Bonnie

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Bonnie drank Chocolate Phoenix Chai by Verdant Tea

Better late than never…this blend is almost gone and I’ve been sitting on this first ounce of tea for a couple of weeks without tasting it. Then I saw the notice that only a pound was left so I ordered some more. It’s time to taste and review this Chai!

I’ve been tasting Chai’s lately from various sources, looking for different tastes and flavors, socking a few away for the Fall and Winter. I was sitting at my tea bar discussing this with Eric the other day. "Eric, every Chai I drink either has too much pepper or too much cardamon or the wrong kind of cinnamon that makes the Chai bitter. I think I need to make my own Chai, " I said. “That’s what I do,” he replied. And we both sighed.
Eric works at a tea shop! He’s tasted lots of Chai samples.

The only Chai’s I’ve liked so far are one from Butiki and the Verdant Chai blends.
(Some companies have Chai’s I can’t drink because they add Rooibos which I’m allergic to…so it’s not about not liking them, I can’t drink them!).

This brings me to the sadness of this tasting. An experience of a wonderful Chai that I should have ordered long ago but didn’t.
A Chai that is exactly what a Chai should taste like.
Wah! Sniffle! Stomp my Feet! Tantrum!

I threw the directions for brewing this Chai in smaller 8oz steepings out the window. I DISOBEYED VERDANT’S INSTRUCTIONS! Now I think I have to do a Verdant confession or something. Not sure.

So, what I did was make a whole pot of Chai…(yes I did indeed). I brewed 32 ounces of golden delight…honey spiced glee for me!

I poured 1 cup…warming my whole mouth with saffron and a mixture of cardamon, coriander, sweet vanilla and caramel. Luxurious!
I sipped for a bit…and could not wait.
This was not tea. I had to change how I was thinking about the whole experience!

Suddenly, I traveled to the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in India, http://youtu.be/dDY89LYxK0w becoming one of the characters draped in bright flowers. With Hindi music throbbing in the background (which I like), I added cream to my next cup of tea and honey in large amounts. YES! This was the way to drink this CHAI! WOW! Taste EXPLOSION!

The next cup I just added some honey. NO WAY! Nah!

Milk and honey…that ‘IS’ the proper way to enjoy this fine Chai. I’m not kidding. I’m going to steep the leaves in milk…to make the flavors even more silky and creamy and warming and cocoa vanilla.

The cardamon wasn’t overpowering and the chocolate from the Mi Lan was like the ‘Chocolate XXOO Love’ Bar’s produced here in Colorado.
Thick and Rich!

So why sad…wah! It’s gone…when I’m done with my stash…GONE!
I’m requesting a repeat next season from Verdant! This was a treat!

Goodbye My Chai Love! http://youtu.be/RUCiGqAHx4g Monsoon Wedding

2012-09-23 15:44:25 -0400

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Helena 2012-09-23 16:34:55 -0400

Butiki makes a great chai! :D this one made me all kinds of snacky so I don’t get it anymore. The Laoshan black with milk is like ginger snap cookies so it’s not really a chai to me :D makes an awesome dessert tea though :D

Helena 2012-09-23 16:35:32 -0400

I meant the Laoshan Village Chai I don’t know why I said Laoshan black sorry :D

Bonnie 2012-09-23 16:46:23 -0400

I have Butiki’s and the other Laoshan Village Chai (See notes above, they say the only ones I’ve found that I like/love are from Butiki and Verdant) but this one is probably the very best with the warming, as a pure Chai and holds up the best with milk and honey.

K S 2012-09-23 16:48:59 -0400

Disobeyed instructions???? You Rebel! Reading your review makes me almost want to give chai another try.

Nik 2012-09-23 17:03:58 -0400

I am Punjabi. :D This was such a fun tasting note to read, Bonnie. You keep outdoing yourself. Thanks for sharing this yummy experience! I think (hope!) I have a sample of this so I can try it, too.

Veronica 2012-09-23 17:14:47 -0400

Bonnie, I love your tasting notes so much! :)

Bonnie 2012-09-23 19:32:38 -0400

Thank you! Nik, when my sister-in-law and I used to go out to eat in Silicon Valley we would go to a place close to her house that had a big screen TV on the wall that played non-stop Bollywood music video’s. I completely ‘lost’ her. She loves that sort of thing, so do my granddaughters and daughter and I. They often dress in Punjabi dress because it looks soooo amazing! (with their African-American, Cherokee and Scot’s Highland coloring they love to blend into lots of cultures and it works!) We’re all a bit nuts!

Nik 2012-09-23 19:37:01 -0400

You say “nuts,” I say “awesome.” =)

Indigobloom 2012-09-23 20:25:32 -0400

omg I love bollywood! and I have a feeling you know how to party Bonnie ;)

Bonnie 2012-09-23 21:40:41 -0400

Well you should have seen us when we had Cypriot breakfast’s with watermelon and fried Halloumi cheese, olives, pita and yogurt in the Spring…cranked up the Greek music and brought out the scarves and we Johnstone women got up and danced. (My nephew and 2 nieces were born in Cyprus when my brother was teaching at the American School there many years ago and my niece Gina is in a Greek dance troupe). Fun! Your family does stuff like this too Indigobloom. I know you do. Everyone has some kind of secret character…I happen to do them ALL when I get the chance!

Indigobloom 2012-09-23 22:16:25 -0400

heh, well we do on occasion. I never had the best moves so need to have a glass of wine first! heh heh
Or maybe some pu-er tea!!
Wish I had a pic of you dancing up a storm!

Bonnie 2012-09-24 00:09:12 -0400

I still think it would be so cool to do a Steepster cruise! We could all cut a rug!I have a feeling there’d be more tea cocktails than straight tea though. (Not me! Someone’s gotta take the pictures of you guys being crazy!)

Indigobloom 2012-09-24 07:01:46 -0400

hehe that would be SO MUCH FUN. I’d be in no question about that :P
You can have a virgin cocktail.
http://www.drinknation.com/drink/blueberry-tea … notice something funny about the ingredients? :P

Bonnie 2012-09-24 22:08:38 -0400

BLOOM! Are You Kidding?! Lipton Tea Cocktails?! We can do better than that I think~ Pa… lease!

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Bonnie

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