Yunnan Golden Chai

This tea was one of my teas of the month for May (at least I think it was for May). First off there is a WHOLE lot of ginger in this cup! I didn’t think their would be so fool that I am stuck my nose right in the bag and we’ll just say my sinus troubles might be over for the season. There is more to this tea like cinnamon, fennel, basil, etc, but sadly the ginger is all I am smelling at the moment.

The taste is heavy on the ginger too. It isn’t bad, but it isn’t what I expect from a chai either. I don’t say this very often about a tea from Verdant…but I am not in love with this one. I’ll give it another go tomorrow and see if I’m somehow missing everything else.

I am loving this one – it’s such a smooth blend.

The Yunnan base provides such a nice change compared to my usual chais. This chai is lighter (golden!) and I find myself craving the slight kick from the ginger. The brew is sweet and delicious on it’s own – but with a bit of milk and honey it warms me fully from the inside out. The fennel and citrus play together so nicely – they seem to dance over my tongue and make it tingle. Feels like a warm hug from a missed friend.

I can’t say anymore – what is it about Verdant tea that always makes me speechless. Makes for tough tasting notes anyways!

Thanks Jason for this Chai Sample

All of this morning I’ve been drinking a new White Tea. At 18oz. I had a pretty big tea buzz and had to take a break. And, I was hungry! (I don’t eat anything before drinking a light tea. Whites, Oolongs…need respect!)
I reheated some turkey meatballs from last evening that had curry, fresh mint from my patio garden, cilantro and garlic. Tasty.
I was ready for tea again…I couldn’t drink a light tea because of my meal. A Chai, on the other hand, stands up to almost any food. I picked the sample from Jason out of my stash of “to be reviewed” tea’s and set a pot to brew.

Chai is supposed to grab your attention and sweep you off your feet like a bull fighter.
You don’t have to slurp and walk around a dainty cup or worry about “should I add milk or honey or sugar?”….Chai says “Go ahead…do whatever you want to with me…I can take it…I’m strong!” So, if you’re looking for a muted tea experience, this might disappoint you. Then again, it might excite your senses!

I love bold! Pu-erh, Black Tea, Chai, the biggest flavorful White and Oolong and Green tea’s that I can get my hands on!
This Chai has no cardamon and doesn’t lead with ginger. The first impression I had was heat. Heat from galangal and cinnamon, followed by ginger and fennel. There was a tingling in my mouth from the cinnamon that made me think of melting Red Hot Candies…which I liked so much as a little girl.
I began to notice the Holy Basil. It’s refreshing. Somehow my mind wandered (not a stretch at all) to the flavor of an apple pie turnover…the crust part when the top is hot and has granulated sugar on it and you can crack it…take off a piece and pop it in your mouth. I can taste that in the tea.
I put my nose into my half empty mug and inhaled/exhaled…several times steaming my glasses. The fragrance was like the cedar in a sauna. The mineral scent of wet rocks, the warm sensual smell that comes from the damp wood.

I have the Verdant Chai with cardamon, a strong cinnamon Chai from Butiki and I really like this Yunnan Golden Chai without the cardamon and without the heavy cinnamon and ginger. All 3 supply me with the types of Chai suited for different moods. They stand up to strong foods and remind me of comfort, like a hug or down blanket.

Thank you again Jason!

Lol, this one tastes more like mulled wine than a tea :) Kinda nice, but not something I’d drink regularly.