Chocolate Chili Chai

I had this today with steamed milk, and the milk really smooths out the flavours.
Yummy good way to start the day!

I got this from MirandaGou in our recent swap: thank you! Chocolate sounds good today for some reason, and my feet are cold, so I went for this first. It smells very chocolatey. There is some spice to the scent but it’s mostly chocolate.

The chocolate taste is excellent (probably because I got about ten mini chocolate chips in this teaspoon!). It’s definitely a dark chocolate flavor, and it also has a creamy mouthfeel that just makes it better. I was a little afraid of this one because of the chilis, but I’m only getting the slightest tingle from it. The spices give the chocolate a great flavor, too. Right now I actually want the chili flavor, so maybe next time I should overleaf? Still really good and I’m glad to have it in my cabinet now.

ETA: As I get through the cup there’s more of an afterburn, but it’s not too much for me. This is coming from someone who can’t handle “medium” salsa, so I think most people would find the chili heat just right (unless you like really spicy things!).

So my neighbour (who is fabulous and I am so lucky to have bought a house next to people that rock!) was having a rough morning and messaged me. Sometimes because we work odd schedules, they mesh up. She needed to vent. I immediately put on a pot of this, as I figured chocolate gives you endorphins and makes you feel better. I think I might have under-leafed it a bit. I made a litre of it.

At first sniff: This smells decadent. Rich, spicy, chocolate-y and delicious. I could sniff this tea all day long. My boyfriend knows when I make this one which a coined response of “Is that the chocochili tea?”

At first steep: I only usually make 2 cups of this, and am pretty generous with the scoops, so I think I made this a bit weak, it was still good but the flavours were more muted. It brews up a nice brown. Now, I really think DavidsTea should take out the “Chai” in this tea’s name. It is not a chai tea. It is still delicious though. We had ours with half and half and some sugar in pretty Denby tea cups, and she vented. We all felt better afterwards. This tea use to be one of my favourites, I wouldn’t say it’s that status any longer, but it’s still up there. I would definitely still restock it.

I was apprehensive about trying this tea out, because spicy stuff doesn’t always agree with me. However, I needn’t worry, the spice is so light in the tea that I can barely taste it. Which…amusingly enough, I can’t help but feel disapointed about. Cackles The taste reminds me alot of Cookie Dough white tea from DT. Though if I had to choose which one I like more…I’d pick Cookie Dough. I am thinking next time I’ll add just a little spice to see how it handles it.

I want it to be winter! Where is all the snow?! At least I can drink the winter collection and pretend…
This one is a bit weak but good. I can taste the chili coming through and there is a nice tiny bit of bite from that. The chocolate is definitely there! But I’m not really getting chai from this. The flavour is a bit weak as I think others have said, but I like it, if only for the bite from the chili. I’ll be trying this again, with more tea per cup!

I’d consider this average.
I can barely taste any spiciness and the chocolate is barely there. I used 3tsp (normal ones not any specialty “perfect” tsp) to 16 fl.oz from a sample I got from Ellyn. Thank you for this bonus! The dry stuff smells intoxicating that I only wished carried over to the steeped tea.
It kinda tastes watery. Eating a chocolate cookie that a coworker brought in though brought up the yummy factor. I would suspect it was the sugar in the cookie that brought out the other flavors in the tea.

AFter letting it sit awhile (while I was away working) I now can taste the hit of spiciness from the peppers…and it’s been a few hours since my last sip. If I ever purchase this in the future I’ll have to play aruond with the ratio of tea to water…because man this is weak!

To be honest, this tea is really mild on the chocolate and the chili. I’m not a big fan of chocolate teas, so I appreciate a milder chocolate flavor. It’s actually quite smooth and enjoyable. I just wish that there was more heat from the chiles. If I get the chance to sample this tea again, I might add a few red pepper flakes for more of a kick.

I had some work to do this afternoon, so I needed a little kick to get me going. This is mellow, but has a bit of bite, and it’s perfect for today. I’m not overly excited about this tea, but it’s definitely tasty. Now, I’m waiting for the people I have to interview to call me back, watching The Office, and wishing I had the energy to get ready for a concert I have to go to tonight.

I wonder if this one will be any good re-steeped.

Backlogged from this morning.

This is from a tiny sample packet I received with my actual order.
This one smells amazing, it smells like a rich hot chocolate! However I was disappointed with the taste, it seemed very weak. Perhaps I messed it up, but I followed the instructions: 1.5 t per 8 oz at 208F. It said to steep it 5-7 minutes and 7 minutes seems a tad long for any tea, so I went with 5 minutes, next time I’ll steep it 7 minutes. It was so weak that I tried adding sugar and milk to it, but it didn’t really help. I have really high hopes for this one though and hope to make it better next time.

I was in the mood for a chocolate tea. I knew what I wanted… and couldn’t find it. Then I remembered that I had a little sample of this one lying around, remembered the times I had shared with my canister full of it, and decided why not, let’s go for it.

I’m having it clear, which is unusual for me and anything labeled as chai, though in this case it seems like a good choice. The chocolate flavour is pleasant, not as strong as in some teas or beverages I could name, but the primary note nonetheless, and is partnered with a richness from the chili and tea. Although not spicy hot, there is a sensation that hits your mouth in a wave, letting you know that the chills are definitely there. I quite enjoy it.