Vanilla Caramel Chai

I swear I threw a bag of Whittard’s Chelsea Garden in my purse last night before leaving for church, but it was no where to be found once I got there. I had resigned myself to drinking something awful from the church cabinet (I really need to mercy stock that thing) when the Bible study teacher pulled out a tea wallet and said, “Here! Choose from one of these!”

She loves black tea and was listing the contents (PG Tips, English Breakfasst, etc.) when she said, “Vanilla Caramel Chai? Where did that come from? I don’t even like chai, at all!” So I told her I would take that one to get it out of her wallet and to keep from depriving her of a tea she loves!

It wasn’t bad! The tea aspect was pretty weak but the flavors were pretty good. We had tiramisu as our snack and it went well enough with that. By the end of the mug, the licorice root was really noticeable, but I don’t mind licorice root in the right places and it didn’t bother me. I include that info for those who hate the stuff, because I know a lot of people do.

Found a pre-brewed concentrate at a store on clearance so decided to try. Mixed about 60/40% concentrate and milk (cold). Definitely tasted the chai, that was nice, but after a few sips, I started to feel the pepper. Not enough spiciness to stop drinking, just enough to notice, but more than I’d consider enjoyable. (Yes, I know, I’m a wimp when it comes to spices). Good tea for a grab-and-go option, but better chais exist if time is available.

This is a smooth, sweet and pretty true to caramel flavor chai.

It’s not very spicy, it’s hard to overbrew (not a big deal if you forget it for awhile) and generally a very agreeable chai. It takes well to a splash of milk and definitely doesn’t need any additional sweetener. I get an interesting cheesecakey note, like it’s just a bit tangy.

So here’s a crazy thing I could not have made up: the writing on the outside of this tea’s box.
And I make up a lot of crazy things.
The box reads:
“Cinnamon sticks gather on a lush black-tea lawn for a leisurely afternoon of croquet and conversation. Ginger offers to keep score from the sidelines while handing out elegantly wrapped vanilla caramels.”
Oh yes. That paragraph genuinely happened.
I kind of want it framed.
It’s the most genteel, poncey, colonialist thing I’ve read in ages. I don’t know if it knowingly touches England and India’s fraught history. But here we sit.
Drinking what is honestly a pretty tasty chai, especially considering this is was cheaply purchased from a local grocery store. It’s very sweet and rich. The only downside is that it’s really heavy on the cinnamon. So much so that my husband could, for example, smell it from the other room. It’s… a… lot.
But overall, yep, this comes recommended if you want an inexpensive, sweet chai.

I found this tea when searching for something new, and fell in love with the first cup. Milk and sugar do this tea wonders. A great way to start the morning. A wonderful taste. I would recommend this tea to anyone.

At first I was ambivalent about how I felt with that pronounced deep vanilla bean flavor. It truly was that bourbon vanilla bean variety. I like it more and more each time I have this. One of the first Chai tea bags I like all by itself, not blended with other varieties of Chai.
Quite good!

Tried this one at work today and I was pleasantly surprised! Although I usually prefer my chai with milk, this one was enjoyable with no additives. The black base is smooth and mild, so I mainly taste the chai spices and vanilla with just a bit of caramel sweetness.

Perfect with milk and sugar. However, do not steep two tea bags for stronger flavor; your tea will be super bitter.

This week has been a very stressful week for me. This past weekend, I managed to pick up this tea when I was sick with a headcold and the mix of vanilla, caramel, and ginger has been a dream come true to my sore throat and my morale.

But that wasn’t the hard part of this week.

Tuesday, I received news that my Alma Mater Sweet Briar College will be closing its doors for the very last time in August. People may think that a women’s college is nothing more than a finishing school and isn’t worth getting worked up about, but to many women (and their families) it is more than just a school. It is the place where they first found out that they can do more than what they thought they could do.

When I first received a pink letter in the mail during my senior year of high school, I was intrigued. What type of school would send out their material in a pink envelope? Little did I know that this letter was akin to my Hogwarts letter into a school that would finally let this shy, sensitive girl develop into a strong, independent woman. But, even more than that. When I was young my family moved around a lot. We weren’t military, but we had to move because of my dad’s job. I never grew up in a place that I called home because I was constantly being uprooted and having to start all over in a new place. My four years at Sweet Briar ended up being a place that I felt comfortable enough to call home for the very first time and mean it.

The Alumnae are trying to save our school because we all believe in a woman’s education. It is hard to describe a place where all of your ideas are taken seriously by everybody there. Sometimes, it is hard to get that in a regular co-ed college or university, especially if you are in the sciences or engineering. It may seem strange, but when you don’t have to worry about what other people will think about how you look, it is easier to remember that you are all there to do the same thing: challenge yourself and strive to become the best that you can be.

So, without dragging this on for too long, if you know of somebody who would like to help save Sweet Briar College, please feel free to visit www.savingsweetbriar.com.

Sorry for sounding a little bit like an advertisement, but thank you for listening.