Yu Lu Yan Chai

Fourth steep: The chai flavors are back, however there’s something granular in the mix now that I’m really finding icky. It’s tickling the back of my throat and saying, “Dump this, even though it’s delicious”. I think I like the chai flavor this time around the best – cardamom, cinnamon, honey, still the base tea peaking through – it’s just this darn granularity that’s ruining it for me. Perhaps the tea bag? This has been three days of keeping it off to the side to re-steep over and over.

1.5 tsp in 12oz.

i totally had a cup of this in the afternoon and it complete got away from me. just that kind of day.

still in search of a way to get the O dor in canada or the US….

Mmmmm, first cup of the day. So tasty, I used a bit less leaf and it’s not quite as strong today, steeped 2 minutes in my giant mug. Warming, cozy, awesome. I just love this tea. I don’t drink it too often as there is quite a caffeine punch I find lol. Almost finished up my BOMC bag, and will soon start on my 2 oz bag haha :D Happy Sunday! See previous notes on this tea!

Hmmm, looks like I’m going to be the lone dissenter on this one so far. So I’ve never actually had the base Yu Lu Yan Cha, and I believe that is wholly the reason for my lack of enthusiasm about this blend.

I brewed as instructed, knowing that I would probably want to add milk and honey, but I took a sip first. People say the base tea shines in this one, and I would have to concur. The spices were mild but nicely balanced, with no one spice coming over the top. I could smell the fennel (bleh) in the dry blend but it doesn’t stick out in the brewed tea.

However, the main flavor in this was the black tea. I did taste the chocolate notes, but there was a bitter harsh note that was almost like smoke but not quite. I thought maybe I was losing my mind (based on descriptions by others) until I read Terri’s note about how she gets a burnt note from it when western brewed, which is obviously how this blend was prepared. Yeah, that’s it… like something that has been burnt, but not the smoke itself. Which is definitely a major turn-off for me. Perhaps I should only brew Yu Lu Yan Cha gongfu, as Terri does.

So anyway I added milk and honey. At first I was still unsure whether I wanted to drink it but the milk smoothed over the burnt note and the honey brought out the chocolate. I will likely be able to drik the rest of this one, although it may go into a swap box for someone who loves it more.

I steeped leftover leaves for 5 minutes in hot almond milk and water, then added a bit of sugar.

So good.

Really, really good.

I’m getting a lot more cinnamon and delicious sweet thick tea. But even though I’m getting more cinnamon, it’s pretty balanced.

Yum.

Before it was gone, I had to have my favorite Chai one more time and ordered 4 oz.

Most of you are buried in snow (unless you’re in the Southern Hemisphere or West Coast of the USA). It’s -6 without windchill factored in today.
I looked at my email and it said (my email has a voice) “Your Verdant Tea has been delivered.”
“Oh Boy!, I answered, I get to put on all my Winter gear and march out to the mailbox
hub to get my Yu Lu Yan Chai, but it’s worth it!”
Most of you know the drill: Socks over tights (women do this), jeans…shirt and wool vest. Coat, ear muffs, gloves and boots. Scarf and my cane.
The sky was bright enough and we haven’t had tons of snow. We’re high and dry. About 8 inches or so in the last week is the most all year so far.

I scurried out and back, giggling at the feeling of my nose hairs turning into ice crystals. (The last time I felt that feeling was Winter -20 in Fairbanks Alaska).

What a perfect time for Chai! I’ve been indoors for a week!

So I forgot what I was doing after I poured water over the leaves in my brew basket.

Yep.

I always cover my teapot with a tea cozy to keep the tea warm and forgot what I was doing. Tic tic tic…for at least 6 minutes.

The liquor was dark… and very peppery and DELICIOUS!

I LOVE THIS CHAI!

I would have bought all the Chai if I could…just for that great peppery cocoa/potato
flavor.

Hope to see this again…but if not. I’ve had a wonderful taste experience.

Steeping a cup right now. I broke down and bought more. 16oz more

Thanks to Dexter3657, I now have a VAST collection of chai to choose from!!

Hey, I know a good morning in a cup when I see one. This screams «good morning, you can’t ignore me so wake up sleepy head!!»

Although there are no chocolate in this blend, it sure feels like a chocolate chai to me. The base must be spectacular on its own.
I really like the depth that peppercorn adds in this tea, in makes all the other flavours pop and tingle like Pop Rock candies!

Once you swallow, you get a warming heat feeling from the ginger. I like that it is not overly spicy, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel, they don’t fight with one another, it’s pure harmony in Yu Lu Yan Wonderland :-)

I could definitely see myself ordering this…but I wont, cause it would mean I have to place an order with Verdant, and if I’d place an order with them, it would also mean increasing my stash significantly which I’m suppose to bring down instead!!

Thanks you Dexter for another hit! Love!!

Hmmm. Not sure what I think about this one. I’m getting quite a bit of pepperiness over a very dark, almost burnt-tasting base black. There are hints of chai-y flavours reminiscent of Chocolate Phoenix Oolong Chai (? that’s not right…), particularly in the aroma, which smells like gingerbread, but at least straight, it’s a bit too heavy on the black tea/peppery flavours for me. I’ll try it with milk/honey at some point, and I’m sure it will be divine, but at this point, it’s nothing special beyond Verdant blends I’ve already tried. (That said, it’s tasty. Just not overly different/special IMO.)

I suddenly found myself in the mood for a chai.
I’d like to publicly thank the Devotea for setting me straight on chai making.
I poured some vanilla almond milk into a pot, turned in on low, added probably way more tea than would be recommended (basically, the rest of the contents of the envelope), & just let it sit there for awhile, checking to stir occasionally. You can disregard any lame reviews I’ve written about this chai in the past, because what I’m drinking now is f*@}!&g awesome!
And it’s a sipdown…uh…326, I think.