Tea Type: Chai (Black Tea Base)
Where To Buy: Culinary Tea
Product Description:
This traditional Indian Chai is named for the city that is the birthplace of chai. Cochin Masala includes Ceylon black tea, ginger, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, and black pepper. When brewed this full body tea produces a spicy aromatic flavor. Superb with milk and sugar.
Tasters Review:
Many of you know I am a Fickle Pickle when it comes to Chai. I like them – not overly spiced, not underly spiced, not too hot, not too cold…but JUST RIGHT! And this one is JUST RIGHT for my Chai Tastes!
It has a nice KICK of spice but it’s backed by a heavy Black Tea taste which I LOVE! It’s a real eye-opener! Perfect for my mornings and to ‘light a match under your butt’ in the afternoon!
Another thing I like about Cochin Masala Chai from Culinary Teas is that it holds up to multiple infusions! I have gotten as many as 6 sturdy infusions during one of my infusion tests!
Tea-riffic!
Holiday Delight from Souvia
Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: Souvia
Product Description:
Spiced tea with zip! This tea is a great pick me up, nicely spiced in a robust black tea blend.
Ingredients: black tea, apple pcs, cinnamon, cardamom, cardamom pods, coriander, flavoring, orange slices, pink pepper cloves
Product of Germany
Tasters Review:
Happy Holidays from SororiTEA Sisters! You will hear that a lot from us thru out this month as we continue to feature seasonal and holiday teas as well as new releases from many tea companies!
This Holiday Delight from Souvia sure does live up to it’s name!
It’s Orange Spice…But TRUE Orange Spice! There is a little bit of the juicy-goodness from the orange but it’s more orange zest than juice if you know what I mean!
I usually like my teas STRONG so I tend to add more loose leaf to my infusion right off the bat. And that’s what I did with this but I think I am going to try it again with the normal amount because it is VERY strong and I am thinking it will be JUST RIGHT for me with the normal amount instead of the up to double amount I usually use.
The peppercorns really come thru on this. It smells awesome and it’s very potent in both aroma and taste!
I did enjoy my “double shot” of this but I wanted to mention it isn’t needed to go over board with this loose leaf…a little goes a long way!
Another great tea from our friends at Souvia!
Carnival from Sanctuary T
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Sanctuary T
Company Description:
A delicious carmel-butter aroma hits your nose when you first smell this tea. Nutty overtones become more pronounced the longer the tea is brewed, and it ends with a smooth, buttery finish.
Taste ~ Caramel,buttery, nutty, and sweet
Color ~ Warm reddish yellow
Ingredients ~ Black tea, pistachios, cumin, almond pieces, coriander, peppercorn
Taster’s Review:
This tea is part of the Sanctuary Sampler Kit. These kits are pretty nifty, and I must say that I’m quite jealous that I didn’t think of such a thing myself when I was actively selling tea!
The samplers come in a neat little chipboard portfolio, with the five teas affixed to the inside of the portfolio, and includes printed index cards with a brew chart, tea information, and information about Sanctuary T. Included also are small packages of T-Sacs and small bamboo skewers, making this kit a perfect gift for someone who is new to loose leaf tea.
I am not new to loose leaf tea, so I opted to brew the tea the way I usually brew it, in my Smart Tea Maker. The amount in the sample package is just enough for my Smart Tea Brewer – I like it when things are all convenient like that!
This is a tea unlike any I’ve tasted before (at least, that I can recall!) There is a sweetness to it that is very much like caramel: rich and smooth and creamy-ish! This sweetness is a fantastic contrast to the smoky-spicy note of the cumin (which I love!)
There is also a nutty taste to it from the pistachio, almond and coriander. The coriander also provides a warmth of its own, as well as a whisper of tangy citrus that sits at the very tip of my tongue.
There is not a lot of astringency to the cup, but there is a slight bitterness to it, but it is not distracting, and I found that a little bit of agave nectar went a long way in sweeping away any bitter notes as well as highlighting the caramel-like undertones to the tea.
When I first read these ingredients, my immediate thought was “this is a chai” – although there aren’t any classic chai ingredients to the blend. This is because in my own chai blend, I use coriander, cumin and peppercorns. Because this does have similarities in taste to some chai teas that I’ve tasted, I am going to categorize it as a chai… if for no other reason than that I can!
But I digress! This tea is fantastic, and I am glad that I tried it! The creamy caramel-ness of this tea is accented further when I add milk to the cup, so I recommend doing so.
