Cacao Chai

Two chais in one day? Yep… I just got back from the post office and I wanted something warm to cuddle up to, and since hubby is at work, I opted for something better … err … um … chocolate-y instead.

YUM! The chocolate here is more of a dark, bittersweet chocolate (I guess you could add milk if you wanted a creamier chocolate, but I like it just fine as is). The spices are warm. The black tea base offers a solid background of flavor – not a strong flavor in the foreground but it seems to enhance the overall cup very well.

I like this one a whole lot. Makes me wish I had bought more than just a sample of this tea.

ChOTD

Yes, I forgot this one was in transit….
This one is lightly chocolate, and definitely has a heat to it. I think it might be the ginger. It is good if you like a spicy chai with a little twist. Very enjoyable, but not top on my list as I tend to shy away from the more spicy blends.

1 1/2 cup water, 3 heaping tsp chai, simmer 3 minutes. Add 3/4 cup skim milk and simmer for 2 more minutes. Strain. Lightly sweetened.

Good Desert tea. Would go well with cheesecake. The description above says it all.

Sipdown! (21 | 473)

I quite enjoyed this one. I’m not generally a chai drinker, but of course everyone is more drawn to cozy teas this time of year. Also the promise of cacao drew me in for some reason.

This has sort of a Mexican hot chocolate vibe to it because it’s quite cinnamon-forward. The chocolate part is quite subtle, but very authentic. The other spices round it out nicely, with the ginger adding a gentle tongue tingle. I will say, I don’t taste vanilla at all, which is supposedly included. There is cinnamon flavoring as well, which veers slightly into Red Hots territory.

Quite cozy! Probably not something I would reorder, just because I don’t crave chai in general. But I bet this would be lovely prepared on the stovetop too!

Advent from Dustin Day 16
I’ve had some terrible chais over the last few days, so this was a nice surprise! Tastes like cinnamon sugar with a drizzle of chocolate. So cozy.

Well you can’t love them all. This is sweet, weird sweet, and the base is missing.

After a morning of dumping out several mediocre cups of tea I had to turn to one I know I love to restore my faith in my love of tea. It is flavorful, smooth, warming with a hint of chocolate under the spices… it’s dreamy. I want to soak in it! …which could totally be a thing! A spa with tea soaks! It could be like a mud bath with all the peat in it, bottom fed with hot spring water, but with tea instead of peat! I’m going to have to google and see if this fantasy exists!

Had a cup this morning and couldn’t really taste the chocolate but after resteeping just now it’s hitting me pretty strongly. I added a splash of whole milk and honey as usual and I’ve gotta say I’m really satisfied with this chai.

Drinking this now. Lovely, lovely, lovely. It’s like someone took chai & melted a chunk of dark chocolate in it – the chocolate taste isn’t overpowering, but it’s certainly there. I steeped for 8 minutes in 3/4 c of boiling water, then added 1/4 cup almond milk & a bit of honey. Definitely recommended for chocolate & chai lovers.