Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Trail Lodge Tea
Tea Description:
This is a Mexican twist on Chai. It contains vanilla and chocolate, and if you add milk to your cup of tea, it will be just like drinking a cup of Mexican hot chocolate. Ingredients: Fair Trade CertifiedTM black tea, cinnamon, ginger, clove, chocolate, cardamom, vanilla, and mint.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow!
This is one of those chai blends that I sip and elicit an audible response, something like mmmmm~! but with more rapaciousness to it, so I think that the name of this chai – Mexican Wolf Chai – seems a very appropriate name.
The spices are warm but this is not what I’d call a strongly spiced chai. It isn’t exactly a gently warm chai blend either, it’s somewhere happily in between. Warm and delicious, with an emphasis on the cinnamon which I think is actually necessary to this blend, since it is a “Mexican” chocolate chai… and anyone who has enjoyed a Mexican hot chocolate before is familiar with the cinnamon-y taste to it. This blend is vaguely similar to a delicious Mexican hot chocolate thanks to the addition of the chocolate to this blend, and I am really enjoying the chocolate-y notes to this.
But this is not really a strongly chocolate blend, so this isn’t something I’d really recommend to a chocoholic in search of a chocolate fix, this chai wouldn’t satisfy that need. But, it is one that I’d recommend to those looking for a unique twist on chai, because this is definitely one of the more unique blends I’ve tried in a long time.
What makes it really unique is the addition of mint to the blend. Mint flavor can sometimes be a little bit aggressive and overpower a tea, but that doesn’t happen here, it is nicely balanced to offer a hint of mint flavor that complements the chocolate notes nicely as well as highlights some of the spices quite well. To bring it all together, there is a touch of vanilla that gives it a smooth, creamy-sweet taste that negates the need for milk or cream to make this a latte. This is very “latte-ish” on its own, without those additions. I would, however, recommend a little pinch of sugar (I chose turbinado sugar for this), as it does bring out some of the subtle notes of this chai, particularly the spice.
This is a remarkable chai blend – definitely worth keeping on the shelf for the times when you want something warm and comforting and satisfyingly sweet to sip!
