Samurai Chai Mate & White Ayurvedic Chai Blend

Fair Warning! I knew this one would be long but now looking back on it after I’ve written it, it’s absurdly long. In fact, it’s most likely my longest post ever. I rant a lot in it, but I also talk a lot about my super fun trip to Philly! And I talk forever. Just as an idea, even the WARNING for how long this post is is long. So yeah…. Read at your own risk :)

Hello everyone! I’ve had a brief absence as I went to Philadelphia with my father this weekend (so of course this one will be long! :D). Of course I’ve still been drinking tea, not even a hotel room can slow me down! (although, our hotel room was actually really nice…

We stayed in King of Prussia, which is a suburb of Philly and it’s right next to Valley Forge which is were my grandfather’s ashes are. We went to visit him and then we decided that since we were there we might as well go into the city! We also went to a HUUUUGE mall, which I talked about briefly before, and it was so much fun, though very overwhelming. I stopped by Teavana (more on that later!) and picked up this and Blackberry Mojito (as par Bonnie ‘s recommendation. I didn’t end up getting the Yixing I wanted but I think I’ve found a place here in VT to get one and it will no doubt be cheaper and nicer! Then, on Sunday, we went into the city. It was rainy and crappy out but it was still a lot of fun! Philadelphia is truly an amazing city and I can’t wait to go back when it’s nice outside (no doubt there will be another trip this summer!) but I still had loads of fun. We went to do the standard stuff like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, and while I usually try to stay away from super tourist-y stuff in cities (I’ve never really liked all that tour crap and stuff, I like to actually explore the city!), I felt an obligation to go as Philadelphia has always been an interesting city to me and I’m in AP US History, and I felt like touring the place where this nation was basically born was absolutely necessary! After that we stopped by a coffee shop to plan our next move and, with a lot of persuasion on my part and the survey of a third party of local Philadelphians, we decided on the art museum! It was so much fun as I’ve never been to a huge art museum like that and I’m also in AP Art History, so it was so cool to see the stuff we’re learning about! My favorites were the Impressionistic and Post-Impressionistic pieces, along with the modern art wing which I absolutely LOVED! They had quite a few installments that were really cool and then they also had two rooms devoted to two of my favorite artists-Duchamp and Picasso! For those unfamiliar with Duchamp, I would definitely recommend looking him up! His Nude Descending a Staircase is one of my absolute all time favorite pieces! They had a whole section devoted to him and they had not only a collection of his later works but also his early works, before he got into Dadaism and other avant-garde styles. I’m sure you all know who Picasso is, and he had a huge room as well, which was really interesting.

Anywho, art talk aside, TEA! I’m going to have several backlogs so prepare yourself! Alright, really only 3 or 4, but still! I brought a nice selection of tea with me and I had quite a few of those. And, like I mentioned above, I also went to Teavana and picked some stuff up. Oh. My. God. RANT TIME! I got bombarded by my first Teavana employee and it absolutely sucked. The one I went to last time was small and you could tell not very many people ever went there, so it was very mellow and actually really enjoyable. Here, because it was such a large mall and it obviously had a higher customer count, it was absolutely atrocious. I managed to sneak by the snipers at the front and make my way into the back, where a lady asked if I needed help and I politely said no, and she said that was fine and walked away (a.k.a. the way salespeople are supposed to act). My dad, however wasn’t so lucky. I’m going to skip the pushiness part because I’m sure you all know what I’m talking about (pushing to try and trying to sell unnecessary things, etc.). However, there were two main flags that absolutely made me enraged.
1.) HE GAVE MY DAD SOMETHING HE WAS ALLERGIC TO! My dad is allergic to cinnamon oil and the guy offered him some of this very blend (which I enjoy, on a mellow side note). When my dad asked what it was the guy explained that it was a cinnamon-y blend with some fruit and other spices. When my dad said he was allergic, the guy said he should try it anyways because it didn’t have oil in it. My dad did because he believed him, and then it DID HAVE CINNAMON OIL IN IT! Luckily it only makes my dads tongue puff up a little and it makes his mouth scratchy, so it was nothing serious, but still. That was blatantly lying to him and I was so not okay with that. This segues into the next point.
2.) This guy blatantly lied to us. First with the cinnamon, and then with the products. First off, I asked for this one in a tin and not the other (I don’t really think that tins are necessary as I keep the bags in a dark and cool location away from other flavors, and I don’t have enough money to buy tins for ALL of my teas). However, this one was a 4 oz. minimum, so I asked for at in as I know this one will last for a long time. And, when he pulled it up and explained it to me, I noticed it was the 1 lb. tin. When I asked if I could have the smaller, 4 oz. one, he said they didn’t have those. I. Was. Looking. Right. At. One. That made me so frustrated and he refused to get a smaller one, and forced me to pay almost double what I had to for a tin. I know I can reuse them, but still. That was totally not okay with me. And then the second thing he lied to me about (well I guess third, but this is all “at the counter” lies) is about the tea. When my dad complained about the price (which he typically does, though this time it was more rightfully so), the guy automatically went into “Defend Tevana at All Costs” mode. And, this one absolutely set me off and made me run away before I went at it with him, he said that with only 6 oz of tea, I could make well over 100 cups of tea. A.) That doesn’t even make sense. I actually don’t understand how he got to that so it leads me to believe that he was actually lying to my face. I did the math right there in my head and since I brew 12 oz. cups western style, I can make about 20 cups of tea with 2 oz. That’s only 60 cups of tea with 6 oz…. THAT’S ALMOST HALF OF 100! This guy lied and said I could make almost double with this tea, and I know for a fact that it won’t resteep well at all because I’ve tried already. B.) What’s the point of lying about that?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!? I mean, I understand that it makes it seem like you’re getting more bang for your buck that way but I mean, why would you lie to that extent? He could’ve just said 75 cups… That would have been forgivable! But he didn’t…. Which makes me so angry. If I’m ever in the area again and he just happens to be working there I will make sure to confront him, only I’m not joking. He just made me so angry and lose almost all hope in Teavana.

Okay, rant aside. I’m sorry about that, I’m not good at this whole “don’t ramble on” thing. This tea is super good! I tried it as a sample a little while back and I knew that I wanted it. Plus, I’ve been on an uncharacteristic chai kick lately, and this one is super good. I like that I can drink it in the afternoon because the white tea kind of balances out the mate, and it makes the caffeine a lot less than it would be (or maybe I just made that up in my head as an excuse for drinking it at night….:P). Dry this one smells nice and spicy but it also has a nice sweet undertone to it that really makes it so tempting. I also think it’s really pretty. There’s a nice yellow-y green base of actual tea and then you get the little pops of red from the pepper and blue from the flowers. I would go on a rant about Teavana and then say I really like their tea… I guess what it all really comes down to though, is that I actually really do like some of their teas and that’s what makes me keep going back. It would be so much easier to just not like their teas at all :P I really like this one because it isn’t too too spicy when you’re drinking it (in fact it’s quite mellow), but then once you’ve swallowed a lovely, super-spicy aftertaste comes out that’s followed by a nice sweetness. As this one cools down a little, the sweetness comes out more in the flavor and the spiciness starts to play around a little more, too.

This one is super good, and despite all my Tevana troubles, I am really glad I picked this one up!

My coworker became a tea person over the break :) and brought me in some of this to try. OH MAN THIS IS GOOD! Spicy but gentle and very, very, very flavorful. I taste a million spices, and some fruitiness, too! A great natural sweetness with nary an addition. This is my first experience with mate, and I like it!

I still do not want to go into the Teavana store and get accosted, but this might put me over the edge and order online.

Sampled this while at the Teavana in the mall. Had it sweetened lightly (although by my standards, feels quite heavily sweetened). I like this blend, but there is just something in the spice mix that makes my throat tickle. Today it turned into a fierce tickle as I think I’m a bit rundown after working 7 days in a row. I think I may need to try these two teas individually next time so I can see if one is better than the other. Tempted to buy them both to mix, as the hubby really liked this, and this is the first of several chai like drinks I have been able to get him interested in. Much more tea to drink in the cupboard to clear out first though.

Spices, spices everywhere! I am loving all the spicy smell floating out of my cup! The taste is out of this world. I see why KiTT drinks it all the time. Yummy! This isn’t From KeenTeaThyme (KiTT) by the way I still have her wonderful sample of this very tea waiting at home. This happened to come free in my order today. So seeing as I had my handy-dandy perfect tea maker at the office I HAD to make this after lunch.

Lots of bold flavors! I can taste the black and red pepper of the white chai and the cardamom of the mate. I could go on, but I’m just going to continue enjoying this cup and hopefully get the second steep that this small sample promises too.

It should go without saying, that I do not hide the fact that I love tea from my friends and family. It should also go without saying that in my many adventures, searching, collecting, trying and rating teas, I have converted a few of those friends and family members into a similar quest.

This one comes from one of my dearest friends. He enjoyed the sample blend at his local Teavana store and decided that he should pick up a few ounces for himself.

The tea itself, is obviously a jumble of teas, you can see some tea leaves, along with typical chai spices, big pieces of citrus peel, lemongrass and a variety of different colored shapes and pieces of tea blend that Teavana is famous for. The smell is very chai, very spiced, but there is a mellow second note, it is spiced and then calm. Smells good.

We infused it hot, three minutes, no additives. A lot of leaf came out of the infuser ball, but these things happen. The liquor is a very pale green color, and the brewed tea smells much like the dried mix in the bag: spiced but mellowed out. The flavor is meh, it is slightly bitter, bland, a hint of citrus and a little peppery, maybe some lemongrass and a bit of cinnamon, but really nothing to write home about. Upon my first sip, I was pretty sure this tea needed something.

Positive this could be better, I must say that a teaspoon of sugar went a long way in this. It awakened all of the citrus, brightened the pepper and cinnamon, even used the lemongrass to play into the whole brew. Overall, it was pretty good, and I am glad, just needed some tweaking! Enjoy!

I could have sworn that I logged this before, back when I got it around Christmas, but alas it seems that I did not. Usually Teavana is WAY out of my budget based on the quality, but the Heavenly sale was just impossible to resist. I ended up with 8 ounces of this for something like $6? Okay, actually I didn’t buy the blended version (since it’s been switched for a chai/chai blend I don’t care for) but I got them individually and mixed ‘em up so essentially it’s the same thing.

I’m having this stovetop method, mixed with milk & honey and simmered for a good ten minutes. It’s so good—not to cinnamony like their other chai blend, and with a really nice fruity pop along with a hint of citrus in the background and a whole lot of spice. I know people hate on Teavana a lot but they really do have some gems mixed in with all the overly-hibiscus berry blends. One of my favorite chais!

I had high hopes for this after trying a sample of it a Teavana store.

So I, beaming with excited tea-happiness, asked the clerk for a couple ounces of it and brought it home. Sadly, I just couldn’t replicate the strength of flavor that was present in the sample I tried. Even when using a full 3 teaspoons of leaf and letting it steep longer than normal standards (the guide on the side of the bag) would advise I still couldn’t get a comparable flavor out of it.

I’m convinced that the employees at Teavana use some kind of magic to get their sample teas to taste like they do. I’d ask them to show me but I’m scared that I’d end up in some shady back room selling my soul to a superfluously titled tea god.

In short, this tea is not worth the hefty price tag.

This blends pretty nicely together as it has two excellent teas ( which i had the pleasure of tasting alone as well) . Let’s start with the white that also has some interesting coconut flavors in it , which is not too dominant but still present if you try really hard to taste it. It has a chai taste with the cardamom included which gives it a pretty good flavor and of course the cinnemon with not too much inside. Samurai Chai Mate is pretty unique on it’s own as well and amazing for that caffeine kick for you caffeine fiends out there! All in all if your a super chai lover you won’t like this too much because it’s kind of a version of a chai, a lot weaker than the traditional chai flavors as well however, if your not too keen on chai teas you’ll enjoy this one. Even if your not the biggest fan of teas you will like this one i’m sure of it and I stress that the caffeine hype is pretty intense as well. No wonder teavana puts this one up front because it’s very likeable.

This is becoming my morning starter. No sweetener it’s great!

I’m back! I’ve still been drinking tea, but have taken a little leave of absence from Steepster. I’ve been trying a lot of different Teavana teas, just because I know that there’s more to discover with them—at least more than a Celestial Seasonings type of tea. So this was one of my first Teavanas, and I love it. I’ve shared it with multiple friends, and they’ve all really enjoyed it too. It has very earthy tones, and I like that about it rather than the fruity teas that I usually drink. Today I over sweetened it a little bit, so that gives it a different flavor. But I still enjoy it, and it’s a great tea that works just as well throughout the day as it cools down a little bit. Love it!

Was able to connect briefly with my best tea drinking buddy while on the road and she brought me a do-it-yourself kit with this blend and several packets of turbinado sugar.

Tasted it straight up, then after adding the sugar crystals, and couldn’t taste much difference.

I do like this better than most chai blends because of its naturally sweet personality…most chais to me taste like somebody randomly emptied the contents of their spice cabinets into a tin. Not getting any citrus from the Samurai Chai part of the mix; but plenty of the cinnamon and pepper from the Ayurvedic half.

I have a love/hate relationship with this tea. I really LOVE it most days, but it can be tempermental at times and sometimes does not seem strong enough. Not sure why- I make it the exact same way every time. But I really do LOVE this tea! spicy and sweet

Chai? Where!? This tastes the red hot candies, or perhaps one of those atomic fire balls (minus the burning sensation on your tongue). This tastes like a sweet cinnamon candy had been dropped in a pot of hot water and then that is your “tea”. It wasn’t bad per se if you like that kind of thing, but it wasn’t good in my book.

This was the first loose leaf tea I ever had and its one of my favourites that I am desperately trying to make last. Its lovely and each steep seems to bring out a different hint of flavours. On the first steep you can really taste the spices, and it makes a beautiful morning tea with just the slightest undercurrent of citrus, the second steep certainly brings out more citrus and on a third steep – albeit weak, you can really taste the white. I absolutely adore this tea for whatever ocassion. I love the multitude of flavours that come with this tea – its like trying something new with each brew!

(Made this cup of Mate/Chai away from home, at Older Sister’s house.)

I’ve had these teas separately before, and I prefer them blended together like this. The Chai is too spicy otherwise, and the Mate falls a bit flat.

I’m not particularly into mate, chai, or complicated spice blends, but I like them well enough on occasion. Older Sister likes them more than I do (hence this, in her cupboard), and she’s sick at the moment, so it was a good time to attempt a stovetop chai.

This is actually pretty nice, simmered in an open deep-pan for about 10 minutes, adding leaf to taste. The method’s surprisingly easy and practical! The result is a pleasant, house-filling aroma, and pleasant, multi-faceted brew, without being overwhelming at all.

The brew was good with Mesquite honey, but a little better without – it’s sharp-smooth, and spicy-sweet enough as it is. A more simple sweetener would have done better. The sweetened version paired nicely with a slice of cinnamon chip bread though!

I liked this even better over ice. The taste doesn’t seem diluted overall – just less spicy-hot, which I prefer. Older Brother (Sister’s Husband) liked this a lot too, which was great to hear since he’s the iced tea expert. ‘v’//

Though chais and mates are usually off my radar, this seems like a solid choice as far as I know. It’s no surprise Teavana still hasn’t switched this out from their sampling stands, after all this time – it’s a crowd pleaser, and hard to get wrong!

I wasn’t sure what this was called. I received this in a swap, and it was called Chai Chai Blend with Rock Sugar. Upon further reading its a mix of White Ayurvedic Chai, Samurai Chai Mate, and German Rock Sugar.

From the bag, it smelled like cherry soda. It didn’t translate the same way in the cup. In the cup, it smelled more like sweet ginger and other spices. It brewed a very light white/yellow color. The taste was sweet and delicious! It was mildly fruity and I could taste a tinge of ginger. Overall the rock sugar made it so sweet! Yum!

Had this today as a sample at teavana – it was pretty heavily sweetened, but it was pretty good. It was nicely spicy. For some reason I found it to taste a bit like rum which I thought was odd. But it was decent. I would have to have more of it and have it non-sweetened to more properly rate it.

Smells like Christmas, tastes like the 4th of July

Backlog #2: I was having a really bad day and close to tears for the entire day when my friend made me this cup of tea and brought it to our class we have together. So sweet of her!

I have had the Samurai Chai mate before and I didn’t think it was that bad, so I was a little hesitant to try it. The smell won me over. It smelled so good and warmed me right up. Then the taste was fantastic! It had just enough spice from the two chais to make me happy and enough kick from the mate to make my mind happy and relaxed. If I don’t get anything else from Teavana, I need to get these two teas to be my comfort blend.

Thank you Jordanne.

This is the only tea that calls me back to Teavana.

The cinnamon is just lovely. Though it tends to over power the other spices. I like the hint of pineapple I get.

An excellent tea to wake up with.