Image from Adagio.com
To most Westerners, it is a little known fact that the word 'Chai' simply means 'tea' in Hindi. Therefore, all teas are technically chais. However, instead of the 'chai' that most Americans are used to (which usually contains really bad tea), we offer a Masala Chai tea - premium Ceylon black tea with a unique blend of spices; cinnamon, cardamon, and ginger.
Description from Adagio.com
The smell is so great and different. I never get the chance to drink much chai tea, but whenever I make a brew, the scent lingers in the air for a long time. When you get a warm whiff of this tea, you will smell the great aroma of the spices in this tea. If you spelled chai before, then expect to smell something like that, but it's just so fresh since the last chai 'tea' I had was in a powdered form.
On the front end of this tea, you will get a large dose of spice action going on. I questioned whether or not this heat that I'm feeling is from the hot water or the spices. It turns out that it was from both, haha. The mid palate is kind of lacking and hollow. I get a small hint of sweetness on the back-end and the aftertaste leaves that enticing spicy feeling in your mouth.
Overall, this tea would be great to brew for people who normally don't drink tea or this kind of tea. For example, you have a house party and you want to serve drinks. Your masala chai brew will be the hit of the party, hopefully. There's something about spicy-ness and parties that makes them sound so right together. Masala chai is that factor, also for casual get-togethers.
To tea fanatics like me, you would probably drink this black, but you might have a hard time getting used to it. The mid palate may be too lacking for you, so you might want to fill in the gap with a little hint of milk and maybe some sugar. Chai tea is the only other kind of tea that I would add milk to (I would add some milk to some black teas).
Good tea, but it needs more by itself. If you aren't serious, milk and sugar will do the job as great additions to this tea.
Rating:
3.75 out of 5
