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Cameron B. drank Ginger Chai by Old Barrel Tea Co

4158 tasting notes

Sipdown! (4 | 406)

I’ve been sipping this one with milk & sugar, but I figured I’d steep it up plain for this sipdown note. I’m not generally a tea with additions sort of person, but I’ve been enjoying have a warm milky chai as my first tea of the day lately, probably because of the rainy weather we’ve been having. And now that this tea is done, I’ll probably continue doing so with another chai blend ha ha…

Anyway! This is a nice chai with the spices at the forefront. As promised, ginger is leading the way with its earthy spicy notes. I wouldn’t call this a “spicy” chai overall. I think it strikes a nice balance of having the spices be the stars of the show and potent enough to hold up to milk, but also being mellow enough to sip plain. Alongside the ginger, I can taste the cardamom and clove, with the cinnamon adding a subtle sweetness. I don’t particularly notice the anise, which is surprisingly since it’s the second ingredient.

An enjoyable chai, but I’m not sure I would reorder it, mostly because I have several other chai blends in my cupboard.

Flavors: Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Earthy, Ginger, Smooth, Spices

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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2 comments

gmathis
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Sounds nice. I like chai that you don’t have to shout down with a lot of dairy and sweetener.

Cameron B.
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I rarely add milk or sugar, so it’s definitely a requirement for me!

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gmathis
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Sounds nice. I like chai that you don’t have to shout down with a lot of dairy and sweetener.

Cameron B.
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I rarely add milk or sugar, so it’s definitely a requirement for me!

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