again, I do admittedly have a sweet tooth). This is on the sweeter side – I rarely sweeten my teas although I do usually sweeten my chai just a little bit because I think that a little bit of sweetener enhances the spices. But even though it is on the sweeter side, the spices offset some of the sweet notes and there is a nice balance between spices and sweet.
Best of all, though, is that I can taste PUMPKIN in this. It seems that all too often when I see a tea with the words “Pumpkin Spice” it turns out to be just the spices (as in pumpkin pie spice) and no pumpkin flavor. This has pumpkin!
Hooray for Trader Joe’s pumpkin harvest!
The spices are robust but not what I’d call “spicy.” It’s a well-rounded taste of warm spices. I can taste the ginger but not so much that it’s “biting” me. I can taste the cinnamon, clove and cardamom. They’re warm and comforting. I taste just a hint of licorice-y sweetness from the anise. If there is a scale on “spiciness” of a chai, this would rate maybe one measurement below medium. It’s spicier than “mild” but it’s not quite medium.
Kind of like a pumpkin pie.
The black tea is almost hidden here, though, and that’s my one big complaint about this. I think that the next time I make some of this, I might brew up some black tea (perhaps an Assam) and mix that with this so that it amplifies the black tea.
It’s tasty as it is, of course, but, I would like more tea flavor. Hey, I’m a tea freak, remember?
And one thing that really stands out to me with this product is that the “latte” part isn’t overwhelming the rest of the flavors. This doesn’t taste like too heavy a latte. I find that to be true with a lot of the chai concentrates that you can find on the grocery store shelves. Those tend to be all sugar and milk and very little actual chai. I appreciate that this has some flavor and the sweetener and milk are accentuating those flavors rather than hiding them.
Organic Rooibos Vanilla Chai Blend from The Persimmon Tree
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where To Buy: The Persimmon Tree
Tea Description:
Our Vanilla Rooibos Chai tea features a delightful blend of masala chai spices, red rooibos and a hint of vanilla. Rooibos Vanilla Chai is naturally caffeine free, making it a perfect any-time tea. Much like its caffeinated cousin Masala Chai, this tea tastes delicious with milk and sugar.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
Well, as I’m writing this, it’s late at night. I’m a night owl. My husband works the swing shift (although his shift is about to change! This may change my sleeping habits.) Because of his odd hours, I stay up later to be awake when he arrives home so that I can fix him something to eat and maybe watch TV and spend a little time with him before heading to bed. Another bonus to staying up later – at least in the summer! – is that it’s cooler at night so I get to enjoy some cool temperatures rather than trying to battle the heat. It’s been a hot summer so far!
Anyway … when its later at night, I like to sip on something that’s caffeine free, so that’s the time that I typically reach for a tisane like this Vanilla Rooibos Chai blend from The Persimmon Tree. I can still enjoy a spicy-sweet treat in my teacup without having to worry that it’s going to keep me awake when I should be trying to catch some Zzz’s.
This smells awesome. It’s a medley of aromas: orange, cloves, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. I can even smell the nutty sweetness of the rooibos, but I like that this is more of an understated scent, and the fragrance of the spices are prominent.
This is true of the flavor as well. Sure I taste the nutty, honeyed sweetness of the rooibos herb, but, it unifies with the spices and the orange to create a very seamless flavor that’s evoking thoughts of a spice cookie.
The spices are zesty. The ginger adds a real punch of spice along with the cinnamon. This is a warmer cinnamon, almost like a red-hot type of cinnamon flavor but without the overly cloying candied sweetness. The cardamom and cloves add a warm backdrop of spice and the vanilla softens the flavors just a little bit, giving the overall cup a lightly sweet, creamy tone.
I like the touch of orange to this – it really brightens the cup and perks up the flavors of the tisane. Everything comes together in a very pleasing way. It’s sweet, spicy and tasty. It’s reminiscent of the cooler days of the holiday season when yummy things are baking in the kitchen, and that’s a very welcome flavor to enjoy on this late evening.