Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tealated
Tea Description:
This spicy Chai delights the senses with its blend of cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves with organic Assam tea. Try it with milk and sugar for a culinary treat!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yeah! I’m liking this chai!
I worried that I might have oversteeped it, because I absent-mindedly set the timer for 3 minutes without taking into consideration that this is a) an Assam and b) a CTC Assam at that!
But I’m not experiencing any bitterness. I don’t know if that’s because the spices are overpowering any bitter tones or if it’s because this Assam is a bit more forgiving than others that I’ve had. I just know that I’m tasting a really enjoyable cup of Chai that isn’t bitter. It’s smooth, rich and flavorful and jam-packed with masala spice – just the way I like my chai blends to be!
I like that this is warm and zesty – and yeah, I’d even go so far as to say it’s spicy! But it isn’t a ‘too much’ kind of spicy. It’s just right. This is the spice levels that I prefer my chai blends to have. I like a good bit of spice to the cup but I don’t want it to be so overwhelmed with spice that I can’t taste that rich, delicious black tea base.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed many a chai that didn’t meet these specifications. But as far as the kind of chai that I would go back to … this is the kind of chai that I’d be happy to drink again and again.
There’s even the faintest hint of creaminess to the cup which I’m not quite sure where it comes from except that perhaps it’s from the malty notes of the Assam – but it tastes really good served without the dairy. It’s certainly not “latte” like without the dairy, but there is enough of a creamy hint to it that I find enjoyable enough without the dairy.
I think I might serve this to my husband when he gets home. He has recently ‘discovered’ the joy of chai and I think he’ll really enjoy this one.
Mint Marigold Spice Herbal Tea from M&K’s Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: M&K’s Tea Company on Etsy
Tea Description:
Sweet spices and a minty rooibos blend swirl together in this exclusive M&K’s creation! Peppermint and spearmint coat Asian star anise, providing a licorice taste complimenting the spicey, roasted ginger. This infusion is part of the M&K’s Original 20.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
My first reaction to my first sip of this tisane was: mmm! Now, granted, that’s my reaction to many teas that I taste for the first time and it’s usually my reaction when I indulge in a favorite tea. But, it’s not always a first reaction when I take a sip of a tisane. And it’s certainly not a frequent reaction when I take a sip of a rooibos tisane.
But M&K’s created a winner when they crafted this rooibos blend. It’s warm and cozy but also cool and invigorating! It’s a lovely medley of contradiction.
The first flavor I notice when I take a sip is cinnamon. Almost immediately after picking up on the cinnamon notes, I taste the crisp, refreshing taste of peppermint and spearmint.
Mid-sip, I notice the zesty licorice flavor from the anise. It’s not an overwhelming flavor and I suspect that even those who are not typically fond of blends with star anise would enjoy this tisane. It is more of a warm snap of licorice with a hint of sweetness from the anise without the strong spicy snap of it.
I also notice a warm, peppery ‘glow’ from the ginger.
What I don’t notice is a strong, obvious flavor of rooibos and I’m sure that those who are familiar with my likes and dislikes know that I’m quite alright with the lack of rooibos flavor. I like that I’m tasting the gentle honey sweetness of the rooibos and a hint of nutty flavor without a really strong rooibos taste.
I like the way these flavors – peppermint, spearmint, anise, ginger and cinnamon – come together in this blend. Any one of them can be a very aggressive flavor but rather than one flavor overpowering the others, they are working together in a synergistic way to create a very harmonious taste that’s both spicy and sweet, warming and cooling.
I like this one!
Product Review: Teavana® Oprah Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks
Product Information:
Spicy chai blend of cinnamon, black tea and rooibos, lightly sweetened and finished with steamed milk.
Where to Buy: Your Local Starbucks
Learn more about this product here.
Taster’s Review:
This product combines two things that I do not like with a couple of things that I do like. I don’t like Teavana and I don’t like Starbucks. But I do like chai lattes and I like Oprah Winfrey. So, I decided that since I happened to be at my local Safeway and there happens to be a Starbucks inside that I’d try Oprah’s “new” (it’s not really new anymore, but it’s new to me) Chai from Teavana that has been crafted into a latte by Starbucks.
Two things that I noticed right off the bat that I appreciated – first thing: it wasn’t prepared too hot. The very rare times that I stop at a coffee shop to get a chai latte (very rare), it seems like the drink is too hot to consume and it takes forever for the temperature to drop. This was prepared at a slightly lower temperature, I think, and it was a drinkable temperature. Nice.
The second thing that I noticed: it’s not too sweet. Yeah, it’s been sweetened. But it’s not cloyingly sweet. It’s not so sweet that I felt myself recoil from the overwhelming sweetness. And there’s a nice balance between sweet and spice.
I can taste the tea here and that’s another thing I appreciate. More often than not, when I do have that rare latte from a coffee shop, many times it’s made from a concentrate and it’s overly processed and I just can’t taste any tea. I taste some spice but mostly what I end up tasting is warm milk and sweetener.
That’s not happening with this. I can taste the black tea and I taste a light nutty flavor from the rooibos. The spices are nicely balanced. Overall, it’s a pleasant chai latte. Not my favorite – my favorite is the kind that I make at home where I control the sweetness and the amount of dairy that goes into it. But for a latte that I picked up at a coffee shop (even if it is Starbucks), it’s pretty good. And it’s definitely better than Starbucks “classic” chai latte.
I don’t know that I’ll be lining up at Starbucks to get this again soon, but, if I happen to find myself at Starbucks, this is probably what I’ll order.
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.
North Pole Estate Tea from Tippy’s Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tippy’s Tea
Tea Description:
A magical tea. Reindeer bitten and handpicked by elves in their off season, this tea is beloved by Santa Claus himself!
Our North Pole estate is a dark, malty black tea blend with hints of cinnamon, gingerbread, cloves, and a touch of chocolate. A delicious holiday tea to keep you warm. Recommended to slightly sweeten. Adding milk or brewing as a latte will add an extra dreamy creaminess.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yeah, I know that the holiday has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t still be enjoying holiday tea blends! I, for one, love the warm, spicy flavors that seem to be a consistent theme for the holiday teas and I think they’re perfectly relevant to be sipping any time you want to feel that warm, cozy feeling!
This is the first tea from this new-to-me company that I’ve tried and I’m trying it in a brand new teacup! Last year, I broke my beloved Starry Night (Van Gogh) teacup and I’ve been using others that I have but I really needed a new big mug teacup that I loved as much as that Starry Night because I love tea – you know I do! But tea tastes so much better when it’s served in something you love to drink out of!
And yes … I’m a Harry Potter nerd. And while there are many parts of the books/movies that bring tears to my eyes, no five words from the Harry Potter world bring tears to my eyes more effectively than these:
“After all this time?” “Always.”
Yep, I’m tearing up right now.
So, let’s talk about this tea.
My initial couple of sips were not quite as spiced as I expected them to be. I let the cup cool for a few minutes, hoping that some time would help bring the flavors forward.
And it does! I am tasting more spice now. I taste subtle notes of cinnamon. The clove is even more subtle. I taste a background note of gingerbread and a hint of chocolate. The spices are not strong here – this isn’t a chai! – it’s an “estate” tea. A North Pole Estate.
Single Estate teas tend to take on the flavors that surround the estate, but usually subtly. The leaves absorb the essences that fill the air. In the North Pole, I’d imagine the scent of warm spice, gingerbread and chocolate permeate the air. And that’s what this cup brings to this cup.
The black tea is a strong blend of black teas from India and China (Assam and Keemun teas). Bold, malty, rich. There are wine-like notes to it along with the notes of malt. The finish is dry.
The cinnamon is the most pronounced of the flavors, with hints of clove dancing in the background. The chocolate is subtle but every now and again, it weaves its way into the sip in a very pleasing way. The gingerbread becomes more noticeable when I slurp the sip and aerate the liquid on the palate.
A really interesting cuppa. I like it.