Cameron B. select Send Message

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Cameron B. drank El Dorado Chai by Whispering Pines Tea Company

4330 tasting notes

This was a surprise sample in my swap with Tealizzy! She kindly included two extra teas that were on my wishlist. It’s been a while since I last had the Golden Snail base, but I do remember liking it (and really, it’s a Yunnan, what’s not to like?), so I’m happy to try this one even though I’m not a big chai fan. There are a lot of crushed spices mixed in with the base tea, though I don’t actually see any pieces of vanilla bean. Dry scent is very strong on the cardamon and ginger, which is not a good sign for me.

Happily, the steeped tea smells much milder and sweeter, and I can smell the vanilla and cinnamon now. Oof, the cardamon is strong with this one! A little too strong for me, as I don’t add sugar or milk to my teas. The clove is fairly strong here too, though I don’t mind that as much. I can taste perhaps a tiny bit of vanilla? And it’s a shame, the strong spicing is drowning out the base tea for me, which I know to be quite tasty. Oh well.

Flavors: Cardamom, Clove, Ginger, Spicy, Vanilla

Preparation

190 °F / 87 °C 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

I Like This

16 likes

4 comments

Tealizzy
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I had the same problem with the base and I like my chai with milk and sugar, so I thought the milk was drowning it out, but maybe not, based on your review. Interesting!

Cameron B.
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Yeah, I’m not a chai person in general but I find the WP ones to be very strongly spiced. Which is probably a good thing for most people, but not for me. Teehee. :P

TheLastDodo
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too bad you didn’t like it! i love strong and spicy chai. Cardamom is also a good sign for me too :P

boychik
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i didnt like it with milk but a little maple syrup (yes dear) does the trick!

People who liked this

Comments

Tealizzy
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I had the same problem with the base and I like my chai with milk and sugar, so I thought the milk was drowning it out, but maybe not, based on your review. Interesting!

Cameron B.
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Yeah, I’m not a chai person in general but I find the WP ones to be very strongly spiced. Which is probably a good thing for most people, but not for me. Teehee. :P

TheLastDodo
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too bad you didn’t like it! i love strong and spicy chai. Cardamom is also a good sign for me too :P

boychik
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i didnt like it with milk but a little maple syrup (yes dear) does the trick!

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… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- February sipdowns: 5
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 39

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 (or monkfruit, etc.).

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