Interesting one from the Wanderlust subscription. I’ve only had it straight western on its own or with a splash of cream so far. The smell of the tea is incredible, and though I thought it was going to be a more Chai leaning kind of tea, the star anise, vanilla, and turmeric are the main leads for the arom and flavor a, hinted with the clove and cardamom. It actually reminded me more of Eggnog in the combo of vanilla and spices, especially the anise. The blend of black and shou also makes it earthy without any astringency, and the color of the tea is a bright amber orange. I wouldn’t say the tea itself is spicy though. It’s very mild and more in the creamy dessert spice side of it’s ingredients rather than chai.
I actually like it on its own so far because of how earthy and comforting it is. I need to get some sweet and condensed milk for sure to brew it properly, but I’m enjoying it thoroughly. It’s got compliments from each ingredient to make it more cozy than spicy. It definitely resembles a Thai Iced Tea, but I think tamarind may have helped push it to be a little bit more in that territory. Then again, the tamarind may have made the tea too spicey when it’s really balanced as is. I can see myself finishing this month’s tea quickly. I’d rank it as one of the higher wanderlust teas so far personally. Ravello and Provence are my favorites of the bunch overall.
Flavors: Anise, Clove, Creamy, Earth, Eggnog, Licorice, Smooth, Spices, Sweet, Turmeric, Vanilla
