Spiced Apple Chai

BEWARE I LIVE

So, this quarter? Not so fun. Not even really so much my courseload as the fact that I just randomly fell into a funk some time in September and never really got out of it. If it helps, I have been neglecting everything! Not just Steepster. That doesn’t help, does it? Well, it helps ME. I am trying to be better though! Or I will. As soon as I stop avoiding finishing my last paper. Which updating my tealog is helping me do. /innocent whistling.

Neglecting my tealog has not made me neglect buying tea though, so I at least have not been suffering on that front. I have been making a lot of pots of tea, but this morning I decided I needed some apple chai. This could have something to do with the fact that I finally finished the big tub o’thai chai I got yonks ago and was able to finally order a bunch of apple chai with a clear conscience and it got here yesterday. (What is up with that by the way? I ordered it on THURSDAY, that is a turnaround time of ONE DAY how does that even work? Has UPS just started employing robots for MAXIMUM EFFIECIENCY?)

So, you know how sometimes you have a thing and then you finish it off and then you do not have it for a long time, which makes you sad because you thought it was really good and want to have it again, and then you DO get to have it again but you have built it up so much in your mind that it can never measure up and you are totally disappointed and vow never to drink tea again? (Also, you know how sometimes you write really long runon sentences and get killed by English professors in the night? Well, I don’t but if I keep this sort of thing up, I WILL) Anyway, for once, that did not happen! Spiced apple chai is still as delicious as I remember it being, yay! I really think that the apple comes out a lot in this blend and that the balance of apple and spice is just right. AND, I only thought of this now, but this is really the perfect time to be drinking something called spiced apple chai, isn’t it? Very festive. Or it will be very festive when I FINISH THIS PAPER. (God I hate critical summaries)

Hopefully, this marks the start of regular tealog updating for me again. Especially since e-mails from Steepster have started coming in again (ILU STEEPSTER SELECT) and will thus remind me to update. I have also ordered the 52teas 12 teas of Christmas thingy and 1. am TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATELY EXCITED TO BEGIN* and 2. will thus have plenty of subject material to write about.

*Unfortunately I have to wait a bit longer than expected to start since I bought it to take to the family Christmas trip thing, which doesn’t start until…the 20th? So I’m going to be off by…like a week. (DON’T HURT ME FRANK I’M SORRY)

And now. Paper.

Sipdown #63

This is another one that’s over 2 years old and was stored with peppermint. Why do I do that to myself? Poor mishandled teas. :( I just didn’t know any better back then I guess. Oh well.

I remember really loving this one back in the day. I should have enjoyed it while it was still in its prime. I went ahead and added Truvia and skim milk right away. Despite its age, this one smells amazing! I really love chai. :)

Sadly, the taste isn’t nearly as appealing as the aroma. This one is also slightly minty and not nearly as intensely flavored as it used to be. The cinnamon is the only recognizable spice left. It’s adding a darkness to this cup that I’m not digging. I’ll reserve judgment though and leave the rating unchanged. One more down!

I’ve packed everything except for a few teas! I’m ready to move. My boyfriend and I finished up Spiced Apple Chai this morning.

It’s raining out (pouring, actually – all our chickens are huddled on the ground under the hutch. Why they don’t go up into their nesting box is a mystery to me, but who can fathom the mind of a hen?) and I’m really in the mood for a tea latte. I started to make another cup of a green, and then though “No, I need something a bit more substantial.”

So here goes.

The last time I had this tea, it was the very end of school. Our classes were done, as were most of our finals, and we were basically just hanging out in the common room, waiting for our parents to come pick us up, saying goodbye to other girls on our floor. I remember sitting at one of the side tables and playing a VERY enthusiastic came of Candy Land (a bit too enthusiastic for the 24/7 quiet hours we were supposed to be observing) and not liking this tea much. It was too spicy, too bitter, not sweet enough. I converted it into a latte, and liked it a bit more, but not totally.

This time, I just started with it in latte form. I steeped the chai for five minutes, heated the milk in the microwave (I don’t have a real steamer… yet…) and then frothed it with my little Ikea stick frother. I forgot the sugar in the tea, though, and I can taste its absence. I added a bit of honey afterwards, but I really just want a teaspoon of German rock sugar here.

It’s very spicy. So much so that I won’t be ordering it again. I taste a little bit of apple, but it’s mostly ginger and cinnamon and slightly bitter black tea. I’m not a chai fanatic, but this one was just okay.

I’m on a chai kick, so I decided to revisit an old favorite tonight… apparently old enough that I haven’t actually logged it here, though I feel like I have a memory of doing so. Oh well! This isn’t going to be a proper review since I played around with it a lot. I was in the mood for a dessert chai: I wanted chocolatey, caramely, nutty. My obious option was to blend (I was going to go with RoT chai + Florence + Caramel Apple Supreme) but felt like I’d lose the spicy chai kick, so instead I made this and added a few things. While it was steeping I cut up a soft caramel candy and threw it in, along with some fresh-cracked pepper and a hint of cloves. Then I poured it over a spoonful of nutella, mixed it all together, and added a splash of milk.

Oh. My. Lord. It is SO good. The additions thankfully don’t overwhelm the chai so it’s quite spicy and strong and the apple is still prominent, but you get a wonderful sweetness from the caramel, chocolatey nuttyness from the nutella and creaminess (presumably from both the caramel and milk). It’s sinfully good.

Sipdown! I got this one a while ago for my fiancee, since he likes chai and apples. I don’t particularly care for either, but the pack was almost empty so I figured I’d make us each a cup this afternoon to finish it off. The dry leaves smell very spicy, mostly of ginger and cinnamon. I can smell a little of sweet apple, but not a lot. The tea has a lovely aroma of warm cinnamon apples, and reminds me of a baked apple dessert. The flavor is spicy and warming with a very faint apple finish. The apple is very hard to taste, and disappears quickly. There is a strong cardamom spicy aftertaste that lingers that I just don’t love. Even milk and sweetener can’t really help this one. I definitely won’t be ordering this one again!

I just pulled out our Takeya pitcher and made some iced blackberry tea to have with our dinner tonight. We’re a little late this year with starting the iced tea, but we mostly have hot tea even during the summer with the occasional iced tea after being outside or with dinner. Yay for summer officially starting in our house! :)

-Dry blend has small black tea leaves and twigs with pieces of spices and pieces of dried apples.
-Dry leaves smell like strong ginger and cinnamon with a hint of sweet apples. Tea liquor aroma is of warm cinnamon apples.
-Tea liquor is a cloudy medium golden brown color.
-Spicy and warming flavor with a very faint apple finish. Strong cardamom spicy aftertaste that lingers.
-Best with milk and sweetener.
-Poor tea. Strong spicy taste with little apple flavor.

This was given to me as a free sample with my purchases at the Adagio store. I didn’t remember trying it previously. The dry leaves smell delicious, like mulling spices. I really like this tea today. It would be perfect to steep in apple cider. I am enjoying the cinnamon and spices in this blend. A perfect morning cup!

Now, I liked the sound of apple chai when I chose this from Adagio’s chai list… but when I opened the pouch to sniff, I knew I had stumbled upon something I’d love. I already have a weakness for anything apple cinnamon, and that combined with the spicy scent of chai, which I am also a fan of…

Anyway, I didn’t go exactly traditional when I made it because of the color. Even with eight teaspoons in a little under four cups of water, it didn’t get as dark as I had hoped. It was still a dark, slightly cloudy brown. But it smelled like heaven, especially on such a gray, wet day. I added just a splash of milk instead of the half-half ratio, and sweetened. It’s essentially like an apple cider, strengthened with black tea and chai spices, with the burn of ginger at the end. I love it. I’m absolutely going to buy a half pound.

I adore the little tins that Adagio has! They’re the perfect size for a sampler. Spiced Apple Chai sounds so perfect for this lazy Sunday morning, to sit and gaze at my decorated tree (and, if you knew me in real life, you’d be checking the back of my neck after reading that. I don’t normally do holiday cheer).

It’s definitely got the spice down. I only brewed for 3 minutes, not the recommended 5, and used only 1 tsp per 8 oz water. The spices are still strong, more like wassail or mulling spices than actual chai. As it cools, I detect a bit more of the apple and get an apple cider-esque drink. It could definitely use more apple, though. If you’re looking for apple cider, I don’t suggest this one. If you’re looking for a nice, seasonal-spiced chai, this one fits the bill.

So I brought the water temp down and lengthened the steep time a bit and all I can say is WOW! It’s like a whole new tea. With just those few small changes, this has gone from ho-hum tea to the apple tea that I would create if I had the skill to.

The apple flavor is crisp but not overwhelming, with just a touch of sourness to bite your tongue. It also has a pleasant sweetness that’s not too sugary, and a spicy aroma that’s inviting and invigorating.

In short: When made correctly, this tea is a winner!