Rooibos Chai (Formerly Ruby Chai) - Organic - Fair Trade
1
Percentile
4 ratings |
|
Commercial Description
Our organic caffeine-free Chai blends rich Rooibos and a sultry blend of spices. Piquant cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon mingle with sweet allspice, vivacious ginger and a kiss of cardamom. Great with milk!
Ratings & Reviews
Page 1 of 1 page with 4 reviews
80 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5Heather Z. (85 reviews) on Dec. 19th, 2017
I don’t like chai teas as much normally but this one I do actually like, probably because it also has rooibos which is good! It smells strongly of nutmeg and I enjoy that. The flavor is really pleasant and reminds me of the holidays. I would definitely drink this again! The only reason I didn’t give this a higher score is because chai teas just normally aren’t my favorite type. But for what it is I think this tea is good!
86 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5Tchuggin' Okie (402 reviews) on Sep. 24th, 2017
For some reason, I've had a hard time assigning high values to teas lately, being on a remarkable run of sampling products hovering within +/- 20 percentage points of mediocrity. Not anymore! This one's a clear winner, folks.
While not the strongest chai I've had, it's more than potent enough to offset straight rooibos' haystraw aspect (usually a negative for me) while leaving in the positives. This tea also tastes and smells most heavily toward the cinnamon component, even though that is sixth on the ingredients list behind rooibos, cloves, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg. Fortunately I like cinnamon! Cardamom is last -- yet if I try, I can taste (or aftertaste) that, and any of the above. What a great balance. A local Indian restaurant serves a wonderful, spiced, iced house tea that's a little stronger on cardamom, and though I drank this Numi blend hot, this is the closest I've found commercially to that.
A distinctive, mottled sheen swims atop the steeped brew, the only plausible source being essential oils from some of the spices in the chai mix. This is a positive statement, as their ability to release the oils so readily shows that the spices weren't overprocessed or left to dry too long. Before this, I've only noticed oil droplets or sheens atop some of the better mint teas.
Although I'm chopping a notch off the "value" rating due to the pricey variety pack within which this came, I would buy a 20-bag box (if such a thing exists) for nearly the same price, as a fine way to indulge in the festive flavor of a good chai with the micro-nutritive benefits of rooibos.
[EDIT on 24 Aug 2021] The boxes sold in stores are 18-packs instead of 20-packs now. So you know for full disclosure/cost-benefit purposes...
85 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5Brytta Sóþword (334 reviews) on Nov. 24th, 2014
A nice chai! I enjoyed the spices and thought they blended well with the rooibos. I didn't try it with milk, but I suspect it would be great with the creaminess that would impart. I particularly notice the cardamom and the cinnamon, though neither is overwhelming. I think this tea could be particularly lovely if they have a loose leaf version.
57 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5Alex Zorach (1453 reviews) on Mar. 2nd, 2013
A good caffeine-free 'chai' which is completely dominated by clove, for better or for worse.
This tea had a rich, cloudy red color, much lighter red than most rooibos, suggesting that this blend actually does not contain a majority of rooibos.
The aroma is dominated by clove, and nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon are also evident. Clove definitely dominates the aroma. I can't notice the cinnamon and cardamom as much, which makes sense because they're listed last on the ingredient list.
I personally think there is way too much clove; some of the other spices are more subtle and the base rooibos definitely gets bowled over by clove, which has a very sharp, piercing flavor.
Flavor is sharp and crisp, and the cup leaves a tingly, numbing sensation on the palate, presumably from the clove, which I find has a numbing quality.
This was actually the least balanced blend I've tried yet from Numi, although the sharpness and boldness of the flavor definitely fits with the aesthetic of the brand overall.
I'd recommend avoiding this one if you want a balanced rooibos chai, but if you love clove, this might be a good choice. I personally thought the clove was way too much.
Page 1 of 1 page with 4 reviews
More Herbal Tea Blends from Numi Organic Tea
Chamomile Lemon (Sweet Meadows)
| Style: | Chamomile Blend |
| Region: | Blend |
| Caffeine: | Caffeine Free |
| Leaf: | Teabag |
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Chamomile Lemon (loose leaf)
| Style: | Chamomile Blend |
| Region: | Blend |
| Caffeine: | Caffeine Free |
| Leaf: | Loose |
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