Oct 19
Review: Yogic Chai Kuki Chai Masala
Cardamom Tea, Chai Tea, Cinnamon Tea, Clove Tea, Ginger Tea, Green Tea, Yogic Chai Add commentsKatie’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "The best advice I can give is that you only order from this company when you're ready to drink the tea, and drink it quickly, or you'll find your cup lacking."
| ||||||||
For a long time I haven't liked chai blends, and I thought I closed the book on that tea genre. However, recently I read Steeped in the World of Tea, which was an excellent book filled with great stories that inspired me to drink a different cup with every page, and one of those pages motivated me to give chai another chance. I figured most of the blends I had before were sub-par, and since I have heard great things about Yogic Chai, I thought if anything could sway me towards spicy teas, it would be them.I used Yogic Chai's advice while brewing this tea: Bring one cup of water to a rolling boil, then add 1 teaspoon of chai. Simmer for at least 2 minutes followed by adding 1/4 cup of milk and bringing to a boil. Finally add one Tablespoon of sweetener.
I found myself very surprised with the resulting cup. The lack of scent in both the steeped cup and dry leaves was weak enough that it was a bit of a turn off, and the taste was extremely nutty and interesting but mostly mellow. I expected the bold, spicy taste Yogic Chai is known for but was shocked by the smooth flavour.
I personally like this subdued version of a chai, but I feel like I may be deceived: This tea sat at Teaviews headquarters for awhile, in the mail for 12 days or so, then in my cupboard for several weeks. I have to wonder if this tea ages quickly and is best consumed as fresh as possible if you're looking for that spice and bite. Since everyone else has raved about how fresh Yogic Chai's teas are, I assume this is an anomaly, and if you order from them, you'll get the fresh product. The best advice I can give is that you only order from this company when you're ready to drink the tea, and drink it quickly, or you'll find your cup lacking. As it stands, I've rated this tea more how I assume it's meant to taste than the cup I actually ended up with, since I'm sure it's no fault of Yogic Chai's that I found myself drinking such an un-chai-like tea.
— To purchase Yogic Chai Kuki Chai Masala, 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.
 |
Katie Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Katie's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Katie. |
October 19th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Hi Katie, thank you for your review and I am sorry about your disappointment.
As you said, we are known to have real chai blends that people rave about how fresh they are. Sure enough we make each blend to order to ensure the freshness of the botanicals as we do not depend on artificial or “natural” flavorings to increase the taste. We make REAL chai and that is how real chai is supposed to be made.
I have to say that I am quite disappointed myself as the way TEAVIEWS handles the shipment of samples to all you who actually do the reviews.
The sample you are reviewing was sent to TEAVIEWS back in June 09, that is almost 4 months old…
Kukicha Chai is not meant to taste like a traditional Assam Masala Chai, for that we have our Original Masala Chai, which contains a larger amount of spices that go perfectly well with Assam.
Kukicha is much lighter.
Jessica Pezac from AuthoriTea.blogspot.com describe it as:
“It’s only slightly spicy, but you can taste the incredible combination of different chai spices. It tastes very fresh. That said, again, this tea is incredible. It tastes so fresh. I can’t wait to buy more!”
P.S. Katie, If you would like to give chai another chance, I will send you a sample of our Original Masala Chai. I promise you will not be disappointed
Ricardo Dacosta
Founder of Yogic Chai
1-877-827-6942
My Rating:
9/10