Discontinued. Similar tea available.
“Backlogging. When we last left Chrine Tuesday night, she had just tealogged the teas she drank that day and was about to go into the forum for a certain chai recipe she’d see and make stove top...” Read full tasting note
“I picked up some of this on the shopping trip yesterday. It was my first loose tea and I was out and had been for a while. I really noticed the cinnamon A LOT this time around…almost two much this...” Read full tasting note
“Oh, gosh. Steepster tells me that I last logged this tea almost two years ago. How can that be? Honestly, this rooibos chai is like that tattered, reliable, security bankie that’s always there for...” Read full tasting note
“My Bostonian relatives sent me home with a bit of this to try and I finally got around to it today, I just find it hard to get excited about rooibos blends. Like another reviewer said: “it looks...” Read full tasting note
This delicious chai is made from Aspalathus linoaris, a South African plant that gives it a rich, red color. The red Rooibos is naturally caffeine-free and filled with vitamin C, minerals, and proteins. And combined with cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, and lemongrass, it makes a wonderful herbal tea.
How to Prepare
Use 1.5 teaspoons of tea per 8oz of water. Heat water to 208 degrees and steep for 5-6 minutes. 2oz of tea equals 25-30 teaspoons.
Ingredients:
Red Rooibos with ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, lemongrass and cardamom.
It’s been about two weeks since I made this (both hot and iced), so my memory isn’t the best. When I made it hot first, the lemongrass flavor was really strong and there was none of the chai spice that I love. I added rock sugar when making it iced, which mellowed out the lemongrass flavor but didn’t improve the taste otherwise. It’s not a bad tea, it just doesn’t taste like a chai. Adagio’s rooibos chai is better, but my absolute favorite (which is technically a rooibos chai but tastes nothing like the other two) is Teavana’s Tulsi Dosha Chai.
Teavana’s Rooibos Chai smells spectacular, but is a little weak for a chai. However, blending it with their Masala Chai (which isn’t my favorite, but works in a pinch) made for a fuller blend with a more subtle blend of spices- a new favorite from my small collections of Chais.
Sipdown!
So the very first time I used the Starbucks Rewards at a Teavana location, I felt extremely guilty and felt compelled (by Jewish mother’s guilt, clearly) to purchase something else. This was maybe a year ago or so and all the chai teas were 30% off, so I bought just over 2 ounces of the cheapest one and finally finished it off tonight. It’s not bad by any means, but I rarely drink it alone. I mostly mix it (forewarning, broken record) with the Spiced Apple Cider tea (2 parts apple cider: 1 part rooibos chai) which I still love and have been drinking pretty much everyday since I discovered that what I thought I was drinking previously wasn’t actually rooibos and totally explained why I was having unexplained stomach issues again when usually I’m pretty “good to go” (Random TMI tangent – I have IBS and if I drink at least a cup of rooibos a day, it has a tremendous impact on my symptoms, in a very good way – end random TMI tangent). PS the tea was The Republic of Teas Chocolate Coconut, which I’ll do a tasting note for eventually…
Anyway, this wasn’t bad, but I have quite a bit of chai rooibos hanging around, so I don’t think I’d restock anytime soon, though it is pretty darned cheap at $4.98 for 2oz, so even an over-pour won’t kill your wallet!
That’s interesting and good to know about the helpful rooibos effects. Do you usually drink a cup in the evening, or just anytime throughout the day?
I have never heard this about rooibos and IBS. That is really interesting. Is this something you read somewhere or just cause and effect discovery for you?
I have never heard this about rooibos and IBS. That is really interesting. Is this something you read somewhere or just cause and effect discovery for you?
Very interesting! Too bad I hate rooibos so much :(
(Disclaimer: not a doctor)
Rooibos is supposed to help with digestive issues and drinking tea generally helps with hydration (both related to my own IBS) so the combination works for me. I usually drink it during the day and have at least 32oz total (I typically have it as an after dinner drink and then whenever I’m cold which is often).
Thanks! I haven’t been fond of rooibos so much but have had the odd blend that was ok I think, so I may try it again sometime – I seem to have gotten away from drinking more herbal things so should change it up. :)
When i first got into tea, I was a bit skeptical because when I used store bought dusty bag Chai it didn’t come out like I expected it to and I generally just let it sit in my shelf.
Loose Leaf is a whole different story. The smell, the taste, the way it just calms me down is amazing. Honestly if I were to have just one tea in my life it would be this ( Subject for change lol.) As I type I am boiling water so I can fully brew at its correct temperature. I was probably brewing around 150 degrees and the tea still came out wonderful, albeit the taste was more like water, the smell can make up for it.
I definitely recommend this tea for anyone who hasn’t tried it, I never thought I’d like Rooibos, but i’m hooked now.
Flavors: Cinnamon
I’ve not had all that good experiences with Teavana’s rooibos blends in the past, but I decided to give this one a tentative go…
In the cup it smells pretty nicely of cinnamon spice and just the barest hint of that cardboard rooibos note that can linger in the lower-quality ones…but the flavour doesn’t quite match up with the scent.
I mean, it smells like it should be really good but the taste is just a flat and rather mediocre cinnamon without the depth and heat that I expect from a quality chai.
Not sure what I’ll be doing with this one, but I’m not all that excited to drink it again…
i feel you on this one, i have their Dosha Chai Rooibos which is a complete and utter disappointment. yack.
They had a chai that I liked a long time ago…maybe it was a honeybush one (or my tastebuds have a faulty memory)?
I’ve been trying to find it for ages, but I keep getting cupfuls of drek. Meh.
Chai is my favorite to drink in the cooler weather, and I love having a caffeine free version. I got a lot of this during one of the 75% off sales, and sort of wish I hadn’t. It is delicious, but I wish the spices were a bit stronger. I have to use more tea than I normally would to make a cup that has flavor even after I add almond milk.
