18 Tasting Notes
The strawberry taste is super subtle; the black tea takes center stage, and the strawberry leaves a lingering sweet aftertaste. I certainly wouldn’t have it any other way, since it IS tea, after all. If you add a little milk and sugar, this becomes a very yummy sweet tea.
I tend to stay away from Teavana, but it’s my only local tea shop and I was craving something simple for a good iced tea. This was it.
I was pleasantly surprised by this, actually. Now, I won’t go into my ethical grievances with the company, but I will say that I’ve tasted their tea samples and they’re all basically colored sugar water – not so with this tea. It’s very good, and the fresh, unsweetened iced tea it made really hit the spot. I’d buy it again.
Green tea is my favorite, and this tea is why! It’s smoky and vegetal at the same time, the perfect mix of spinach and campfires, but I mean that in the best way! It’s a good morning cup, the flavor will definitely wake you up. It also tastes great iced, which is a blessing when you have a stretch of 95 degree days like the one I’m stuck in right now.
By the way, this is good for 3-4 steeps. The sample goes a long way!
Out of the four teas in the chai sampler, this was the one I was the most excited for, but I don’t think it quite delivered. It’s tasty, there’s really nothing wrong with the flavor…except that there’s not enough of it! I like my chai SPICY, and this seemed mild no matter how long I steeped it for. I have to say, the vanilla rooibos chai wins over this one.
On a kinder note, my four year old niece tried a sip of this prepared with cream and sugar and absolutely loved it. Everytime she comes over now, she asks me to make her a cup of my “spicy tea” and I make her an iced masala chai :)
I didn’t taste the spiciness that I associate with chai tea, which was sort of a bummer for me. I’m a huge fan of masala chai, so I’m really used to heavy cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom. This tea is lighter, and the flavor of the lemongrass and coconut pop more than the spices.
That aside, this is a really great tea, and I think the only chai I prefer without milk and sugar.
Preparation
I bought the chai sampler from Adagio and I think that this is the best of the bunch! With a little milk and sugar, it’s so creamy and smooth. You can’t taste the rooibos much, but vanilla and ginger are prominent. If you have a sweet tooth, this makes an excellent low-cal substitute for cake or candy. I will definitely be buying this again when my sample runs out!!