Thanks again for the wonderful samples, Octavia Tea! I thought I’d take the opportunity on this brisk windy June day to steep up some chai. I love chai and salted caramel so this sounds interesting. The ingredients are finely chopped to maximize the flavors: a broken pekoe black tea from Yunnan, tons of spices, and some odd ingredients like coconut, cocoa shells and sarsaparilla root. The directions say I should boil the tea directly in a pan with milk and water, but I’m just steeping it like a traditional tea, in an infuser with a full mug of water. No milk or sweeteners of any kind. It’s how I like my chai anyway. I was questioning how these ingredients would taste like Salted Caramel and it doesn’t really taste like that to me. It tastes like a traditional chai, emphasis on raisin notes, with plenty of sarsaparilla, both in the dry leaf and the flavor. I think it’s the perfect strength black tea for the flavors. It tastes more like root beer than salted caramel but I can’t usually complain about any chai. Chai was the first tea I tried and I usually enjoy every cup of chai I have. Some points are taken off this one for the inaccurate name.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 18 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 3-4 minute steep
2019 Sipdowns: 50 (Whispering Pines – Yunnan Gold Black)