Decaf Vanilla Chai

Someone left a bag of this in my department lounge, so I thought I’d try it. What the heck, thought I. And actually… I am kind of, well, pleasantly surprised. Maybe I’ve had too much bad chai lately, but this is tasting not so bad to me. The vanilla definitely takes a backdrop to the chai spices, but that’s a good thing. I’m also really sick of overly fake vanilla.

Am nursing a really sore throat, probably because I’m catching my husband’s cold. This is hitting me just right and hey, decaf.

Bagged tea. Smells nice. Wrapper says for best flavor add milk and sugar. I added only Splenda. Normally wouldn’t grab this on a 90 degree day but it was decaf so… I should have rinsed the oolong out of my mug before steeping this tea but I was lazy. The blend of spices in this are nice. Adding milk might really have helped. It seems to me all the flavor is on top of the sip and then there is this big drop into nothingness. What I mean is the black tea does not grab hold and support the spices. Maybe because it is decaf, maybe because of the oolong taste remaining in the cup. I did notice the cooler the cup got the more balanced it seemed. That leads me to imagine this would make a really great frappachino on this steamy hot day.

So I’m thinking about taking my old electric kettle to work since I now have a Breville. Microwave water and tea just don’t go together… And the microwave scares me… I know I’ll get a lot of crap for it.
This was a nice cup to start my day with. It’s not as strong as I was expecting but I also could have left the bag in a little longer. The strongest flavor I’m getting is the vanilla. The spices are more in the background.

A little something I stole from work today, it wasn’t too bad! As others said I think a bit of milk would have really made it but a light standard chai with a bit of a vanilla undertone DID THE JOB at the time!

the vanilla is not as strong as I’d like, but the spices are fairly balanced (I don’t like my chai too spicy.) Most vanilla chai I’ve had was from a powdered mix which comes out creamy because of the milk. I will experiment with steeping time and milk/water ratios. I think this could make a good vanilla chai latte eventually (but may need to add a drop of vanilla extract).

Very mild flavor compared to other chai teas. Doesn’t taste much like vanilla, much more subdued, lightly sweet flavor.

Delist with some sugar an milk! I do however add a little more milk than I would any other chai.

Milk, sugar, and a little bit of honey…lovely.

Good bagged tea.. I like to have this decaf tea after a big meal or before sleepy time.. I got this liking the Chai Latte drinks i get at the fancy coffee shop’s. this is a cheaper toned down style with out all the milk and such.. the pouch smell and cup smell is awesome, spicy and sweet all at once. standard color in the cup. with the spice and such the “tea” flavor is a little harder to pick out but you can catch it in there. its a good tea and a good bagged tea

I guess my roommate has had this in bag form for ages. Now, I love chai, but I don’t like vanilla, but I figured I would try some last year. I’m not sure if it’s the tea itself, or if it was because it was older than dirt, but that’s what it tasted like. Glorified dirt soaked in hot water. It was earthy and very musty, so I’m leaving the rest of it for her, since she likes it. Once it’s gone, maybe I’ll get her another box and try some that’s fresh and adjust my rating accordingly.

Not comparable to Oregon Chai, I prefer a Spicy Chai, rather then a Sweet Chai. Flavors a bit lacking, but over all a good experience. The subtle hint of vanilla is a nice addiction to the spices in their Chai Blend. Colors a bit darker then I thought it would have been.

Smells great, tastes great, and the decaf means it’s a great before bedtime cuppa.