Tea Review: The Chai Palace’s Beginner’s Luck Masala Chai

“We believe in selling delicious chai and tea blends using only natural ingredients-premium teas, herbs and spices. High in antioxidants, each cup provides the right balance of great flavor, enticing aroma and overall goodness. Many of our teas are sourced through the Ethical Tea Partnership that promotes a socially just and environmentally sustainable tea industry all over the world.” Here’s a review for one of those handcrafted tea blends provided by The Chai Palace.

– TEA INFORMATION –

Country of Origin: India

Ingredients: Black tea, Cardamom, Cloves, Ginger, Cinnamon, Black Pepper

Water Temperature: 100 degrees Celsius

Steep Time: 5 minutes

– APPEARANCE+AROMA –

Dry Leaf: Dark, fine CTC (crush, tear, curl) with reddish tint and very fragrant spices.

Wet Leaf: Rusty brown and malt, hot cocoa like notes that are rather enchanting.

Liquor: Dark red with a soothing aroma of rich spices.

First Sip Thought: “Hot cocoa, please.”

Tasting Notes: While it hasn’t really felt like winter just yet where I am in Canada, this tea really hits the spot on the colder days. I instantly wanted to use this masala chai for my infused hot chocolate (hence my first sip thought). The black tea pops nicely as it is bold and malty with little astringency. With most masala chai, the cardamom spice is usually my favourite and this particular blend wins brownie points from me since there were plenty of whole cardamom pods. I can’t stress enough how whole ingredients really makes a huge difference in flavour and aroma. There is also a nice peppery note coming from the ginger and black pepper. I would love it to be a bit spicier but understandably, this masala chai seems to be perfect for those who may want to ease into this type of tea blend first. If desired, a splash of milk and sweetener of choice would be perfect with this masala chai. That’s how I typically enjoy mine however I did try this one straight and it was just as tasty. Since it was lighter than expected, the milk wasn’t really needed to calm down any spiciness. A splash of milk adds a nice creamy touch that I would recommend trying though.

Verdict:

*Interested in this tea? You can find it online here. Use the code: Happychai for 15% off. This offer is valid until December 31, 2015.