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Cameron B. drank The Chai Ning by BrutaliTeas

4158 tasting notes

BrutaliTeas Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 21

So I assumed this was just a plain ol’ black chai, but it looks like it also has roasted maté and some chestnut flavoring. Sounds good to me! It also smelled really good in the tin, very gingerbread-like with a molasses note.

It tastes okay but I’m not getting much of the maté sadly, mostly it’s just a generic and somewhat tannic black base. The spices are nice enough, mostly cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger. I do get a little bit of that molasses character, I wonder if it’s the “spice flavor”? Or maybe the chestnut is giving me that impression. I wouldn’t call it nutty per se, but it does have a certain richness to it.

Overall, it’s fine but almost like a less tasty version of Gingerbread Festival. :P Clearly that tea has ruined me for gingerbread teas…

Flavors: Brisk, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Earthy, Ginger, Molasses, Spices, Sweet, Tannic

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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3 comments

tea-sipper
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I suppose I shouldn’t try Gingerbread Festival before I finish all my other Gingerbread teas! (It will be a while.)

Cameron B.
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LOL I suppose not! Let me know if you’d like a sample ha ha.

tea-sipper
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Thanks very much for the offer, but I probably shouldn’t try it anytime soon, like I said. :D It would be like when Simpson & Vail’s Apple Cinnamon French Toast ruined all other apple teas for me.

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Comments

tea-sipper
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I suppose I shouldn’t try Gingerbread Festival before I finish all my other Gingerbread teas! (It will be a while.)

Cameron B.
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LOL I suppose not! Let me know if you’d like a sample ha ha.

tea-sipper
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Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- November sipdowns: 7
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 150

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing