I bought this tea back in March when DAVIDsTEA had their free shipping promotion, and I’ve gone through almost the entire 50 g, which, given the number of teas I have, is impressive. This is partly because it’s a good chai and partly because it’s one of my better decaf options. I steeped around 4 g of tea in a 355 ml mug at 200F for 3.5, 5, 8, and 10 minutes.
The dry aroma is of cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, cardamom, ginger, and licorice, and the flavour reflects those notes. This is a particularly spicy chai, and the cinnamon, cardamom, and pepper are prominent. I’m not sure what ashwagandha tastes like so I can’t comment on that. Sadly, the ginseng in this chai makes me think of licorice, which is not one of my favourite flavours. Some form of licorice seems to find itself in almost every herbal chai I’ve seen online, even though there’s no similar flavour note in regular chai. Maybe this is due to the assumption that decaf chais have to be sweet (which is annoying, as I’d prefer them not to be, and the cinnamon takes care of that anyway). Whatever the reason, this detracts somewhat from my enjoyment of this tea, though the licorice isn’t strong enough to prevent me from drinking it often.
This tea is quite resilient, maintaining its oomph into the fourth steep. As decaf chais go, it’s something I could buy more of, though I’m looking for an alternative that doesn’t contain that dreaded licorice.
Flavors: Black Pepper, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Ginger, Licorice
Preparation
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Ashwaganda has an earthy taste. Not bad but it is used in Ayurvedic medicine and does not belong in chai. Nor does licorice. That’s why I make my own chai from scratch or order it from What Cha (when it’s in stock).
I don’t think that you can claim anything should/should not be in Chai. At least in a broader sense, anyway. Considering this blend was inspired by Ayurvedic medicine and, in fact, marketed as an Ayurvedic blend I think the ingredients are right at place for the purpose.
I’ll have to see if I can detect an earthy taste from the ashwagandha. It’s great that DAVIDsTEA is being creative with their choice of chai ingredients, although as I mentioned, I’d be happier without the ginseng/licorice.
White Antlers, does What-Cha have a decaf chai? Any chais that contain neither caffeine nor licorice would be appreciated!
Nope. I don’t think Alistair carries anything decaf at all. His chai is stocked seasonally, I believe and if you are ok with caffeine, I find it absolutely stellar.
@Roswell Strange, I can claim, say and write anything I please. I am a holistic physician and chai is not and has nothing to do with Ayurvedic medicine.
I’m definitely okay with caffeine and will keep What-Cha’s chai in mind. However, I’m also looking for a decaf chai that I can drink later in the evening.
@White Antlers – You’re right, you are completely entitled your opinion. In fact, we even share the opinion that Chai is not Ayurvedic Medicine. My comment was not intended as an attack or nitpick, and I’m sorry if it came off that way.
When I said “…that you can claim…” I was using the word you in the plural sense, referring to my belief that there are no rules about the use of ingredients in what is the colloquially accepted North American meaning of the word “Chai” – which is a spiced tea/tisane. Of course, one could argue the place of ingredients like ashwagandha or licorice in specific and established Chai recipes or in a more traditional sense, but that is not what I read your comment as meaning (sorry if I misinterpreted) and that is also clearly not what this blend is/has been marketed as.
As I’ve expressed on the discussion board recently, I can’t seem to reply directly to PMs right now (503 errors) so I’m sorry that I cannot reply directly to the message you sent me – but, again, I assure you I’ve not intended to single you would with my comments. I will simply leave my statement there, and unfollow you like you requested.
**single you out with…
Ashwaganda has an earthy taste. Not bad but it is used in Ayurvedic medicine and does not belong in chai. Nor does licorice. That’s why I make my own chai from scratch or order it from What Cha (when it’s in stock).
I don’t think that you can claim anything should/should not be in Chai. At least in a broader sense, anyway. Considering this blend was inspired by Ayurvedic medicine and, in fact, marketed as an Ayurvedic blend I think the ingredients are right at place for the purpose.
I’ll have to see if I can detect an earthy taste from the ashwagandha. It’s great that DAVIDsTEA is being creative with their choice of chai ingredients, although as I mentioned, I’d be happier without the ginseng/licorice.
White Antlers, does What-Cha have a decaf chai? Any chais that contain neither caffeine nor licorice would be appreciated!
Nope. I don’t think Alistair carries anything decaf at all. His chai is stocked seasonally, I believe and if you are ok with caffeine, I find it absolutely stellar.
@Roswell Strange, I can claim, say and write anything I please. I am a holistic physician and chai is not and has nothing to do with Ayurvedic medicine.
I’m definitely okay with caffeine and will keep What-Cha’s chai in mind. However, I’m also looking for a decaf chai that I can drink later in the evening.
@White Antlers – You’re right, you are completely entitled your opinion. In fact, we even share the opinion that Chai is not Ayurvedic Medicine. My comment was not intended as an attack or nitpick, and I’m sorry if it came off that way.
When I said “…that you can claim…” I was using the word you in the plural sense, referring to my belief that there are no rules about the use of ingredients in what is the colloquially accepted North American meaning of the word “Chai” – which is a spiced tea/tisane. Of course, one could argue the place of ingredients like ashwagandha or licorice in specific and established Chai recipes or in a more traditional sense, but that is not what I read your comment as meaning (sorry if I misinterpreted) and that is also clearly not what this blend is/has been marketed as.
As I’ve expressed on the discussion board recently, I can’t seem to reply directly to PMs right now (503 errors) so I’m sorry that I cannot reply directly to the message you sent me – but, again, I assure you I’ve not intended to single you would with my comments. I will simply leave my statement there, and unfollow you like you requested.
**single you out with…