teataku

teataku drank Chai Spiced Apple by Twinings

So, the hubby and I actually first tried this tea when we got a sample bag of it attached to a box of their normal Chai last autumn. We saw a full box of it this season and immediately snagged it, because we really liked it when we first got to try it!

I had never tried an apple flavored chai before, despite the fact that when my husband and I picked it up, we were like, “This pairing is so intuitive, why haven’t we encountered it before?” I had just never seen any company that I normally patronize do a blend like that—I’m now aware, after having poked around here on Steepster, that plenty of other companies have done blends like this. Well, let me assure you, those of you who are fans of those other blends—this one is tasty. The apple flavor may taste a little on the fake side, but as small as the teabags are, I wouldn’t expect them to be able to fit many apple pieces in there. So, apple flavoring it is. I don’t mind it so much, since I have my chai with sugar and milk anyway.

2013-01-26 14:25:07 -0500

195 °F / 90 °C

2 min 45 sec

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I very clearly remember my first experience with tea. It was in a Target near my house, and my best friend handed me a cup of chai from the Starbucks inside the store and said, “Try this.” I believe I was about 12 at the time, and from then on, I was completely hooked.

Anyway, as my increasingly weirded out family will tell you, my obsession with tea has (almost) steadily escalated since then. I discovered the world of tea slowly, first with just chai, and then with bagged teas I could get from supermarkets and specialty stores, and then with loose leaf teas. I mostly shop for tea at Teavana, but I also patronize other local shops that I’ve discovered within the last couple of years. I’ve ordered a smattering of teas from a few online places, but I’m always leery of buying tea online, since most of how I select teas in person is by smell… unless I’m at The English Tea Room.

My favorite types of tea are blacks and flavored blacks. And oolongs. Right underneath that are rooiboses and whites, and then greens and herbals, and then mates. I’m always looking for a new favorite (I get on tea kicks, which are various lengths of time in which I’ll drink one or two teas religiously, and then I’ll switch), but I appreciate rediscovering old favorites. I like to blend teas, but I never store them that way, mostly because I like to leave myself options.

I prefer nutty/sweet/rich teas to fruity/light-flavored teas or bold/full-bodied teas, but I do try to drink some of everything to widen my palate. I’m always willing to try any tea at least once (except this one tea that Teavana mercifully discontinued… the loose leaf smelled like cheese, I swear). I do perhaps rate teas a little leniently… because I’m not very picky. I will try a tea at least three times before I pronounce that I hate it, and I will always focus on the good aspects of a tea rather than the bad. That’s just how I roll. :3