Maharaja Chai Oolong

I don’t believe I have tried this on its own since the first time I went through the tea wall at work. Normally I either pair this with Spice of Life or Black Dragon Pearls, though I also have an “oops blend” of Taj Masala. Anywho I am trying this today by itself with no additives, because I want to make room in my tins and I feel like reviewing something but brewing without ceremony (which rules out everything in my new Verdant order that arrived this morning and am omgs dying to get into but feel like I need people to share with!).

So three teaspoons in the perfect tea maker with 16 oz of water at 195F for three minutes yields a surprisingly rich, complex and sweet cup. I normally take my chai with honey or rock sugar but my gods this is really good on its own. I don’t necessarily taste the oolong here but the cinnamon, nutmeg and clove balance each other really well. I get the pepper and a hint of cardamom (but I think I scooped quite a few pods out of the top of the tin when I was making a custom blend). So yes very pleased, wish I had drank more of this on its own over the winter, but oh well. Edit: I got three very flavorful infusions out of this, did not attempt a fourth but I imagine quite a bit of flavor would still translate if not as strongly.

My Breville arrived today. The opening ceremony was crowned by a cup of Maharaja Chai.

As you know (or most likely, did not knew until now) I love Chai´s and I liked this tea before. But now, brewed at the right temperature and time is like trying this tea as if it was completely a new one. And I love it.

I know there is not much Oolong in the visible mixture, but in tea, as in life, the result is whats really important, and in this case, the result is outstanding. I love it!

Edit: And now, after the second steeping while cleaning my steeper I do see plenty of Oolong leaves…

Oolong? What oolong? All I taste is chai spices. Seriously, Teavana, you could have made this chai it a much cheaper tea with a black tea. I may be cynical, but it Teavana just trying to make an excuse to charge high prices for a bunch of cheap spices by threading the blend with “Ti Kuan Yin” tea leaves? If you’re looking for an oolong, this tea is not for you. If you’re looking for a chai, you could probably make it yourself at home for a quarter of the price.

I’m all out! It was a good run Maharaja, but I’m off to try other teas for now.

I love love LOVE cinnamon, and this tea won me over with big cinnamon flavor. If you know what to look for, you can taste the other spices in the background. But the main flavor here is cinnamon, by a long shot. It’s a bright, spicy cinnamon flavor that reminds me of a cup full of Christmas. This is the only loose chai I’ve tasted (just started drinking “real” tea last week), but so far I can’t imagine finding one I like more than this!

This is one of my favorite teas (it’s on my very short “restock as soon as I finish it” list). I love how spicy it is! I usually make it with 2 teaspoons of tea, 1 teaspoon rock sugar, and add a little half-and-half. Today I tried to skimp and used slightly less than 2 teaspoons of tea and steeped a little longer (10 minutes) instead, and it was noticeably weaker. No skimping! This is delicious and it should be enjoyed at its best.

Teavana was nice enough to include a 1 oz sample of their blend: Maharaha Chai Ooolong/Samurai Chai Tea Blend. I’m still learning what sort of teas that I like, and apparently I love chais. This was delicious. I didn’t even have to add milk, just a little bit of sugar to bring out the spices and its a nice delicious winter blend. Out of all the teas I have tried yet, this one is by far my favorite and I never would have even thought to order it!

This is some hardcore “chai” (I use the term loosely – is there even any tea in it?) It reminds me of a spice bag for slow-cooking some cut of meat over the holidays. Very strong aroma- perfect for wintry evenings and cool spring days. Its definitely more cinnamon-y than anything else. I like it with vanilla almond milk and, sometimes, some type of sweetener. Since its got such a strong mélange of flavors, I don’t mind adding agave nectar, as its flavor doesn’t ruin the chai (I use rock sugar if I don’t want to taste the sweetener itself). I’m not the biggest fan of chai, and would put this in the “go big or go home” category. Nothing timid about this stuff.

I am pretty impressed with this tea despite the confusion of getting instead of the tea I ordered.
The cinnamon flavor didn’t overwhelm the other spices. I really enjoyed the nutmeg as an addition. I was surprised to find I could taste the other spices in this chai! Teavana seems to have trouble finding balance of the spices in their chais.
I really enjoy chais for all the flavors they blend together. Since this tea has done a good job of that, I’m rating it high.

A warm comforting cup of spicy Maharaja Chai Oolong tea to start the day.