Peter Azak

I don’t like rooibos or honeybush teas, the taste is overwhelming to most blends I’ve tried, and this is no different.

The fruits and spices are there, subtle and faint under the honeybush tea, and as much as I can taste, the flavors can be delicious.

Unfortunately, there is more honeybush than ginger pear and all other pieces.

It would be nice if the blend had more complimented the honeybush rather than seemingly fight to make it work.

Fortunately, the honeybush is not as stomach turning a flavor as rooibos, so I can tolerate this tea at the very least.

This was the first tea my brother and I had tried at Shaktea over the weekend, both of us agreed this tea was simply delicious.

It is a very traditional chai, the spices very familiar and very light. The subtle flavors of vanilla and coconut are what really make this blend stand out. Its body is very creamy, even without milk, which is how I am drinking it at the moment.

I can still see why this is Shaktea’s signature and most popular blend, every steep and every sip is very much heavenly.

Just steeped a cup for a coworker as well as my own cup, as all great teas need to be shared.

The delicious spice and subtle pumpkin flavor brightens an otherwise depressingly wet and dark winter afternoon.

I little over a teaspoon of tea leaves with half a teaspoon of rock sugar and the flavor is consistently bright and lush as ever.

Delicious late morning tea.

Again, a very floral tea in both aroma and taste, mixed with light chai flavors.

I think the reason I am still mixed about this tea is it seems the floral and chai flavors are fighting to be the dominant taste. At times, I can taste both working but then they part and are at ends again.

It is rather interesting how this works, as it is quite a lively tea, but I would prefer a more dominant chai flavor.

While most chai teas would like to add that extra kick by making the spices stronger, thus intensifying the chai flavor, this tea does it differently.

By keeping the flavor intact, simply adding cayenne pepper seems to give a well balanced chai taste while giving you that extra kick in the mouth.

This tea, while bringing the heat, is bloody delicious as well, definitely igniting a fire of flavor in every sip.

This is the absolute last of the leaves in my cupboard… at least until my new order comes in, then I’ll have twice as much.

Made it extra strong with more than one teaspoon of leaves, strong black tea taste over the coconut and cream pie, yet still the aroma is coconut cream pie, and still delicious.

Perfect follow up to Spice of Life, this morning is a white tea morning.

This tea never disappoints, continuing to warm my soul with every sip.

Quite appropriate to start off the first real day of snow with this holiday white tea.

After a morning filled with shoveling snow, a cup of this and two Advil magically whisk my backaches away.

Less tea leaves give me a lighter kick late in the morning.

Not a particularly busy Monday, so enjoying this becomes a fuller experience at work.

Second steep, the taste is not as strong, but the aroma is still there, which still keeps me in a better mood.

I am having a bit of a miserable Monday morning, a seemingly long weekend hangover.

Just smelling the aroma of this tea steep was enough to make me feel much better.

Second steep from last night’s leaves.

There is still that kick, although not as much, it is still a great way to wake up to a holiday morning.

This tea is amazing at any time of day and night.

It is a special chai kick with a satisfying oolong flavor that gets me every time.

Second steep and still the same refreshing minty goodness with the balanced chocolaty taste. Cheers to a long weekend.

I like that it’s more refreshing than chocolately, I cannot stand the constant richness of chocolate at times.

It is well balanced once you get the right amount of tea leaves to rock sugar, so as to not convert it to hot chocolate with mint.

With the best ratio, this has turned out to be the best tea to close out today’s marathon of tea drinking at work. Cheers.

Second steep, I kind of tolerate the lighter taste, it’s not as bright and flowery, the oolong maintains it’s prominence and seems to blend better with more subtle flavors in the background.

I forgot what I thought of this tea, but the first sip since then brought back those thoughts.

It is still a strange blend, the oolong tea still flowery and bright, the fruit giving it more brightness and a sweeter tone.

I am still at odds with this, as I prefer my oolong earthy.

Second steep, as sweet and spicy as ever.

It doesn’t really lose it’s flavor the second time around like most teas, it still maintains a very equal brightness with a slight kick.

An afternoon of winter’s first blanket arrival, confined by my desk until the day’s only light fades into the November skies.

Steeping this tea always makes me forget the worst of each day, and today is no different. The air is cooling, the ground quickly covering with snow. For now, I can only sit in the comforts of my office with a cup of this wonderful chai tea to keep me warm.

Second steep certainly tones down the spices and smoky flavor.

This time around, the taste is sweeter, but I’m barely detecting any marshmallow at all.

Still, less spicy, more sweet, still smoky, still good.

This tea still has spicy chai all over it, with a complimenting smoky flavor.

The spices still overwhelm the marshmallow, here’s hoping a second steep brings that out.

Second slice of pie this morning, second steep of this tea.

It is surprisingly richer in flavor than the first steep, which makes me wonder why that is, as it is the same tea leaves from the first steep.

The pumpkin and spices are brighter, the pie flavor is more prominent.

It’s strange, but I like odd surprises.

OK, so I accepted that this tea will not be as spicy as your typical chai. Upon that, this is quite a tea to start your morning. Despite the increasing loss of spice and pie flavor, the pumpkin has kept it’s consistency in every steep, making this acceptable.