Pumpkin Spice Chai

I have a complicated relationship with this tea… It has a very obvious artficial flavor to it to bring the “pumpkin” element into this tea so it isn’t just a pumpkin spice blend, which I normally appreciate. The problem is, something about the flavoring they are using just comes off as kind of weird. Sometimes I make it and the warm spices and the sweetness really hits the spot, and other times something comes out in that flavoring that hits me in an off-putting way. I’m not sure why my feelings over the taste aren’t even consistent, but I do think I lean more on the “like” side of the line than the “dislike” side and may even buy another box sometime. But there are definitely pumpkin spice teas out there with added “pumpkin pie” flavoring that are leagues above this like the ones from Bird & Blend or Portal Tea.

I will say, yesterday before work I woke up to a very rainy day, which immediately made me desire the dark, roasty notes of houjicha… but houjicha just doesn’t have enough caffeinated oomph as a “first thing in the morning” tea. So I steeped a teabag of this in with the houjicha, and that might just be the magic ticket for me. The dark and woody houjicha base really overpowered the weird parts of the pumpkin flavoring and tamed the aftertaste, but the spices were still present and added a pleasant element to the houjicha that made it extra cozy. Plus, the black tea added some of that needed caffeine, even if I couldn’t taste it. Not every franken-tea I brew works out, but this one sure did, and I imagine that will probably be how I finish off this box.

I picked up a box of this to try it, and it’s not bad. It’s rather sweet, must be the licorice. But there is a gentle clove and pumpkin flavor underneath the sweetness, and the black tea base won’t get bitter with overstepping. I know the licorice is masking low quality tea, but I don’t mind. I’d buy this again.

Apparently I’m a lone voice in the wilderness here, but I liked this tea. Normally I find most pre-made chai blends not entirely to my liking. But I found this one a well-balanced delight. It does seem to have an essence of pumpkin about it, as another reviewer here noted. It has a nice initial warmth, and the cool aftertaste of licorice, with a nice shunting between the different spices in between. I particularly enjoyed it with a bit of honey. I liked using a bag or two of this when blending a pot of mixed chai blends. I do hope TAZO brings it back this fall so I can enjoy it again! ((ALSO: Please note that the list of flavors under “What flavors and scents do you notice?” was automatically ALPHABETIZED, which is NOT as I originally ordered the flavors. I had put them in order as I tasted them: Pumpkin-Spicy-Cinnamon-Anise. The alphabetized list makes it seem as if anise is the strongest note to me. It was LAST.))

Tastes like a scented candle. The cardamom overpowers all other flavor, no amount of cream or sugar or additional cinnamon could save it for me. The balance seems way off with this one. Can’t taste the pumpkin at all.

I received a bag of this tea in a care package from a friend. I’m guessing it must have been a special edition autumn tea, because I don’t recall ever seeing it in store. When I opened the tea bag, the scent was an appealing blend of pumpkin and cinnamon. But the tea itself tasted like licorice and cinnamon with a slight kick of black pepper in the aftertaste. Not a fan!

I found this on clearance at Kroger for less than $2 because the box was smushed. I’ll try any chai at that price, especially by a well-known brand, so in the basket it went.

The dry bag smells better than the tea tastes. Lightly pumpkiny with the standard chai spices and licorice. However, once it steeps, it acquires a weird, sharp flavor that I can’t put my finger on. It’s like someone let the cloves get dirty or go bad or something. I’m definitely not a fan. Even with milk and sweetener. The saddest part is that the pumpkin flavor in it is actually well done. Most companies screw that up, but not this time. But the spices are just weird.

While it’s not good, it’s not terrible enough to throw out. In order to use it up, I’ve been blending it half and half with Harney & Sons’ Chai, which saves it. The H & S version is spiced and strong enough to make it actually pretty tasty. Like pumpkin pie made by someone more interested in the spices than the actual pumpkin itself.

Tazo might want to rename this one. “Licorice Spice Chai” seems far more appropriate, since that’s the main flavor here. I can smell pumpkin, but that’s about it; everything else is licorice. Even the other spices take a backseat to it. Cloves, ginger, cinnamon, all drowned out by licorice.

Don’t get me wrong; I love licorice. The black jellybeans always go first. However, it’s not really what I’m looking for in a pumpkin spice tea. Probably not going to get this one again.

…in the meantime I have two boxes to work through since it was on sale. /sigh

I am sometimes a mystery to myself? Why, with the tease of spring just around the corner, am I drinking lots of autumnal teas? No idea.
Carry on.

The package directions say to mix equal parts of Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte concentrate with milk or any milk substitute. I opted for half and half since that is what I normally make my chai with (plus we’re out of milk again.) After mixing the two together I took a sip and was surprised to find that I didn’t really care for it. It had an odd flavor to it that I couldn’t quite pin-point, it was sharp and somewhat bitter. That was rather surprising considering the amount of sugar in this concentrate. I put it in the fridge and left it overnight thinking I’d give it another try later. When I pulled it out the next morning the flavors had settled, the sharp taste I objected to was gone. All I tasted was an extremely sweet chai, much like what I order at the coffee shop.

You can read the rest of the review on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2014/11/4/tuesday-tea-chai-pumpkin-spice-latte-concentrate-tazo-sweeta.html

It sure smells like pumpkin! Taste, not so much. It’s alright. The spices were nice, though!