Coco Chai Rooibos

Day 21 of my advent calendar,

Didn’t drink this one as i hate this tea. really can’t deal with all of the spices…

I was recommended this by a staff because I was battling stomach problems that night. I eventually tried it for non stomach problems. It smells absolutely amazing in the bag. I really love the smell of coconut and spices, so I was excited to try it! I was pretty disappointed trying this tea. A lot of what I tasted was grass and a kick from the peppercorns. I tried to make coco chai rooibos with soy milk. It didn’t taste super bad.

I had this one as a cup to go today. I had heard a lot of good things about it and am very pleased to say that I agree with all of them. It has a nice spice however, it is not at all overpowering. I will absolutely pick up more of this one (probably a 100g tin)and will be pleased to add this to my own personal collection!

Part of a sampler provided by DAVIDs on my most recent order – and one I had no intention of trying but I am very glad they pushed me a free cup! In the past I have had some negative experience with Rooibos (granted it was lower quality), finding the taste displeasing and more akin to water used to wash macaroni noodles with a hint of something slightly fruity. Coco Chai Rooibos tastes absolutely nothing like I feared it would.

The dry leaf smell is one of the most pronounced I’ve ever come across, especially for a chai. The coconut and spice notes fill the head pleasingly, even the harsh bite of the peppercorn is welcome in such good company. Once brewed, I took a test sip and noted just how strong the spice profile was. The pink peppercorn stood up front, but the tea was clean enough where you could feel the other flavors swirling around it. The cinnamon coexists with the peppercorn very nicely and segue’s into the sweetness of the cloves and ginger. As the sip completed, a nice refreshing coconut trailed off.

As with other chais, I added milk to the brew to see how it would affect it. The spices hold up better than some other Chais I’ve had but the Coconut is what really stands out when milk is added. It’s delightfully exotic and another excellent chai from DAVIDs. Best of all, it’s caffeine free so you can enjoy it closer to bedtime and not have to worry about being up all night!

Loves it with bit of sugar and milk. This I my favorite chai from David’s tea. Even when I am not in the mood I make a cup and think: this is so good. A great chai option to drink at night when you want something cafeine-free.

Before I start this, know that I have two friends who absolutely ADORE this tea and say that it has a balance of spices, so I’m thinking that spicy teas are just not for me!

I really don’t like this tea. The only way I can stand it is if it is half a teaspoon not steeped very long. Even though I love spicy foods, it seems like that love does not transfer to teas. Too much peppercorn, and all the spices made my mouth feel dry afterwards. To me it just tasted like bark and spices, but not in a nice earthy way.

I’ve been off chaïs for a while now… but I’ve been under the weather today and needed something comforting with a bit of kick to it. So what better than a chaï?
I had a little sampler pack of Coco Chai Rooibos from the Christmas Crackers. Not wanting it to be too strong or spicy, I only infused for about 4 minutes, added milk and agave. And you know what? It’s just what the doctor ordered. Perfectly smooth, not too spicy but definitely chai-ish. YAy! I’m back on chaïs!! :D

NOM. I love this before bed. A nice balance of chai spices and sweet, creamy coconut. Really refreshing and unusual as an iced latte.

Edit 08/22/14: THIS. HAS. CHANGED. There’s something about it now that I just can’t stand. I can’t even put my finger on what’s different about it, but I used to consider this one of my favourites, and now I can barely finish a cup. Sads.

Only had less than a tsp left so it’s probably a little weaker than it should be for full effect. I let it steep the full 7 minutes then added it to hot, whisked almond milk for a latte. Added a bit of “Sugaresque” (erythritol) but the weird fake sweetener taste seemed to go alright with this brew. I think I like the smell more than the taste. Toasty, cinnamon-y, a bit of spice. I don’t so much taste these things as smell them which leads me to think I’d enjoy this more if it were stronger. I’ll definitely pick up a 20 g or so bag of this to really get a feel for it.

I really like this one. I’m a huge fan of all of the spices in it, so it was an easy decision to buy this one. I enjoyed it with a touch of agave, but didn’t like it at all when I added some almond milk.

One of the better rooibos teas I’ve tried.