Decaf Vanilla Chai

A good basic chai. Taste is primarily vanilla with the spices appearing afterwards. I did a fairly short steep because I don’t like my black tea getting bitter, but it probably gets more “spiced” and less vanilla with longer brewing. Best with milk or equivalent.

Initially picked this up because I was at my local grocery/cafe and didn’t like any of the hot teas on the menu. Am slightly distrustful of anything that says decaf (it probably isn’t, not entirely) so this will remain a morning/weekend tea.

A sample from Roswell Strange. Apparently I’ve tried this one once before, but I only have the vaguest of recollections so it’s nice to have an opportunity to refresh my memory. I gave this one 4 minutes in boiling water, and added a decent splash of milk. I do love a decent latte-style chai!

To taste, this one’s so creamy it’s almost unreal. I’m sure the milk has helped, but it’s also the vanilla, which is by far the strongest flavour. It’s rich, sweet, and smooth with that characteristic vanilla bean stickiness. The spices emerge mostly in the mid-sip, and stop the sweetness from becoming cloying. It’s a nice balance between the initial hit of vanilla and the warming cinnamon, ginger and clove. The black tea base is pretty perfect – unobtrusive, with no astringency, but with enough body to support some milk, and to avoid tasting thin. Beautiful! This one would make a great cup on a snowy day – I might have to try and source some of this for just such occasions! Yum!

I’ve been a fan of Bigelow’s vanilla chai since college. The cafeteria stocked it, so I drank it with some regularity. The problem was that I am very sensitive to caffeine, so I couldn’t drink it as often as I wanted to. So I am very pleased to find a decaf vanilla chai that I enjoy. I might even like this better than Bigelow’s. The vanilla comes through very will, and it’s very smooth, not bitter at all. I will definitely be getting more of this.

I enjoy this, and take it with me when I go away, but am not sure I will be repurchasing. For chai, it is decent, and definitely has some spice. But I have noticed a lack of cinnamon taste and also a lack of vanilla. Considering it is vanilla chai, this disappoints me.

I bought this just before I started getting into loose leaf. I drank it quite often when I first bought it but haven’t had it in a year or so. It is still quite pleasant. The vanilla really comes through with milk and sweetener and the spices are just an afterthought, which I really like. I only have a few bags left so I think I will restock this.

I love black tea in the morning, but I can’t have caffeine right after breakfast (diet rules), so I’ve been looking for good decaf blacks. After trying all of H&S’s offerings and not being impressed, it’s nice to find one that is cheap and easy to pick up at the grocery store.

Delist with some sugar an milk! I do however add a little more milk than I would any other chai.

Milk, sugar, and a little bit of honey…lovely.

Good bagged tea.. I like to have this decaf tea after a big meal or before sleepy time.. I got this liking the Chai Latte drinks i get at the fancy coffee shop’s. this is a cheaper toned down style with out all the milk and such.. the pouch smell and cup smell is awesome, spicy and sweet all at once. standard color in the cup. with the spice and such the “tea” flavor is a little harder to pick out but you can catch it in there. its a good tea and a good bagged tea

I guess my roommate has had this in bag form for ages. Now, I love chai, but I don’t like vanilla, but I figured I would try some last year. I’m not sure if it’s the tea itself, or if it was because it was older than dirt, but that’s what it tasted like. Glorified dirt soaked in hot water. It was earthy and very musty, so I’m leaving the rest of it for her, since she likes it. Once it’s gone, maybe I’ll get her another box and try some that’s fresh and adjust my rating accordingly.

Not comparable to Oregon Chai, I prefer a Spicy Chai, rather then a Sweet Chai. Flavors a bit lacking, but over all a good experience. The subtle hint of vanilla is a nice addiction to the spices in their Chai Blend. Colors a bit darker then I thought it would have been.