A smooth, mild chai that was pleasant to drink but disappointing in its lack of strength and cinnamon-heavy spice blend. Sampled at Velvet Sky bakery.

This tea was surprisingly weak and unsatisfying, even when brewed using more leaf than I normally use. I'm also not crazy about the combination of spices. Cinnamon dominates, and I don't really notice much of the other spices, except for a hint of clove. Cardamom is my favorite spice in tea, and it's definitely backgrounded, as is the ginger.

In spite of being thin-bodied, seems to take very well to milk. I normally drink my tea without milk, but I do enjoy masala chai with milk. I experimented a bit with brewing, and also tried it with and without milk. The aroma is preserved pretty well with the milk, and I find the sweetness of the milk blends well with the cinnamon-heavy spice blend. I still find myself craving more cardamom though, as I think cardamom goes fantastically with milk.

Good, in the sense of smoothness and not too bitter, but ultimately lacking in body and strength, and not having my preferred balance of spices.

This is one of Octavia's lowest-priced teas, at under $40 a pound. In spite of the price being lower than the other teas, I don't think it offers as good value--mainly because I think I could blend up a masala chai blend much better-suited to my tastes, at home, from even cheaper ingredients. I strongly prefer the pure teas from Octavia. They don't seem to blend teas and flavorings to my tastes, but I consistently like their pure teas.

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