I had the opportunity to sample this tea before Epi Tea launched. Thank you, Kyle Ryan, for the samples!

This is a chai blend containing large pieces of broken-leaf orthodox tea, whole spices, and flavorings. Thankfully, the flavorings are subtle and are not overwhelming.

The instructions recommend me to brew this tea for 4-6 minutes; I was initially cautious, but this is a smooth tea and I find you can brew it this long with good results.

Although cinnamon is the main ingredient after tea, I was happy to find that the cinnamon was not overdone. The vanilla is noticeable, and adds a smoothness that is absent in most chai's, but it is subtle and does not overwhelm. I would not think of this as a Vanilla Chai so much as I would a masala chai that happens to include a hint of vanilla, blending naturally with the other spices. I find the ginger and pepper to leave a peppery finish, especially as one drinks the whole cup.

If I were blending this tea myself, I would probably omit either the vanilla, or the combination of ginger and red pepper; something about them is a bit incongruous.

This tea was able to produce a second cup. This cup was quite light in color, a golden amber, and the base tea had little presence, but the spices were still strong. The dominant aroma was ginger, with hints of cardamom, cinnamon, and a substantial pepper presence as well. Clean taste with a mild, peppery finish.

I'm a tough customer when it comes to pre-blended chai. This one falls short of my all-time favorite, which is Rishi's Masala Chai, and it's not exactly how I'd choose to blend my chai at home, but I found it to be both well-executed and original, and the ingredients were high-quality as well.

Although I thought this was a very impressive, high-quality chai blend, I still think it is priced prohibitively high, amounting to over 50 cents a cup.

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Comments:

Sylvia wrote: on July 26th, 2012

That sounds good.

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