Jul 03
Review: TeaGschwendner Indian Chai
Black Tea, Cardamom Tea, Chai Tea, Cinnamon Tea, Clove Tea, Ginger Tea, Pepper Tea, Spiced Tea, TeaGschwendner Add commentsDan’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "A masterful balance of flavors and spices - one of the most enjoyable Spiced Chai blends I've encountered."
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9/10
TeaGschwendner's Indian Chai Tea walked home with the 3rd place award in the Chai category at the 2009 World Tea Championship. As chais go, it's pretty darn fantastic. It is certified organic as well.In comparing this blend with other lesser spiced chais in my tea arsenal, it just appears of higher quality. The broken tea leaves are more uniform, and of better heft than the usual dusty sand texture of lesser chais. The bits of cinnamon bark appear sized perfectly so as to impart just the right amount of flavor to the cup. This is no dusting of cinnamon powder, nor are the chunks too big; as such, there seems to be just the perfect balance of volume. Although the ingredient list includes cardamom, I could not spot any in the mix. It's usually the most noticeable ingredient, visually, because many companies include whole green pods in their mix. I suspect TeaGschwendner utilized some finely pulverized seeds or fruit that have taken on the same hues as the general mixture. Tiny bits of dried ginger - even some of the "hairs!" - pepper the mix along with clove pieces and pepper. Everything seems uniformly diced and meticulously selected to create an ideal blend. You know you are dealing with a quality product by inspection alone.
The recommended steeping is 5 full minutes with boiling water. I heartily agree with this recommendation for this particular blend. I did not stray far from this, as I don't think it could improve upon the tea's character to do so. It also holds up to a second infusion, with a flavor that holds up, if slightly less pronounced. The resulting cup is a murky medium-burgundy indicative of many spiced chais. The spent leaves/spices give a strongly-spicy nose, while the cup retains an aroma that is much less so.
Flavor-wise, this tea alone is satisfying on its own. Some spiced chais are nice on their own, while most seem to really shine when accompanied by milk and sugar. This tea is no exception though, and once those two ingredients are added, it really comes alive on the palette. Spiced chais are virtually the only tea I will add sweetener or milk/cream to any more (unless it is a particularly bad tea -- then I use them to mask the bad flavor!). The addition of the milk and sugar makes a perfectly delicious treat. Typically, the most common flaw I find with spiced chais is the over-abundance of cinnamon in the flavor. This blend has what I consider to be a perfect amount of virtually all the spices added. It is not overwhelmingly spicy, nor are the flavors dormant at all. It really is a masterful balance of flavors.
— To purchase TeaGschwendner Indian Chai, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.
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