Maharaja Chai Oolong

First Sip Thought: “More than just cinnamon.”

Smell: Not a huge fan of the scent because when I first opened the package I was inhaling so much cinnamon! After it was steeped, the cinnamon scent was still overpowering the rest of the spices that were included in the blend.

Taste: I won’t lie…I tried a sample of this tea simply because Oprah had it on her favourite things for 2013 and I wasn’t too disappointed with the taste as I was with the smell. The last time I had a tea from Teavana was back in the summer and it was iced so it’s been awhile since I’ve really sat down and focus on all the flavours and scents from a blend of theirs. I was worried at first that it may be a bit overwhelming with cinnamon but I found this to be quite rich with each spice and so peppy. Thus, surprise, surprise – there really is more than just cinnamon in this tea! My other disappointment however was finding out that artificial flavouring has been used. It’s kind of outrageous considering what they state their goal to live by is. I can’t say I’m too surprised as I know it has become evident in most of their teas lately but it’s definitely not something I look for in teas and especially one that is being sold as high quality for $13 for 2oz. I’m glad I only got a sample from a friend and will not be purchasing more unless the artificial flavouring is removed.

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I love this tea. Like other reviewers I found a limited amount of oolong tea in it but it’s still a pretty great tea. I like a stronger tea and as a result end up upping the recommended volume by 1/2 to 2/3 and letting it steep a wee bit longer. I don’t know what it is about this tea but it’s addictive and if I brew a pot I have to brew another.

Loved this tea. It is one of my favorites to take with me to work on a cold winter mornings.

This tastes like liquid cinnamon, very very similar to the spiced apple rooibos from Teavana. I love it, because I am nutty for cinnamon, but it definitely isn’t for the faint of heart! I recommend toning it down a bit and making it a bit more like dessert through using a little milk.

Absolutely LOOOOOOVELY!!!!! Such a beautiful tea for a complex mood and thinking moments.

I love this tea. Trying it today for the first time and it’s spices are so delicious. I added a spoonful of German rock sugar and it really brought out the flavors. I wonder if it’s good with a little milk. I’ll have to test it out when I’m not trapped in a snow storm…

Although I enjoyed this tea, it is not one of my favorites.The flavor is good and certainly the aroma is very pleasant. I use a little Nectresse as a sweetener, I drink it quite a bit.There wasn’t anything wrong with it but after I had Mile High Chai from the Tea Spot in Boulder, CO, I haven’t been satisfied with anything else. I would buy it again if I ran out of my Mile High Chai.

If you’re into really spicy things, then you’ll love this one. The spice is really intense, however, a little too intense for my liking. The cinnamon and cloves are very overpowering and it makes it hard to taste any other spices.

Overall, the flavor profile is a bit unbalanced, but it’ still pretty good. Drink up! The spices are good for you :)

This is a staple in my collection. I love the spice combination. Cinnamon, and cloves, and ginger, oh my! I have never met a chai I didn’t like and this one does not disappoint. I drink it straight up. No sweetener needed.

My addiction to loose tea began a few months ago at a mall when I was speeding past a Teavana and an associate got my attention with a sample of Maharaja Chai Oolong/Samurai Chai Mate blend. I was honestly blown away. I described the difference in bagged tea to loose tea to my mom as “like black & white tv to HD”. My heart fell when I read the horrible reviews about Teavana of course-how a company treats their staff matters. I did get a salesy feel, but having been in many brutal sales jobs it doesn’t bother me unless they are relentless, then I just say “I know this is your job, but I don’t respond well to sales pressure, so let me have a look around-thanks!” And don’t have problems. Here’s hoping the Starbucks purchase helps them with all that. So I am a lover of all things chai, and I adore this one. The dry leaf smell is cinnamony/cardamomy and even after sampling all the chais at David’s Tea, (I was dying to try the famed pumpkin chai which is out of season, so I bought an entire chair sampler just to get it!) I keep going back to this one. A few other people mentioned that there aren’t many Oolong leaves in there to unfurl in my strainer, I did notice that, but otherwise, this one is spicy perfection for me in a latte..