“I don’t know that the blackberries really came through here, but I also maybe shouldn’t have put in milk, as it probably dulled the flavours. That said, I enjoyed the spice combination and will be...” Read full tasting note
“TTB #18 I don’t think I’ve ever had a chai with fruit in it before. I don’t specifically get blackberry from this one, but there’s definitely a sweet, fruity note that adds an interesting twist to...” Read full tasting note
“From TTB 2019/2020. I’m really excited about this blend with blackberries, cardamom, and nutmeg. The cumin is an interesting addition too that I’m looking forward to trying. I do like hazelnut...” Read full tasting note
“Been drinking through all my new 52 teas but haven’t had a chance to review any of them. Just wanted to make a note here that I really loved this one. I’m pretty picky about my chais so it was...” Read full tasting note
Tea of the Week for October 7, 2019!
Our First Tea from our “I Love The Pacific Northwest” Collection!
I’ve been plotting this tea for a while. This blend was inspired by one of my favorite local coffee shops. They have a really good chai latte that is nicely spiced & I can actually taste TEA. One of my biggest qualms with most chai lattes that I’ve tried from other coffee shops is that they use chai concentrates that tastes more sweet than spicy – with very little tea taste to speak of – but this little shop has a boldly spiced chai powder that has a strong tea flavor to it – and it isn’t sweetened so when they add those flavored sugar syrups to the blend, it doesn’t end up tasting more like a sugary soda than a tea.
On the rare occasion that I do visit the aforementioned coffee shop, I order a blackberry hazelnut chai latte & it is AWESOME! So good that it inspired me to make my own blackberry hazelnut chai blend & this is it! Two flavors that the Pacific Northwest is known for are blackberries (they grow abundantly in the wild here, although I wouldn’t recommend that you pick the ones growing along the side of the freeways!) & hazelnuts – so it seems only appropriate that this chai blend be called Northwest Chai . . . & that the Northwest Chai be featured prominently in my “I Love the Pacific Northwest” themed subscription box!
This chai has a good amount of spice to it with a spice blend that is comprised of not just the usual suspects – cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves & black pepper – but also cumin & nutmeg. I also added just a little bit of chicory to give it a richness & hint of coffee-ish flavor because – well, the Pacific Northwest is also known for coffee. So here is my nod to blackberries & hazelnuts, but also coffee.
This warmly spiced chai blend was combined with a blend of Assam & Ceylon (heavy on the Assam) & just a touch of honeybush for it’s nutty tones & sweet, honeyed notes. Then I added a bunch of freeze-dried blackberries & some hazelnut extract (that is – believe it or not! – nut free!)
Now, this doesn’t taste quite like that latte from my local coffee shop because it isn’t made with sugary syrups. The flavors are derived from fruit, spices, natural flavors & most importantly: actual loose leaf tea & to tell you the truth, I prefer this to my local coffee shop’s chai latte because it ISN’T too sweet. I get a good amount of blackberry flavor, a nice hazelnut note & plenty of spice & TEA! I prefer it non-latte, but you can easily turn this into a latte by brewing it extra strong (using extra leaf) & adding milk to the concentrated brew. A little bit of sweetener will enhance the flavors of the fruit, nut & spices – without making it as sweet as your average coffee shop chai latte.
This fantastic chai blend is sugar-free, gluten-free, allergen-free (Yep, even NUT free), VEGAN & organic!
organic ingredients: black teas, honeybush, blackberries, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, clove, black pepper, cumin, chicory, nutmeg & natural flavors
At 52teas.com, you will find unique, hand-blended artisan loose leaf teas: a new limited edition creation every week of the year. We pride ourselves on offering truly unique, one-of-a-kind tea blends that you won’t find anywhere else.