Shae Send Message

Second Steep
8 ounces water + 205 degrees + 10 minutes

This is my second cup of this, or rather my third since this is the second steep of my second cup. The cup I had yesterday I steeped according to the instructions on the bag – 1.5 teaspoons for a 12 ounce cup. It didn’t seem as flavorful to me as I though it would be based on the smell so today I shook the bag really well and dropped to my normal measurements of 1 teaspoon for an 8 ounce cup. The ratios didn’t change but for some reason the flavor is there now. I’m certainly not complaining about that! I’m sure shaking the spices around in the bag helped.

This really is a beautiful mix and so fragrant. The majority of the blend is made up of twisty black tea leaves. There is shredded coconut and something like bark which I am assuming is the honeybush. I don’t see any cumin seeds but it may be that ground cumin was used as part of the the mix of spices listed in the ingredients. Or maybe I’m just not seeing it. The tea smells sweet and mostly of coconut, but there is a spiced note as well. Maybe cloves? I’m not smelling the cumin just yet.

I’ve enjoyed both the first and second cups of this, though both were a little different. The first cup was dark and rich with more coconut flavor alongside the black tea base. The second cup is lighter but the spices are more noticeable. I’m still not tasting the cumin directly. I’m not picking up on any smokiness either, only sweet spices. I’m certainly not disappointed. This is a really good chai. It’s maybe just not as unique as I expected it to be. I plan on trying another mugful soon and will try shaking it more to see if I can pick up some of that smoky flavor I’m missing. I may also try the original instructions for steeping again to see if that might make a difference too.

I received this as a sample with my new catalog from The Republic of Tea. For a long time, I cut caffeine out of my diet and now only drink it in tea so I have to admit that I was a little unsure about whether I should try this highly caffeinated version. In the end, my curiosity at the unique flavor won out so here I am with a cup.

When I first opened the packet, a puff of cinnamon powder literally escaped it and the smell was incredible. It really was just as you would expect from something called Cinnamon Toast. I tried it first unsweetened and it was both bitter and incredibly artificial tasting. It has that awful artificial sweetener aftertaste that I do not appreciate. With added honey, the taste of the artificial sweetener is hidden somewhat. I’m not sure how adding extra sweetener helps, but it usually does. I also added some cream to this which makes it a nice treat.

I can feel the effects of the caffeine about halfway in, but so far it’s not affected me much more than a strong cup of black tea. It’s the kind of woozy, head-spinning feeling I normally get, which isn’t exactly pleasant but it isn’t making me sick either. (I read a note or two that mentioned that the caffeine was too much, enough to make a person sick. Glad that’s not me. At least, not yet.) Caffeine doesn’t seem to affect me the same way it does most people. It doesn’t really wake me up or make me more feel more alert or more active. It just makes me feel sort of blah and unsteady. So while the taste of this one is okay with the added honey and cream, I don’t feel like having that feeling every time I drink it. It’s just not that spectacular. So this is a no-buy for me. I do appreciate the sample though! I love trying new flavors.

This is a beautiful blend – all different shades of reds and pinks. It smells fruity but also mentholated, maybe like Robitussin? There is a bubble gum smell too. This steeps up to be a bright berry pink. The longer it steeps, the darker it becomes. I can smell the hibiscus now. This is better sweetened; it tames the hibiscus in a way. It’s much better than I expected. The most prominent flavor is still the hibiscus but I can taste the berry flavors too. It’s the tiniest bit tart and astringent, but neither is unpleasant.

I’m unfamiliar with the elderberry so I’m not sure if it is meant to taste fruity or herbaceous. I can taste the roastiness of the green tea, slightly tannic, but not much else. No fruitiness or anything extra. Again, green teas are not my favorite so I’m sure I’m not the best judge.

I received this as part of Amoda’s September tea box along with three other teas from The Capilano. The flavors are strong. I can taste the chicory and the ginger and also something artificial that reminds me of the cloying sweetness of licorice. The ingredients don’t list licorice in this blend so I’m not sure what I’m tasting here. There’s a slight bitterness too, probably from the chicory.

I don’t really smell any rose in the dry tea – just fresh black tea. I’m not tasting anything particularly floral at all actually, but it is still a solid tea. Another cup of this would have been a welcome addition to my afternoon, but I wasn’t thinking and tossed my tea leaves.

I was honestly not looking forward to chamomile for breakfast this morning. I would much prefer a hearty black tea to start the day, but this is what I brought so here we are. It’s not so bad really. As chamomile always does, it reminds me of my mom. She drank a lot of this while I was growing up.

This tea smells and tastes roasted with just a slight bitter edge and a mild astringency. It’s really not bad considering I’m not a huge fan of green tea in general.

The ingredients here list lychee extract as one of the additions which I thought was unique. I’ve never had lychee so I’m not sure how it tastes, but I’m not really tasting anything fruity or out of the ordinary here. It just tastes like a straight black tea. I feel like it might be a different blend than yesterday’s black tea, but I’m not really skilled enough to differentiate between the various types.

This tastes much like yesterday’s decaf black tea except I may have sweetened it a bit too much. It’s certainly not bad for a bagged tea to take to work. I’ll have to make a point to compare it to the offerings we have here already.