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Scheherazade drank Sweet Cinnamon Masala Chai by Vahdam Teas

2238 tasting notes

343/365

Another from the chai sampler, and still plenty to go! This one called to me today, and I can understand why since it’s pretty cold and I rather like cinnamon! The two seem to go together. It’s another with a CTC base; I’m beginning to suspect that most of them are, but I’m okay with that on the whole. I like my chai strong, and CTC definitely helps with that. I added milk to this one, although I don’t always. Call me odd.

In practice, I didn’t get a lot of cinnamon from this one – or at least, not as much as I was perhaps expecting. What I did get was cardamom, and lots of it. There is some cinnamon, but it comes across almost flat tasting, somehow. It’s hard to describe exactly, but it almost tasted slightly stale? Like it had been open too long, and the cinnamon had faded, or gone slightly fusty? I bought these fairly recently, but obviously I don’t know how long they were stored prior to that – most of the teas I’ve had from Vahdam have been fine, though, so I don’t think it’s a storage or age issue. Maybe this one’s just not for me? It happens.

I could perhaps pep this up a little by adding some extra cinnamon, but I feel I shouldn’t really have to do that. I’ll give it more of a chance before I write it off completely, but so far (and so sadly…) this one’s not a favourite.

Preparation

Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp

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Hi :) I’m Sarah, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I’ve been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRY ALL THE TEAS. Or most of them, anyway.

I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter.

I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they’re the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer — their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day.

I’m still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don’t think they’ll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don’t hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I’m also beginning to explore pu’erh, both ripened and raw. That’s my latest challenge!

I’m still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

You’ve probably had enough of me now, so I’m going to shut up. Needless to say, though, I really love tea. Long may the journey continue!

My rating system:

91-100: The Holy Grail. Flawless teas I will never forget.

81-90: Outstanding. Pretty much perfection, and happiness in a cup.

71-80: Amazing. A tea to savour, and one I’ll keep coming back to.

61-70: Very good. The majority of things are as they should be. A pleasing cup.

51-60: Good. Not outstanding, but has merit.

41-50: Average. It’s not horrible, but I’ve definitely had better. There’s probably still something about it I’m not keen on.

31-40: Almost enjoyable, but something about it is not for me.

11-30: Pretty bad. It probably makes me screw my face up when I take a sip, but it’s not completely undrinkable.

0-10: Ugh. No. Never again. To me, undrinkable.