I love chai overall, so they tend to skew high in my ratings unless they either simply suck, or as in this case, are "just" decent while being overpriced. [Though I was served a couple bags of this tea at a Corner Bakery outlet, I based "value" on the online pricing.] My version came in a rectangular sachet sewn on three sides with cotton thread (fancy pants!), with a sewn cotton string leading to a purple paper tag. The tea itself is something of a paper tiger.

If this was the first chai I ever tried, I'd probably like it more, and rate it higher on "value". The best experience is the dry-bag scent at the start, but because of its complexity, is misleading. To badly paraphrase Engelbert Humperdinck, the scent writes checks the flavor can't cash. I couldn't taste a lot of the base tea, and the spices were remarkably mellow compared to the best chais I've had. Mostly this was a pleasant, very drinkable, smooth beverage, heaviest on cardamom and cinnamon (two spices I do love) in taste and wet-bag aroma. The flavor doesn't have any of the "bite" or sharpness I like in chai, despite pepper and cinnamon as ingredients. I know the pepper is there, for it wafts into my nostrils during dry-bag sniffing. What happens to it thereafter is a mystery.

This isn't a bad drink, and I'd accept it if offered for free. It's just underwhelming as a chai for which one would pay actual money. A store-brand chai, Trader Joe's, is much cheaper, a *lot* richer on the base (Assam) tea, and a good deal sharper and more warming in mouthfeel.

Add your own review

Login or Sign Up to comment on this review.