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“I received this as a free sample with my last Harney and Sons order. I am very picky with my chai so I did not try this tea for a long time, not sure if I would like it. I am also not a huge fan...” Read full tasting note
“okay, you have no idea how long i have had this sample and have been avoiding drinking it. not only am i not really a chai fan. but i really hate the design of the little sample tea sachet package....” Read full tasting note
“This came as a free sample from Harney and Sons, I still don’t like it that much. All I taste is rooibos and cinnamon. I tasted it a while ago and still don’t like it. :-P” Read full tasting note
“Free sample. Its an interesting mixture, the chai with the rooibos, curiously sharp. I am getting the cinnamon and cardamon that are inherant to the whole chai experience, and the rooibos lends a...” Read full tasting note
Rooibos Chai brings together caffeine-free redbush herbal from South Africa with sweet Indian spices of clove, cardamom, and cinnamon. Savor Rooibos Chai in soothing soul-satisfying cups. The Indian spices impart a smooth, liberating earthy touch. Effusing a deliciously sweet aroma swirling in cinnamon, it is a cup of comfort that will have one welcoming seconds.
Since 1983 Harney & Sons has been the source for fine teas. We travel the globe to find the best teas and accept only the exceptional. We put our years of experience to work to bring you the best Single-Estate teas, and blends beyond compare.
Teeny Tiny TTB Rd2
Oh goodness, two tea boxes right in a row is probably not the best idea ever. Anyway, I had the last (only?) sachet of this last evening. I needed something a bit spicy since my sinuses have been bothering me which is strange since all it’s been doing is raining; almost seems like there has been no sunlight (well that’s a bit depressing). Anyway, this is actually pretty darn good. A fairly basic rooibos chai. Nothing fancy, not too gingery (which is sometimes a problem) and rooibos to boot. I added sweetener to mine. I would totally consider picking this up in a future H&S order.
Scrolling through the tasting notes and laughing because practically everyone who reviewed this tea seems to have gotten it as a free sample (so did I). I guess H&S is trying hard to build up some enthusiasm for it.
I don’t like rooibos or chai, so it’s no surprise that I’m not into this — but what did surprise me is that the tea is so bland. The rooibos flavor is stronger than the spices. Weird.
I’ve had a single bag of this floating around my tea station for months, rejected over and over for being a rooibos blend and for not having caffeine.
Tonight I wanted something sweet but didn’t have anything dessert-like. We’re supposed to get a freeze here later on, so I thought something spiced would be appropriate.
I gave it a long-ish steep time in hopes of bringing out the spices. It came out dark and cinnamony, but was tainted with the sour honey-like scent of rooibos. I added a splash of 1% milk and a little sweetener. (I’ve been using monk fruit sweetener for a while now, as it’s not as harsh as other zero calorie sweeteners. It also doesn’t add a weight to the mouthfeel of the tea, unlike sugar.)
Even after six minutes, the spice content is a letdown. I can mostly taste rooibos with cinnamon. There might be a hint of clove in there, too. But no cardamom, ginger, allspice, or star anise. I wonder why Harney & Sons does so well with their other flavored teas, but can’t seem to make a good chai…
Flavors: Cinnamon, Cloves, Rooibos
The last of my 8 samples of Harney’s sachets. Second ever rooibos tea. It’s nice enough, but not sure if rooibos is my cuppa tea (pun intended). The chai flavouring is not overpowering (good) and goes well with the rooibos. The same medicinal compound is in this tea that I noticed with my first rooibos, must be a characteristic of this type of ‘tea’ leaf.
Edited to add:
Pretty sure there’s clove oil in this. I’m left with a slight numbing sensation in my mouth & throat. Similar to when I used clove oil for toothache 3 weeks ago. Not really a fan of voluntarily ingesting the stuff in a tea! Full strength clove oil is neurotoxic. I know because I did my research. Drink at your own risk I’d say.
Flavors: Clove, Medicinal, Rooibos
I used to smoke clove cigarettes and did some research, and heated cloves produce Eugenol, which is a local anesthetic and makes you feel numb. Hence, the smoke made my mouth and throat a little numb and that is why they tend to be easy to smoke and not that harsh. Incidentally, they also cause you to inhale and keep smoke in your lungs more since you can’t feel it, which is terrible for you.
I haven’t smoked for many years now, but you’re right that clove has some interesting properties. I’ve never gotten a medicinal taste from rooibos. I wonder if it’s something else in the tea.
Sample cube 7/18
I usually don’t like rooibos and don’t care about chai, but this was surprisingly enjoyable. I think it has to do with the blend of spices being just right—the cinnamon isn’t overwhelming, and the cardamom is quite nicely present. Overall it’s a very soft chai, and makes for a nice cup on a cooler evening like this.
I got a free bag of this, and decided to try it out today.
For a long time, I was gunshy about rooibos because it tasted so resin-y. I’ve recently discovered rooibos doesn’t have to be this way, but this tea by H&S is EXACTLY the kind of tea that made me dislike rooibos at first. The combination of spices just makes it taste more resinous than it is naturally. Meh.
Not liking this sample I received with my order. Tastes like rooibos with hot cinnamon spice flavor but watered down. A little medicinal also. I would not buy this to be sure. The other samples I got with my order are duplicates of samples the last time I ordered. Not sure why they don’t send more variety of samples.
A wonderful blend. As someone who is not partial to rooibos or chai, I found both flavors to blend nicely and neither is overwhelming. It’s a fantastically warm tea, a nice spicy flavor without being tart or offensive. For someone looking for a caffeine free tea, this is a great option that is full of flavor- sweet with dark warm aftertastes.
