One of two new chai blends that we’ve released for this year’s Fall Collection!
Hopefully it’s obvious from the name, but this is our iteration on the more classic Masala Chai profile. We’ve stuck with essentially just the classic spices most associated with Masala and then used a blended base of shou pu’erh and Indian black tea. There’s a world in which maybe we could have used only the black tea, and that certainly would have been a little more traditional but I think having both adds a really distinct rich earthiness and body that makes this bold blend especially good at standing up to milk.
And, to that point, it’s a phenomenal latte – especially when you take the little bit of time or effort to simmer it stove top! We were really inspired by the masala chai lattes that are so prevalently served by the chaiwallahs (ie. “street merchants”) in India which is partially where the Mumbai in the blend name comes from!
But how does it compare to the other chai in our assortment or that we’ve carried in the past? The closest thing DT has ever carried was probably David’s Chai which was a very classic Masala Chai on a purely black tea base. Both this tea and David’s Chai were unflavoured and focused solely on the spices in the teas. I would say between the two I find this one has more overall body, a bit of a deeper flavour, and less of that licorice-y flavoured caused by star anise or aniseed. Anise and aniseed are classic spices in a masala though, so we haven’t totally omitted it.
Compared to things we currently carry, the closest would be Saigon Chai. That blend could also be considered a riff on a traditional Masala Chai, but IMO it’s even more deviated than this one is. Also sweeter, more cinnamon forward, and a touch creamy thanks to the addition of a vanilla flavouring. So, for argument’s sake, I’d call this more “pure” and honestly probably better balanced in terms of highlighting the multiple spices included (particularly the cardamom) comparatively.
Different strokes, or rather chai, for different folks!
Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.
