I have been seeing Vahdam Tea in the news lately and thought a spicy cup of chai would settle me right in for the night.
This isn’t your traditional black tea boiled with water and milk and heavily sugared. This is a fine darjeeling green with cardamom (YUM!), cinnamon, and clove. When I pour the dry leaves out to investigate them, it LOOKS like black tea, but don’t be fooled. Darjeeling tastes best to me prepared with slightly lower temperature water and a short steep to keep astringency low. If you like very brisk tea, increase your temp and time.
The green darjeeling is a tad brisk. The long boiling time of traditional chai makes the tea strong and bitter or astringent, and that is why milk and sugar are added, and a good dollop of milk, too! I am not adding anything to this, though, and it is enjoyable just as it is. The spices are at a great level for me. I have never been a fan of chai made with tons of black peppercorns, and I really feel that the cardamom and cinnamon lead the spices in this one. The scent of the dry leaves and the steeped tea is scrumptious.
And it is working! The strong flavors of the tea are keeping my cravings at bay and I don’t feel deprived at all.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Vahdam Teas
Description
A superior green tea blend with the finest, aromatic Indian spices for a unique Chai experience!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Chai Houjicha from 52Teas. . . .
I like me a mellow chai. I like roasted green teas. And I often enjoy 52teas’ blends. So I was very pleased to receive a generous taster pouch sample of this blend. It has not disappointed!
The dry leaf smells of clove, cinnamon, and a hint of pepper. Brewed up, it smells of clove and cinnamon. The dominant flavor is the roastiness of the hojicha, with a hint of cinnamon and the lingering bite of clove. Adding rice milk really makes this dreamy. It adds a sweetness and touch of creaminess that just perfectly complements the mellow spices, highlights the roasted note, and smooths out the clove. I tried adding honey for the sake of being comprehensive, but it didn’t seem to make much of a difference. This blend consistently delivers a solid second steep. I have also found that the caffeine kick here seems to be pretty mild, so I can have it later in the day than most other caffeinated teas. Overall, this is a mild but flavorful chai that is perfect for a chilly afternoon.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Chai Houjicha / 52 Teas
This tea is no longer on the 52 Teas website.
For those of you unfamiliar with 52 Teas they specialize in doing weekly unique teas. Like Kumquat Cucumber Chutney Black Tea.
Very unique flavors. Chai and hojicha aren’t really unique but combined they are.
This is the first I’ve seen of this type.
Also for those curious, even though the leaf doesn’t look like it, Hojicha is considered a green tea because of how it is processed. It ends up being a little nutty with some flavors you won’t find in other green teas.
Which makes it perfect for chai! This would make a great chai latte.
While I generally prefer a spicy chai the nutty and barley notes of this tea combined with the spices of the chai are a perfect fit that doesn’t need the spicy.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Horizon Hot Ginger Green Chai from Teaoke. . . .
Every time I try a new Chai, I feel like a traitor to the last one I tried because it seems like I’m always discovering a new favorite. I guess I’m fickle when it comes to my Chai, but I truly do love them all!
I was super excited to try this Horizon Hot Ginger Green Chai because I am a sucker for ginger, and with a name like hot ginger it has to be good!
The first thing I noticed when the boiling water hit the tea is a wonderful spicy but also roast-y aroma. The smell filled my whole kitchen. And when I tasted the tea, it has an amazing spicy kick, but again this amazing roast-y flavor that I really, really love. It reminded me a little of coffee just in the depth of flavor.
This is definitely not your traditional Chai, but it is absolutely amazing! I want to drink this everyday for the rest of my life.
I imagine this would be a wonderful tea to have when you come home on a very cold day, it would warm you right up!!
This tea does have caffeine, but it’s low caffeine, only 25 milligrams per serving for those like me who try to watch their intake.
This is seriously outstanding tea. Such rich spicy flavor that just wakes your senses. This is of course, my new favorite Chai!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Teaoke
Description
A bright & intense palate pleasing blend of ginger and chili pepper with a lemon zest… Heating up your senses while igniting your spirit.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Honeybear Chai Green Tea from Curiositea. . . . .
I know I keep saying how much I love Chai tea, and it seems like every new Chai I try becomes if not my favorite, one of my favorites! But this Chai seriously blew me away. It’s a loose leaf tea, so I added it to my little tea ball and let it steep. I first noticed this was going to be something special when I was emptying my infuser. It smelled like freshly baked cookies! I wanted to eat the leaves! I added a tiny bit of coconut sugar and a splash of coconut milk and seriously had one of the best cups of Chai ever.
It has the normal Chai spices like cinnamon, clove and ginger, but it also has the addition of salted caramel flavoring! It tastes like dessert in a cup! The flavors all work so well together! The salted caramel doesn’t really stand out on it’s own, it’s more of a delicious sweet flavor that makes you wonder what it is! It tastes like a cookie, but I can’t quite put my finger on what kind of cookie, but it’s a cookie you want to eat over and over.
I can definitely say hands down this is the BEST Chai tea I have ever tried. When I took my first sip, I said Oh my, delicious out loud, to myself. My cats looked at me like what the heck. It’s that good!! If I weren’t watching my caffeine intake I would be drinking this all day! It’s really like a sweet hug in a cup. I just cannot say enough good things about this amazing tea!!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: CuriosiTea
Description
Salted Caramel is the new trend in food and beverages. We’ve been experimenting a lot with it and surprised ourselves at what turned out to be our favorite combination.
Sencha green tea is flavored with sweet honey and salted caramel. We then add our signature spice blend of cinnamon, ginger, clove, coriander, fennel and anise. The result is one of the most delightful smelling and tasting teas we have ever had. Light and fun, this heavenly tea is sure to be one of your faves.
This tea is sold loose leaf, meaning it will not arrive packed in tea bags.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
