Mmm, this is a nice chai.
The dry leave is small and twisted, with lots of cloves, chunks of ginger and cinnamon, with the occasional bit of green cardamom pod visible. The dominant notes on the nose are ginger, clove and vanilla.
I steeped 1.5tsp in 8oz of boiling water for 4 minutes. This yielded a really strong, bitter brew with a tart note of orange peel. Not something I would drink straight, but that’s okay, because milk and sugar were my plan anyway.
A teaspoon of sugar and a good amount of milk mellowed the bitterness very nicely, transforming this into a warm and gentle tasting chai. There’s no real kick to this – no heat or throat burn from the cinnamon or ginger, though the cinnamon flavour is definitely present. The clove and vanilla take a front seat, giving this a nice round taste and creaminess that’s separate from the added milk.
Not my favourite chai – I tend to like them bolder and spicier, with some cooling spices like fennel and coriander – but this is different from the other chais I have and it’s good.
Flavors: Bitter, Cinnamon, Clove, Creamy, Ginger, Orange Zest, Vanilla
