Nov 11
Review: Adagio Masala Chai
Adagio, Black Tea, Cardamom Tea, Ceylon Tea, Chai Tea, Cinnamon Tea, Clove Tea, Ginger Tea Add commentsLaura’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "This one is definitely drinkable without dairy, but I found it to be more enjoyable with a splash of vanilla soy milk. That additional sweetness and creaminess helped tame the clove a bit."
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"To most Westerners, it is a little known fact that the word 'Chai' simply means 'tea' in Hindi. Therefore, all teas are technically chais. However, instead of the 'chai' that most Americans are used to (which usually contains really bad tea), we offer a Masala Chai tea - premium Ceylon black tea with a unique blend of spices; cinnamon, cardamon, and ginger." ---Adagio website.If you follow along with Teaviews, then you are probably aware that I am a chai girl. One thing that increases tremendously in the Fall as the cooler temperatures set in is my chai consumption. I just don't crave it the same way in the warmer months of Summer. My favorite chai blends tend to be ones with a nice strong black tea base and a pretty heavy spice load. Adagio has kind of a hit and miss track record with me, but I did find their Thai Chai to be quite delicious and enjoyed that as my Summer chai blend. I highly recommend ordering at least a sample of that with any order from Adagio. One of the reasons that Adagio's blends tend to be very hit or miss with me is because I often find that the black tea used in many of their flavored blends is not of the highest quality and bitters easily. Therefore, it is necessary to be very careful not to oversteep any flavored black tea from them. That said, I did not experience any such issues with the Thai Chai.
I prepared this blend using water brought to a full boil and allowed to cool for 2 min. I used a heavy hand when scooping the amount of tea used and infused for 3-4 min. I also used about a half tsp of rock cane sugar to start. I like to taste the chai without any milk when I begin drinking my cup so I can get a feel for the spice load. The black tea base is not bitter in this case, though I wouldn't say that it tastes to be of high quality either. The spice load is rather clove heavy. I am one that thinks that chai is best when clove is present, but my preference is not for a clove domination. The ginger provides enough heat to please me though. The other ingredients play in the background. If they were to tweak this to my personal preferences then I would ask for a little more cinnamon and a little less clove. About halfway through my cup I decided to add a bit of dairy so I can get a feel for the more traditional taste. This one is definitely drinkable without dairy, but I found it to be more enjoyable with a splash of vanilla soy milk. That additional sweetness and creaminess helped tame the clove a bit. I am not positive if it was a build-up of ginger from the cup without dairy or if the ginger did actually hold its own quite well once the milk was added, but I still found the ginger satisfying throughout.
Overall, I wouldn't call this my favorite chai blend. However, if you a like a clove heavy chai, then this will probably please you. I would call this a medium spice load chai, so if you are spice sensitive then you should probably avoid this one. I think this one could have been improved with the use of a heartier black tea base of a better quality, such as a good Assam or even an Irish Breakfast. However, in a pinch, this is a decent cup.
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