Cha Yen Thai Black Tea

2nd tea for today! I realized something about this tea today. I should be eating it with marzipan! I haven’t had any in ages, but something about the floral/sweet/almond flavor profile would taste great with this tea. It steeps for at least 3 infusions and I really enjoy it on cold days like today. Only criticism today? I want more coconut in this…

This has a great combination of vanilla and spices with Rooibos & Black tea. It is a chilly afternoon and tea is the only thing that seems to warm me up anymore. I really like this blend.

I took a good look at this tea before brewing it. This was pretty stuff with interesting bits of dried fruit and red berries, black and blonde shreds, and little papery seed pods. The scent of vanilla was the first to emerge from my cup when hot water was added.

I used a teaspoon in my strainer. The resulting brew looked a little watery. As I waited impatiently for my tea to cool, I kept sniffing it and puzzling. With so many elements in the mix, it seemed strange that all I could smell was vanilla.

Upon taking the first sip, my immediate thought was ’but I just HAD Madagascar Vanilla!

I was a little disappointed. Somehow I expected this tea to be more interesting and exotic after seeing all the neat-looking stuff in it.

I really shouldn’t be comparing this to Celestial Seasonings Madagascar Vanilla, that’s rather unsporting. Still, I’m considering placing this in the same box to save space in my cupboard. Except for the kick of caffeine from the black tea, the two taste exactly the same to me.

It’s not as though I don’t like this. I find the vanilla and Rooibos combination, though a bit unexciting, strangely addictive. Rooibos is something I like to think of as the African answer to sassafras. I was initially put off by it’s trendiness but after my first sample, it grew on me. I rather like the undertone of sweetness. So now I have a caffeinated version of Madagascar Vanilla. That’s fine by me but I like my variety and hate having the same tea twice in a row. I’ll just need to remember to keep both versions together so I don’t make the mistake of drinking one after the other. Cause I hate when that happens.

When I saw that Teavana had a new batch of blends I decided it’s time to go in and look for Christmas gifts ;) I picked up some the Thai tea and all I can tell you is this tea is fabulous! The aroma is fantastic, the flavor is great too. The anise star is not overpowering. I threw a dash of almond milk in it and reminded me of a wonderful Christmas tea. Well done Teavana! Definitely one of my new favs!

I bought this on a whim when Teavana was offering a free tin with any online purchase. When I opened the bag I was hit with the aroma of sweet egg nog, and my father made the same remark when he sniffed it. I brewed it and the egg nog dulled into a soft & pleasant vanilla. The tea itself was medium-bodied and very sweet with a lovely spice undertone. I added a small amount of raw snowberry honey and it was perfect! A new favorite blend from Teavana. :)

Busy weekend, on the verge of a busy week, so that I want to make tea, but the kitchen is full of savory, tea-murdering smells. So, I’m putting my newfound stovetop chai skills to use! Simmered in a pan with an average amount of leaf, but over a longer time – 20 minutes, I think?

Ahh, this is incredibly fragrant. The dry leaf can easily scent-contaminate an area if it’s not stored airtight; it’s no surprise that the stovetop brew completely chai-spritzed the house. The aroma is so sweet – like a spiced vanilla, with a hint of almond and pineapple.

After a long simmer, the liquor is very dark, an opaque chocolate brown. In my smallest tea cup, it looks like a shot of espresso. It tastes like it too, to me – very strong and sharp, with a thick and grainy consistency. There are so many flavors coming through that it becomes one, big, spiced, slightly tangy vanilla profile. It’s a bit more peppery than the aroma, but still sweet for a chai, even without sugar.

I’ve had this once before, brewed like a black tea (3 minutes, boil, in a teapot). I like this long brew better. That previous brew was too watery-sweet – this is much more balanced and solid. I think the longer brewing time gives space for the ingredients to properly set in.

Chai is still not my tea of choice, but I’m happy with this one as my resident chai for the time being.

The old Thai tea from Teavana was, by far, much more impressive in my opinion. In fact, I only picked this up to see if was some thing close in taste.

I find it very sweet perhaps that star anise. The almonds are a nice touch to the hint of spice I taste. The rooibos doesn’t seem to be present in this flavor profile.

Cha Yen Thai Black is one of my utmost favorite blends of all time. it’s spectacular. its spiced but not spicy, with a nice twist of the star anise and and nutty overtones from the almonds. It’s Perfect…PERFECT I SAY!!!!! i love it. brew it strong, mix with sugar and milk. AHHHHHH…So good.

Got this yesterday, along with Fig Rose, Spice to Life and a bag of German Rock Sugar. For fans of Teavana’s Zingiber Ginger Coconut, and the Maharaja Chai Oolong/Tulsi Dosha Chai Rooibos blend, you might want to check this out.

I think I like this tea well enough to finish the bag, but don’t think I’ll buy it again.

I was recommended this tea by a Teavana employee when I asked for a traditional chai tea. I don’t think I got what I was originally asking for, but I haven’t been completely disappointed. I prepare this tea right off the boil and steep for about 3 minutes. Good taste, I especially enjoy the pronounced spices. For a long time coffee drinker who is new to tea, this was a good replacement for my usual morning cup.

After reading other reviews, I want to try and prepare this as an iced tea.

So many people like these Teavana blends, but I find them to be a little weak. It’s almost as if they’re trying to do too much at one time. Nutty! Smokey! Spicy! Blah. I found this mix to be underwhelming. Not bad, just not memorable at all. I admit it could be because I was looking for something that could hold its own when mixed with milk and sugar like, well… Thai tea.

Not liking this as much as Teavana’s original Thai Tea blend. This is much spicier and less nutty. It is still an excellent tea, but personally I don’t like it as much with the milk and suger and ice that makes a “thai tea”. I add Honeybush Hazelnut to it to round out the nutty flavors when I want it cold. Hot, it is a very calm chai. It’s spiced, not spicy.