Uniquity

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I’m going to blaspheme here – I actually liked this bagged chai. I find chai tea to be a great equalizer – Yes, it is better as loose leaf but of all teas, it’s not so bad bagged. This is likely because the spices dominate the tea and mask the bitterness from low quality tea, but I don’t care. A coworker gave me two bags of this as she knew I love tea and I liked this. Stuck at reception with no time to prepare loose leaf this is a good stand-in and is keeping me warm. Partway through I added a few drops of milk and a miniscule amount of raw sugar as it was getting a titch bitter (and chai handles both milk and sugar well, I find) and it made it better.

Also, it’s making me think that my recent tea apathy might just be a seasonal change in tastes and I need to figure out which ones I want – Chai, mint and chocolate seem to be in vogue for me!

2011-12-01 08:12:55 -0500

I Like This

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Janefan 2011-12-01 14:07:58 -0500

I love Bigelow’s Vanilla Chai (bags) – easy, yummy, no fuss or mess!

revlisx 2011-12-01 14:35:32 -0500

I might give this a try!

Uniquity 2011-12-01 15:02:43 -0500

I noticed other reviews say it can get bitter, so it might be that I fluked the perfect steep time (and the water wasn’t boiling, as I’m at work) but it was definitely a decent (and easy clean-up!) bagged tea. I don’t know that I would pick any up, but I certainly wouldn’t refuse it if offered or given to me. Plus, I really do appreciate the convenience of the teabag, on occasion.

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I am a lover of many things, but my prized possessions include my records, tea and books (not necessarily in that order!) I embrace local food and good cooking as much as I can, and place great value on time with family and enjoying the bounty of nature. While I live in a city at the moment, my heart lies in the country and I am to be married there this May under my grandmother’s apple trees.

I am drawn toward good Chinese blacks, enjoy some herbals and the odd roasted oolong. Greens and whites can make me nauseous, but I will have flavoured ones on occasion. While I don’t yet enjoy puerh, I desperately want to. Chamomile and coconut are the devil though, I wish they didn’t exist. Mint has been a particular favourite of mine since childhood, and I enjoy both flavoured and pure teas pretty equally. If it’s well crafted and delicious, I’m there!

As for ratings, I try to only log teas once or twice because I drink a lot of the same ones repeatedly. My rating is based on my perception of the tea at first tasting and is adjusted if anything notable occurs in subsequent cups. For some reason, I don’t really like to rate things below 60 even if I don’t like them, but I’m TRYING to use more of the scale, rather than just the top half.

86 – 100: WOW. I need this tea on hand at home, work and with every relative or friend I tend to visit.
76 – 85: This is a solid tea. I enjoy it, and would recommend it to others.
61 – 75: Just okay. I can drink it, but I don’t necessarily want to. Will try again if I have to, but life is too short to waste on average tea.
41 – 60: Bleh. Might finish it, but it’s not to my taste OR just doesn’t impress me at all.
0 – 40: No thank you, please. Take it away and don’t make me finish the cup.