I’ve had a single bag of this floating around my tea station for months, rejected over and over for being a rooibos blend and for not having caffeine.
Tonight I wanted something sweet but didn’t have anything dessert-like. We’re supposed to get a freeze here later on, so I thought something spiced would be appropriate.
I gave it a long-ish steep time in hopes of bringing out the spices. It came out dark and cinnamony, but was tainted with the sour honey-like scent of rooibos. I added a splash of 1% milk and a little sweetener. (I’ve been using monk fruit sweetener for a while now, as it’s not as harsh as other zero calorie sweeteners. It also doesn’t add a weight to the mouthfeel of the tea, unlike sugar.)
Even after six minutes, the spice content is a letdown. I can mostly taste rooibos with cinnamon. There might be a hint of clove in there, too. But no cardamom, ginger, allspice, or star anise. I wonder why Harney & Sons does so well with their other flavored teas, but can’t seem to make a good chai…
Flavors: Cinnamon, Cloves, Rooibos
