This is a perfect tea for this time of year. As the air cools, it is so comforting to wrap my hands around a steaming mug of tea, inhaling the warm spices and sipping the hot liquid, warming me from the inside out.
The moment I smelled this tea, I was certain I would like it. The cinnamon is strong and fragrant, vaguely reminiscent of a cinnamon hot candy. The orange aroma is not as assertive as the cinnamon, but it does make its presence known.
But it is the flavor where this tea really shines. While the cinnamon is the most prominent flavor here, it is not overtly spicy or hot. It does certainly offer a kick of spice, but, not nearly as hot as the aforementioned cinnamon candies. The orange flavoring offers a delicate sweetness, which brings out some of the softer qualities of the cinnamon.
The tea used here is a medium-bodied with a light astringency, most likely a Ceylon. It is substantial enough to carry the bold spice, yet not so robust that it overpowers or obstructs the other flavors of the blend. This is a wonderful, synergistic union between tea, spice and fruit.
Tea Forté describes this tea as
Capture the flavors of the season with this enticing blend of black tea, cinnamon and orange. A limited edition holiday tea.
I tested this tea first without sweetener, and it is rather tasty with no addition. However, I found that when I added a small amount of sweetener, it added quite a bit of definition to the flavor. I also added a thin slice of orange to this tea and this brought out some of the brighter fruit notes.
If I were to have one complaint about this tea, it would be that as the tea cools, I noticed that much of the distinctive spice notes became quite muted, to the point of being rather muddied. However, the delicious flavor it offers when it’s hot more than makes up for this deficit. This is one of the most pleasant cinnamon orange teas I’ve ever had! Excellent!
"
Recent Comments
"Dear Tea Guru, Hi, my name is Travis and I do some of the promotions for Tipu’s Chai. To answer your question, yes, we do use the same spices in our instant chai tea as we do in our slow brewed chai. The reason for this is the very same one that you mentioned. When you discover the perfect chai flavor, why change it? Thanks for your..."
Travis said, in reply to Instant Black Chai from Tipu’s Chai on September 8, 2010 at 9:06 am
Travis on:
Instant Black Chai from Tipu’s Chai
"Thank you for clarifying that! I’ve edited the review to include that correction – GREAT chai!"
The Tea Guru said, in reply to Tipu’s Chai Slow Brew from Tipu’s Chai on September 7, 2010 at 7:56 pm
The Tea Guru on:
Tipu’s Chai Slow Brew from Tipu’s Chai
"Hector: I agree, you do NOT need to strain their instant chai, however this is a review of their SLOW BREW chai, which does require straining as the spices are not as refined in the slow brew mix
"
The Tea Guru said, in reply to Tipu’s Chai Slow Brew from Tipu’s Chai on September 7, 2010 at 7:53 pm
The Tea Guru on:
Tipu’s Chai Slow Brew from Tipu’s Chai
"Tea Guru, Straining Tipu’s isn’t necessarily necessary. I leave the instant mix in and just don’t drink the settled stuff on the bottom (or sometimes I do depending on the “kick” I’m seeking). Either way, it’s a great cup of chai!"
Hector said, in reply to Tipu’s Chai Slow Brew from Tipu’s Chai on September 7, 2010 at 11:05 am
Hector on:
Tipu’s Chai Slow Brew from Tipu’s Chai
"Dear Tea Guru, I very much appreciate your comments and am very happy you like our slow brew chai mix. I just wanted to make sure that its clear that the Assam tea is organic, but the spices are not certified organic. They are fresh and non radiated however. I hope that you continue to enjoy a good cuppa chai! regards, Bipin Patel,..."
Bipin Patel said, in reply to Tipu’s Chai Slow Brew from Tipu’s Chai on September 6, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Bipin Patel on:
Tipu’s Chai Slow Brew from Tipu’s Chai
"Great site, I love tea especially orange and green are my favorites"
whosethatlady said, in reply to Cranberry Matcha from 52 Teas on September 4, 2010 at 3:33 pm
whosethatlady on:
Cranberry Matcha from 52 Teas
"I live in zhejiang province. Sounds good!
"
becky said, in reply to Zhejiang Silver Needle from Enjoying Tea on September 3, 2010 at 9:09 am
becky on:
Zhejiang Silver Needle from Enjoying Tea