drank Premium Chai by Butiki Teas
3986 tasting notes

Sipdown! (148)

This sample came from Nicole, and it made me laugh a little bit. First of all, I love the way that Nicole labels her little sample baggies. Instead of writing on the bag or using a sticky label, she writes the name of the tea (etc) on what looks like a piece of an index card (it has graph lines which makes it extra cute) and puts it directly into the bag with the tea. And her handwriting is lovely! This one in particular made me giggle a bit because it said something along the lines of “I think this is Butiki’s chai, it was in a tin with no label”. Thanks for the giggle, Nicole!

I used the recommended 1.5 tsp and brewed it in about 6 ounces of water so I would have room for milk. Added a little bit of sugar and tasted, it’s actually quite mild, which I didn’t expect! I still added the soy milk just to see how it would come out. I’m finding it a bit weak on spice flavor with the milk added. So I suppose next time I would use more tea if I’m going to add milk, or drink it without.

However, I do enjoy the blend of spices here. I can taste the ginger, but it’s not overpowering the cinnamon and clove. I’m definitely enjoying my cup, even if it is a bit mild. I’m not going to give this a rating because I feel it wouldn’t be fair since I added the milk. :P

Flavors: Cinnamon, Clove, Ginger

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 5 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
Ysaurella

Do agree I love as well how Nicole labels the tiny bags, this is unique. She’s as well a very generous swapper. I am curious about this tea too, seems interesting.

Cameron B.

She is extremely generous, she has sent me two packages stuff full of samples in exchange for just a couple of samples from me. They were very one-sided swaps! :)

I’ve had a lot of good swap experiences so far, I don’t think I’ve had a negative one yet!

christeana1

How do you have time to write all these amazing reviews! LOL:)

Cameron B.

christeana, I don’t have a job! Lol. And I’m glad you enjoy them. :P

christeana1

I do enjoy them…you are a great writer….
:-)

Nicole

Well, I thought you might enjoy it if it really was the Butiki chai and I couldn’t be absolutely positive that it was, but it smelled right. :) And I’m glad you can even read my writing. Being computery person for 15 years has done zero favors for my handwriting skills!

I usually oversteep this one since it doesn’t get bitter. I also probably lean on the side of overleafing as well. I like my chais strong. And I always use milk and sugar. I always try them without sugar at first but if the spices don’t pop, sugar seems to help.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Comments

Ysaurella

Do agree I love as well how Nicole labels the tiny bags, this is unique. She’s as well a very generous swapper. I am curious about this tea too, seems interesting.

Cameron B.

She is extremely generous, she has sent me two packages stuff full of samples in exchange for just a couple of samples from me. They were very one-sided swaps! :)

I’ve had a lot of good swap experiences so far, I don’t think I’ve had a negative one yet!

christeana1

How do you have time to write all these amazing reviews! LOL:)

Cameron B.

christeana, I don’t have a job! Lol. And I’m glad you enjoy them. :P

christeana1

I do enjoy them…you are a great writer….
:-)

Nicole

Well, I thought you might enjoy it if it really was the Butiki chai and I couldn’t be absolutely positive that it was, but it smelled right. :) And I’m glad you can even read my writing. Being computery person for 15 years has done zero favors for my handwriting skills!

I usually oversteep this one since it doesn’t get bitter. I also probably lean on the side of overleafing as well. I like my chais strong. And I always use milk and sugar. I always try them without sugar at first but if the spices don’t pop, sugar seems to help.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing

Location

Austin, Texas

Website

https://www.instagram.com/tea...

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer