Mowgli's Fire Chai

The last tea from my monthly club package.

This blend smells strongly of coconut and pineapple with a hint of spice. Like a fruity yet sour chai, strange but in a good way.

My first sip had strong coconut and pineapple flavours which matched it’s scent but in the after taste there was a strong burning sensation and dryness. Basically when it says fire it means it. It’s not too strong and thankfully it quickly subsides but it is certainly one of the spiciest Chai’s I have tried.

The more I drink the more I’m getting into it. The pineapple has increased in strength to create a spicy cinnamon and chilli pineapple medley in my mouth. Also the coconut is becoming a little creamier now it’s cooling. Yummy.

I ordered this tea because the list of ingredients sounded unique. Unfortunately, during my first cup with only sugar added, I really, really didn’t like it. It’s an unpleasant flavor, and it’s so strong. The pineapple is super acidic and the chilli is harsh and not great in tea. Those are the only two flavors, and they’re way too much. With milk, it tastes fine, but then it’s basically just spicy milk with a bit of pineapple. So it’s perfectly fine to drink like that, but it feels like it could be accomplished another, better way. I was considering getting rid of it, but since it’s fine with milk added, I guess I’ll keep it, but certainly not repurchase.

I don’t know what to make of this one! It’s spicy and fruity and the hibiscus isn’t at a disgusting level where it takes over the entire cup. The hib is tart on the sip and a little tart in the finish, but it seems to be rounding out the fruit flavors. The heat comes through in the end of the sip and beginning of the finish before it fades back. I can pick out the coconut and it’s creaminess, but I can’t place any of the other fruit flavors. I may have brewed this a little on the strong side. I’ll have to try it again sometime!

Brewed on the stove top. Added 2% milk to the second boiling round. No sugar.

As the leaf simmered, the house was filled with a deliciously fruit-filled rooibos aroma. Considering that almost half of the ingredients are fruits – apple, hibiscus, rosehip, pineapple – it’s not surprising. My mother thought I was burning a scented candle, ha ha.

The spice mix consists of ginger, cinnamon, and chili. That last one. Holy frickin’ cow! It’s incredibly strong. This is one of the most peppery spiced teas I’ve ever had, alongside Old 52Tea’s Spiced Chai. Even my throat felt spicy.

On the plus side, good on this blend for nice aroma and spice strength. However, the chili overpowers everything else. Coconut? Shrug. Not in even in the aroma. Too many fruits. Additionally, there are “natural flavors.” Is there a point? The are enough powerful ingredients as it is.

Give or take. You may want to try it or not.

Herbal TTB

I’ve heard great things about Bluebird Tea, so I was curious to sample this chai from the herbal TTB. I didn’t read the description ahead of time, so this tea caught me completely off-guard! It’s not at all the sort of thing I think of when I hear the word “chai”…you don’t really taste cinnamon, cardamon, or cloves in the blend. Instead, it has a juicy pineapple flavor with a touch of creamy coconut…followed by an unexpected wave of spicy chili in the aftertaste! Personally, I’m not a fan of drinks (or foods!) that leave my tongue tingling, so I probably won’t drink this again. But I’m glad I had the experience of trying it once!

I’m still not completely over my cold, so I’m limiting the “good” tea I drink because I know I just can’t taste it right now. I made an exception for this one, though, because I have a large bag, and because it sounds perfectly suited to a sore throat. Chili!

I used 1.5 tsp of leaf, because it’s quite chunky. The dry mix smells strongly of tropical fruit — all coconut and pineapple. I left it for the recommended 4 minutes in boiling water, and returned to a medium red-brown liquor.

First sip, and it’s the fruit that comes out most clearly. I can taste pineapple first, then a creamy coconut. It’s fairly fleeting, though, and after that initial hit, I can taste mostly tart/sour hibiscus. Fruity, though, in a chutney sort of way. The chili develops primarily in the aftertaste, and it does have a bit of a burn to it. It nice and warming in the mouth and throat, as perfect as I’d hoped for a lingering cold! With every fresh sip, the sweetness of the initial fruit returns, the natural sweetness augmented by the sour hibi/spicy chili elements that have gone before.

This is a pretty perfect tea for this time of year. Warming, yet with a reminder of summer still lingering in the taste of the tropical fruit. I’ve had a few bad experiences with chili chai blends, but this is fortunately one of the ones that’s “just right”. Yum!

Mastress Alita’s January sipdown challenge Tea #1: Spicy tea

additional notes: With more thought today, I have decided to only include teas in this challenge that ARE TRUE SIPDOWNS. Meaning a package finished. It will definitely be more of a challenge for me this way, rather than for example, just having one cup of any of my spicy teas. I finished an older package of this, but I have a bit of a newer package left. I really like this blend! It’s unique. I’d keep it around. And I’m glad B&B keeps it on their tea wall.
2022 sipdowns: 3