El Dorado Chai

So I am really picky on chai teas..I tend to like when they have a creamy flavor cause all the spices are overwhelming to me.I love Verdant’s chai tea(I forget the name but that’s the best loose leaf chai I’ve ever had)because it’s the perfect blend of flavors. I was hoping this tea would be similar to theirs but it wasn’t. The spices are sooo strong! Took me back for a second cause I wasn’t expecting it to be that strong! If you’re really into chai tea you would definitely like this but it’s just not for me!

We tried this tea out recently, on a chilly day. We figured a spicy chai would be a good relief from the cold and wind.

This chai is indeed very spicy. Opening the bag, the peppercorns really stand out, with ginger and cinnamon close behind.

We first tried tasting it straight. It wasn’t very enjoyable. Kind of like drinking peppercorn and ginger. Much too savory and spicy, without much balance. Good for clearing out the sinuses, I suppose. So, we moved on to adding milk and honey. This was much better and balanced the savoryness of the of the tea.

This is certainly a unique chai blend. Very spicy and savory, with the peppercorns and ginger overpowering everything else. If that’s your thing, jump on it. However, it just didn’t work for me. I would have preferred the black tea to come through more, along with the cinnamon and allspice.

Overall, it works with milk and honey, but for the price, I’ll pass in the future.

A long queued note as I needed some time to think this one over.

While in search of a chai that isn’t dominated by clove, this was recommended to me.

Results? I’m torn. First, no clove. Absolutely a plus! Otherwise, its good, but not something I’ll go out of my way for. There’s a flavor element I’m not 100% fond of and while I’m not sure what it is, maybe its the basil?

It is interesting enough to me, however, that I have just made a second purchase which includes the Golden Snail base for this blend.

I’m almost done with the ounce I ordered and I’ll likely finish it before the week is over.

Purchased last year, finished just now. Brewed in a ceramic tea pot or in a paper filter bag.

As I’ve previously stated before, I love masala chai and exploring unique blends. I’m a lover of ginger, and I appreciate the fact that the ginger Brenden uses in his blends is stronger than what I’ve encountered in teas from other companies. But the ginger in this case overpowers all of the other ingredients, both the base tea and the spices. Just barely I can taste the vanilla bean and the chocolately goodness from the black Bi Luo Chun (I’m a fan of his Golden Snail). And I did try to shake up the pouch.

It’s hard to fully comment every aspect. Nevertheless, this makes an excellent autumn tea. It is very comforting. I do recommend it for those who are curious or want a different masala chai. You would most likely get something different out of this.

I have been eyeing WP teas for a while now, but couldn’t resist a promo sample offer that was posted recently. When my cup is hot, I get a ton of clove and some cardamon to back it up. There is a little malt in the back of the taste that comes out a little more as the cup cools. It has an overall hearty taste and is well balanced. I’m having it without any additions, but would love to try a cup with some cream. Adding cream… it seems to dampen the flavors a little. The malt is dampened, but it does have a sweeter creamier taste overall. I think I prefer it straight. I had my first cup yesterday in class and the caffeine level seemed to go a good job of getting me through the day. Overall I really like this tea!

Sipdown! I’ve had a reasonably bad cold since Thursday evening, so I’ve mostly been drinking comforting teas that I’m familiar with. There’s no point trying something new when I can’t taste it, after all. I’ve enjoyed this one, both with and without milk. It’s super smooth, with prominent chai spices and delicious creamy vanilla caramel. I’ll miss this one.

1 tsp, 2.5 minutes, boiling water. No additions.

I believe this sample was old or suffered from Ziploc flavour loss. I received it in a swap and, do to my backlog, waited far too long to sample it. It wasn’t the delight that every other Whispering Pines tea I’ve had is. It’s flavour was so light that I refuse to give it a rating at this time. I will eventually try a fresh sample and use that to determine a rating.

Yum! Another hit for the day. In ordering this chai, I was hoping for a chai that didn’t need milk and sugar, since those are off limits for the time being. This fit the bill perfectly. Even though I am not crazy about the base by itself, in this tea it is perfect. The combination of spices and base are magic. I love it. The balance between base and spice is exactly how I like it. Strong spice.

OK, I deleted my last review on this tea because of my own tasting mistake. This tasting came out perfect for me. This isn’t a chai that slaps you in the face with spices. The spices are there but they are more subtle than most chai’s I have had. The first thing that hits you is the floral aroma of this tea. Fruity, almost. I get hints of malt, bread, cocoa, and even some vanilla coming through, but again, it is subtle. Very smooth and creamy mouthfeel gives way to a finish of evergreen…almost a minty flavor. Very light in color and mouthfeel. Almost an orange yellow. This isnt your grandfathers chai, thats for sure!

No idea who sent this to me… but my brother and I really enjoyed it last night. Very smooth with a spice taste that didn’t take away from the golden brew.