Laoshan Village Chai (summer)

I am finally getting around to trying this sample and WOW I was not expecting this especially from Verdant! It is SO sweet!
Its like a creamy sweet honey with lovely spices!
I can’t imagine adding milk and honey to it – I love my sweets but I would think that would be over kill – yet if I had more I would certainly give it a try!
This is a goodie!
Love the ginger in this blend!

I’ve reviewed this tea before & it is delicious. As a chai, I especially like that it leans a little heavy to the ginger side, rather than to the cinnamon end of things. My sister, MsWhatsit, reviewed a chai yesterday, commenting on how cinnamon tends to take over the show in most chai formulas, & I’m in agreement with her.

This was steeped in a 2 part process. First I filled my mug about 2/3 full of hot water with a double portion of tea. Then I heated enough coconut milk (from the can, not the carton) to finish filling the cup, dropped the tea in there to resteep, & strained in back into the cup, adding a little stevia. It’s a VERY creamy chai latte!

It’s bubble bath time!

I have to assume that this is the version I have of this chai, given that I purchased it this September.

This is coming off a bit weak to me, however, that’s definitely my fault! I was a bit slow to get to reading the brewing instructions, so instead of 1 tbsp for 8 oz., I used 2 tsp for more like 10+ oz. (plus I threw some Laoshan Black in there that had been used a couple times already). Oops.

I wasn’t super keen on this one unsweetened, but sweetened, it is exactly like a ginger cookie! Like gingerbread! Crazy. It’s pretty tasty, even though gingerbread is not my most favourite thing in the world. It must be the breadiness of the Laoshan Black in the perfect combination with gingery chai spicing to create this flavour.

This is definitely a well-spiced chai, but I think my heart still belongs to 52teas’ Mayan Chocolate Chai, crazy as that is. I’ll have to try this one “properly” though, with the appropriate leaf:water ratio.

I finally got around to brewing up my sample of this, and Rayn and I each had a cup with lunch. It was so delicious! We both loved the creaminess and heavy ginger flavor (especially since our soup had fresh ginger in it). Our only regret was not having more of this tea to make with coconut milk.
Rayn has really fallen for the Chocolate Phoenix Chai as well, and I asked him which he would like to get more of if I put in another order. He said hmmm…both? What a helper. ;)

I am so thrilled my Verdant order came today! I ordered over 20 sample sizes of teas I had been wanting to try. This is the first I am trying of the bunch! And I am not disappointed. I am drinking it straight up, no milk or honey this time. I am pleased with the balance of spice in this blend. I like the spice to linger in the aftertaste, and this certainly does. But it’s not too strong either, and it has a really tasty chocolate undertone that must be from the Laoshan black base; I ordered a sample of that as well but haven’t tried it yet. This is just amping up my anticipation to try the rest of the samples!

This has definitely been my summer tea, and it has been an absolute pleasure in its company. I really enjoy the change in spices too (so much coriander and ginger :D) This is the perfect chai for me. No need for milk or sweetner. And thankfully there is more of this tea on its way in the mail!

Disambiguating the blend since summer and winter types are noticeably different.