Thanks Jason for this Chai Sample
All of this morning I’ve been drinking a new White Tea. At 18oz. I had a pretty big tea buzz and had to take a break. And, I was hungry! (I don’t eat anything before drinking a light tea. Whites, Oolongs…need respect!)
I reheated some turkey meatballs from last evening that had curry, fresh mint from my patio garden, cilantro and garlic. Tasty.
I was ready for tea again…I couldn’t drink a light tea because of my meal. A Chai, on the other hand, stands up to almost any food. I picked the sample from Jason out of my stash of “to be reviewed” tea’s and set a pot to brew.
Chai is supposed to grab your attention and sweep you off your feet like a bull fighter.
You don’t have to slurp and walk around a dainty cup or worry about “should I add milk or honey or sugar?”….Chai says “Go ahead…do whatever you want to with me…I can take it…I’m strong!” So, if you’re looking for a muted tea experience, this might disappoint you. Then again, it might excite your senses!
I love bold! Pu-erh, Black Tea, Chai, the biggest flavorful White and Oolong and Green tea’s that I can get my hands on!
This Chai has no cardamon and doesn’t lead with ginger. The first impression I had was heat. Heat from galangal and cinnamon, followed by ginger and fennel. There was a tingling in my mouth from the cinnamon that made me think of melting Red Hot Candies…which I liked so much as a little girl.
I began to notice the Holy Basil. It’s refreshing. Somehow my mind wandered (not a stretch at all) to the flavor of an apple pie turnover…the crust part when the top is hot and has granulated sugar on it and you can crack it…take off a piece and pop it in your mouth. I can taste that in the tea.
I put my nose into my half empty mug and inhaled/exhaled…several times steaming my glasses. The fragrance was like the cedar in a sauna. The mineral scent of wet rocks, the warm sensual smell that comes from the damp wood.
I have the Verdant Chai with cardamon, a strong cinnamon Chai from Butiki and I really like this Yunnan Golden Chai without the cardamon and without the heavy cinnamon and ginger. All 3 supply me with the types of Chai suited for different moods. They stand up to strong foods and remind me of comfort, like a hug or down blanket.
Thank you again Jason!
