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Cameron B. drank Bourbon Chai by Vintage TeaWorks

4161 tasting notes

A sample from miss Blodeuyn. She ordered a few of this company’s teas and was kind enough to let me try them since I was curious about them. This one and the puerh blend have been left sitting around for a bit because I’m not really a chai or a puerh drinker. I do enjoy chai, but I never seem to reach for it. This is a very strange tea in its dry form. It’s almost wet, and all of the leaves like to stick together in a giant clump until you break them apart to measure some, at which point they crumble a bit. I can see whole cardamom pods, fennel seed, and some crushed green leaves that resemble bay. Dry scent is strong on the fennel and anise aromas.

The steeped tea has a strong fennel aroma as well, and I confess, it reminds me of Italian sausage… This is definitely a more savory chai. I’m drinking it plain and I can taste the fennel and the cardamom quite strongly, and I can also taste some of the star anise. Cinnamon is mentioned in the description, but I don’t really get that flavor at all. Overall, it’s okay, although I’m not a huge fan of cardamom, so I’m a bit biased.

Flavors: Anise, Cardamom, Fennel Seed, Spicy

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

I Like This

16 likes

3 comments

Kittenna
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Lol, Italian sausage chai! :D

TeaBrat
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I would probably love this :)

cookies
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So there’s no bourbon flavor?

People who liked this

Comments

Kittenna
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Lol, Italian sausage chai! :D

TeaBrat
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I would probably love this :)

cookies
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So there’s no bourbon flavor?

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- November sipdowns: 13
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 156

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing