Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Tulsi & Rooibos
Where to Buy: Fusion Teas
Tisane Description:
A wonderful soothing cup to end a stressful day. The tulsi base calms the stress and has many health benefits that the traditional black tea version does not have. Naturally caffeine free this is especially beneficial as an evening drink.
Taster’s Review:
Normally, I wouldn’t consider a spiced tea to be a “soothing” cup with which to de-stress. But, this truly is a wonderful and soothing cup, just as the description suggests.
The flavors are very calm and gentle. Even the spice notes have their own sense of calmness to them. This is the kind of tisane you want to curl up to on a chilly autumn or winter evening … and it would be especially nice to have on hand when one is feeling under the weather as I am finding it to be quite soothing to my throat. I’m not sick, but I am experiencing my allergies which begin in the late winter/early spring, and they begin with an itchy throat – and I’m finding this to have comforting effect.
Typically, with these orange spice teas/tisanes, they are very heavy on the cinnamon. So, I was surprised (pleasantly so) when the cinnamon was more subtle here, allowing the flavors of the other spices to come through. That is not to say that the cinnamon is not well-pronounced because it is; it just is not the main event. It doesn’t overpower the rest of the spices. Instead, it offers a pleasing warmth that is neither too spicy nor too bland. I like that I can taste each of these spices, as well as a hint of mint from the Tulsi.
The rooibos has a warm, nutty flavor to it. Lightly fruity, it accents the flavor of the orange very nicely. The orange is sweet yet tangy, and I can taste an ever-so-slight apple-y note here as well which serves as more of a sweetness in the distance than anything else.
Overall, this tisane has a mild, delicious flavor that kids as well as adults can enjoy. This is one that I do recommend keeping on hand for when the family has the sniffles – it will bring soothing relief to the aching throats … and it’s much tastier than a cough drop!
Ohio Thunder Chai from Stauf’s Tea House (aka Stauf’s Coffee Roasters)
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Stauf’s Tea House/Stauf’s Coffee Roasters
Tea Description:
Smooth balance of crisp tea flavors, palate lingering and warming spices, and cleansing tannins. Light spicy finish with a hint of fruitiness.
Learn more about this chai here.
Taster’s Review:
You know me, I love chai, and I’m always eager to try a new chai (or perhaps I should say: new to me chai). So, when one of my tea drinking comrades offered to send me some of this chai from Stauf’s, I was more than happy to take him up on his offer.
And now that I’m drinking this chai, I’m so happy that he offered me this opportunity. This is an excellent chai! It is richly spiced and yet it has a smooth delivery. It is neither too spicy, nor is it too subtle. I’d say it falls somewhere between the two extremes, leaning more toward the spicy than the subtle. While I do enjoy a spicy chai, I like that this one has achieved a balance between spice and flavorful tea.
The tea base is a blend of Ceylon and Assam, which brings me back to my own tea blending days as the tea base that I used for my Masterpiece Chai was a blend of Ceylon and Assam. I like that Stauf’s chose to combine these two teas, as it gives the tea base a strong tone that it needs as well as a little complex character. The tea is strong enough to stand up and be tasted amongst the powerful flavors of the spices, but it doesn’t become bitter or throw the flavor off in any way. It tastes smooth yet rich and bold.
And then there are the spices! When I first started sipping, I noticed the cinnamon right away. And the cinnamon remained the strongest note through the first couple of sips… but now that I am more than half-way finished with my cup, the other spice flavors have emerged and seem to have an equal amount of the palate’s attention.
I can taste the cardamom! It gives the cup a very pleasing warmth and hint of citrus-y flavor. I can taste the cloves. I can taste the pepper and the ginger, but I like that these two have not been added with too heavy a hand. It has a peppery background note that seems to perk up the palate but never becomes too overpowering.
Stauf’s has achieved a very pleasing balance here, not just with the spices, but also with the tea base. The result: a fantastic cup of chai that is delicious served straight up (a small amount of turbinado sugar will enhance the spices without making it too sweet) as well as served as a latte! YUM! This one gets high praise from me.
PRODUCT REVIEW: Cardamom Chai Tea Mix from Jaipur Avenue
Product Information:
Product: black tea – instant spiced chai mix
Where to Buy: Jaipur Avenue
Product Description:
A retreat into green/woodsy undertones, refreshing aromas and natural sweetness.
Learn more about this product here.
Taster’s Review:
Nice!
In some chai blends, I have a difficult time discerning the cardamom because of the stronger flavors of cinnamon and ginger. Yes, cardamom on its own can be a strong spice, but when united with cinnamon and ginger, these two warmer spices can be very aggressive and often overpower some of the subtle complexities of the cardamom.
I’m loving that this chai mix focuses on the cardamom!
With this chai mix, I can taste the light citrus-y tone of the cardamom, and that sun-kissed fruit note gives this chai a brightness that I seldom experience with a spiced chai. This citrus-y flavor weaves its way throughout the sip, and is most prominent in the aftertaste where I can taste a light, orange-y kind of flavor. This tastes lighter and more refreshing while still maintaining that warm spiciness that I love about chai.
I can taste the other spice flavors: most notably, I can taste notes of ginger and cinnamon. But these spices that often dominate a chai have taken a back seat with this chai, allowing the cardamom to drive for a change. The black tea is also there, peaking its way through every now and then. This chai mix also has the latte already mixed in – giving it a smooth, rich, creamy flavor that is absolutely luxurious.
This chai mix has been sweetened, and while this is a little sweeter than I would have made for myself, my sweet tooth doesn’t seem to mind.
I’ve really enjoyed this … my only complaint? It’s all gone now, and I want more!
PRODUCT REVIEW: Vanilla Chai Tea Mix from Jaipur Avenue
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Jaipur Avenue
Tea Description:
A celebration with delicate fragrances, luxurious cream and soft spice.
Learn more about this chai here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh my goodness … this is like comfort food in liquid form! It is so creamy and delicious.
This Vanilla Chai mix is different from the Original Masala Chai mix in a couple of ways, most notably that this chai is very vanilla-y. I’ve tried several different vanilla chai blends in the past, but, this one takes vanilla to a whole new level.
The spices are more of an accent to the vanilla. In most cases, I’d be disappointed by that, but with this particular chai, it’s hard to be disappointed because it is so good. SO GOOD!
The black tea is noticeable, but, it is somewhat masked by the creaminess of the vanilla and the milky notes. I will say that I found the black tea flavors to develop as I continued to sip, and despite the fact that the flavor was somewhat obscured, this chai definitely has the energizing factor of a black tea.
This would make a good chai mix for someone who likes their chai on the mild side (rather than the spicy), although, I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who dislikes sweet drinks. That’s because this is sweet. It could easily replace a dessert. It has a decadent creaminess to it, like a warm, liquified vanilla spiced custard.
As for me, I absolutely love this. It is incredibly decadent and rich and oh-so-yummy. My sweet tooth highly recommends this one!
PRODUCT REVIEW: Original Masala Chai Tea Mix from Jaipur Avenue
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Jaipur Avenue
Product Description:
An adventure through spicy notes, soothing aromas and velvet textures.
Learn more about this product here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! This mix makes an unbelievably good chai!
I must admit that I was a bit skeptical about this product before trying it, because I’ve not always had the best of luck with chai mixes. Many that I’ve tried have been way too sweet, but this one, while it is sweetened, isn’t too sweet. It has a very pleasant balance of spice and sweetness and creaminess while still allowing the flavor of the black tea to come through.
The black tea is the least distinguishable of the flavors of this cup, but that does not mean that it is indistinguishable. It is a full-flavored black tea which lends a very pleasing backdrop for the spices of this blend to do their thing.
And those spices do their thing very well! They begin very subtle, but within the time that it takes to take two or three sips, I noticed that the warmth of the peppery ginger began to heat the back of my throat. The spice blend tastes spicy and exotic, and what I’m enjoying most of all about the blend of spices used here is that while it does create a spicy cup, I think it is at a level that even those who tend to steer clear of spicy teas can enjoy it.
This may be due in part to the addition of dry milk to the mix, which lends a soft, creamy note to the cup and allow the delivery of the tea and spices to be a very smooth one. In other words, your palate is not set afire by the spices in this product, it is warmed gently, allowing the temperature of the spices to build gradually, making for a very enjoyable chai experience!
I prepared this product according to package instructions: I poured the contents of the package into a mug, added a small amount of boiling water, then stirred it until the powders were dissolved. Then I added more boiling water and got out my frothing tool and began frothing it. The result is a rich, foamy cup of deliciously spicy chai that not only helped warm me up on this chilly winter’s morning, but also helped to wake me up!
This stuff is awesome!