I enjoyed this tea after a 2 minute steep with just boiled water, as the instructions suggested.  Color was a deep rich brown which gave the illusion of coffee (which was highly appropriate since this tea was essentially the tea equivalent of espresso). The strong aroma was defined by its prominent ale-like fragrance. The overall experience of just observing the visual and aromatic components of the tea was rather enticing.

I was far too impatient upon taking my first sip that I burnt my tongue! And while I barely got any tea in my mouth, I learned that there was definitely some truth to their advertising. “Full bodied” proved to not be a descriptive exaggeration. That dot of tea on my tongue was extremely flavorful-it actually surprised me! I could even pick out the rich taste of deep amber liquor. It was evident that I was dealing with a distinctive, rich and full-bodied tea, as promised. After finally waiting for it to cool to a more comfortable temperature, I was able to confirm that was the case.

This tea has a very strong, rich and powerful taste analogous to espresso. They both share the similar distinguishing component of slight bitterness. Definitely serves to wake up the senses. This would serve perfectly as a breakfast brew.

The experience is complimented by the long lasting flavor that lingers just long enough after swallowing to deem it enjoyable as it dwindles away to not leave any nasty aftertaste.

Sweetener works wonderfully with this tea, but it is not a requirement. Considering that this tea is much like an espresso, you can enjoy it in the same means: “black”, with sugar, milk or creamer of any flavor. Sweetener complements the complex flavor well while preserving its distinguishing attributes as well as preserving the overall experience. I have had some teas where adding sweetener completely changes the experience-that is not the case here.

A dash of milk brings out the caramel flavor and works wonderfully with the amber. This gives a remarkably different experience that is highly enjoyable. A fantastic “feel good” dessert; much like a dessert coffee which makes me curious as to how the richness of this tea would pair with flavored creamers.  Basically, this tea drinks like espresso while introducing complexity to
the flavor.

It was a good cup of bagged basic chai but the coconut flavoring was too subtle, if at all existent. Unfortunately, I had the expectation that the coconut would hold some distinctive taste as it had a distinctive scent in the packaging. However, in the defense of the tea, the vender’s website explains that “The sweet hint of tropical coconut fragrantly fills the cup;” perhaps the coconut was only meant to have an impact on the aromatic experience rather than the flavor.

As for just considering this a basic chai tea, it was fine. It was perfect for those who find other chai teas to be too spicy. The flavors of ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon melded together in a much more subdued form to not overexciting the palate. In that sense, I would have to disagree with the venders description of this being robust and full flavored as I found it to be subtle compared to other bagged chai teas.

The quality tea is fantastically evident during the enjoyment of this
tea, which makes it an easy favorite.

There is a very clean air to this tea.

Smooth. Crisp. Pure. -These are the words that come to mind.

The tea is light and soothing; perfect for a midday pick-me-up as it
leaves you feeling fresh and rejuvenated.

I wish I had more because I would love to drink this everyday while
studying for exams!

With sweetener, this tea could easily be enjoyed for dessert and drank
by the gulp!

The tea welcomes you with a scent reminiscent of a Sunday morning.
Perfectly suitable for breakfast with its soothing aroma which
contrarily awakens the mind as well. The scent is wonderfully pleasant
and not too robust.

Upon my first sip of this tea, my immediate impression was that it was
tart; however, this proved to not be the case. This tea had an
interesting effect on me-the more I tried it, the more I liked it!
Pretty soon sipping turned into drinking. While I personally would have
preferred some sweetener to accompany the experience, it is just fine
without it.

The tea showcases a sophisticated combination of flavors; a taste combo
very foreign to novice tea drinkers. With that in consideration, the tea
may present itself as seeming a bit “strange” yet enjoyable. The
complexity of flavor works to confuse such inexperienced palates. The combination is that of rather mild components, which makes it
difficult to describe.

While trying to separate out some of the different flavor components I
would describe this tea as having a somewhat a “nutty appeal” with some
opposing tart and sweet characteristics. This is a wonderfully flavorful
tea that is perfectly balanced. Adding sweetener introduces a different
experience that is just lovely! The sweetener made me realize that there
was an ale component to this tea.

The scent of this tea had a fantastic captivating aroma. It’s strong
maple scent was homey and comforting just as it was exciting-it was
difficult not to instantly want to just brew a cup just to have a sip,
just to see if this was real! The aroma was so promising, it almost
confused me-maple sugar tea that actually smelled like the name? Well..

As I first took a sip without any additives-no milk or sugar-I thought
“well, this kind of tastes like maple.” It was not exactly the flavor I
was expecting. While sweet, the rich flavor I had expected was lacking,
almost watered down in a sense. I would comment on how the tea generally
tasted at this point, but it was a bit difficult to gauge if I liked the
basic flavoring of this tea or not at this point considering that it did
not meet my high expectations.

Then, I added the milk and sugar. This tea was made for milk! The milk
and sweetener complemented this tea perfectly. The only way this tea
would have been even more perfect was if I had some sweetened condensed
milk on hand.

As far as I am concerned, this is not a low-calorie beverage! Unless if
you use a zero-calorie sweetener and milk or creamer, this tea can get
pretty calorie laden if you add sweetened condensed milk-I could even
see this tea pairing well with vanilla ice cream!

The soothing rich flavor of maple is perfect for the evening as it may
compel you to curl up on a comfortable couch as to fully enjoy a moment
of solitude.

With the additives, the tea had a creamy maple flavor that, to my
pleasant surprise, was very rich and authentic. I was afraid that there
would be a fake element to the taste, but that was proven to not be the
case.

The scent of this tea fills the nostrils with a deep and rich aroma with sweet underlying tones.

Upon filtering the tea, you are reminded of the flavorful aroma which acts to excite and refresh the senses.

Without any added sweetener or cream, the quality of the green oolong leaves is distinct and the sweetness of the caramel is present but there is some slight bitterness also present in the mix. Perhaps it’s just me, since I do consider some teas to be naturally bitter despite the
quality. I usually have to add sweetener to these teas, which I did instinctively to this blend.

The sweetener got rid of the slight bitterness and allowed me to enjoy the elegant flavor of this cup. The experience revealed that this was indeed premium quality green oolong. I was also pleased that the caramel was more of an undertone flavoring to further enhance the flavor of the oolong rather than the dominating factor. The cup was rich and flavorful-soothing, deep and complex yet very mellow as to not overexcite the palate. The vender description explained the taste perfectly in mentioning the “complex balance of subtle, lingering floral notes and a deep sweetness.” The only problem I had with this tea at
this point was that the caramel flavor, while enjoyable, was not as authentic as I had hoped for. Adding creamer was next on my list. This took care of the authenticity of the caramel flavor and it really worked to complement the tea quite well! The milky texture really brought about richness to the caramel flavor while still allowing the green oolong to have dominance over the flavor. The experience was dramatically turned around-the creamer was a fantastic enhancing element to the tea.

I found this to be a wonderful tea for the avid tea drinker in that the flavor stayed true to preserving the oolong flavor rather than cover it up with the caramel. It is also a fantastic tea for novice tea drinkers as well in that it acts to introduce a quality oolong flavor in a very
enjoyable manner. This tea can be enjoyed at any time of the day. It has a wonderful
elegant flavor as it also gives a slight refreshing tanginess that is wonderfully paired with a soothing element brought about by creamer with a nice lively kick introduced by the underlying tone of caramel.

The tea has an inviting bright caramel color. The green tea and roobios blend is complemented well by the mellow caramel flavor. Just as the scent suggests, the tea is fresh with an underlying bit of sweetness. The overall flavor is perfectly enjoyable without any additives. The tea
offers an air of freshness that works to compliment any time of day.

While rich in flavor, this serves as a light drink. As one continues to
sip this tea, the flavor becomes more pronounced. The different
components are blended together nicely so no one flavor takes dominance.

Sweetener adds boldness to the overall flavor and allows one to better
detect the separate components. The green tea really shines through with
added sweetener. As expected, the sweetener also compliments the caramel
exceedingly well. Basically, adding sweetener enhances the overall
flavor and brings about boldness to the cup.

The milky texture of cream always works to compliment caramel flavors as
well. Adding cream offers a great desert rendition of this tea-the
smooth milky caramel and zing of green tea and roobios blend offer a
wonderful experience when permeating through the mouth.

The tea drinker is wonderfully introduced to this blend with the deep,
rich, smoky aroma of the tea leaves which act to revive the senses with
their refreshing aromatic presentation.

Upon experiencing the wonderful smell of this tea, one is instantly
reminded of the last calm morning they were able to experience without
being rushed. The scent alone gives the impression that this is indeed a
breakfast tea– one that will revive as well as sooth and offer as a
good morning pick-me-up.

There is a slight tanginess in each sip, which really helps in the
waking up experience. The flavor is full and of good quality so there is no need for any sweetener or creamer additions. The taste is refreshingly clean and reminiscent of a light coffee without the after taste. Basically, a perfect morning blend to start the day.

The vender describes the flavor as “. robust…[that] is equally elegant and complex. Rich and malty character, with subtle notes of ripe cherries, dark prunes, and hints of hazelnuts and honey create an unforgettable tea drinking experience.”

I found the experience to be complex yet subtle, as the description suggests. The tea exuded quality in the elegant balancing of complex flavors. It had a light tone with a refreshing, full flavor with a slight tanginess that allowed one to have a unique breakfast experience.

Without any additives, I found that the hazelnut was the most pronounced
of all the flavors, bringing about the slight tanginess I was referring to. The second most revealing flavor would have to be the cherries.

Sweetener adds nicely to this blend, bringing about some boldness to the
fruit components. The deep, rich prune flavor is far more pronounced. Sweetener gives the tea some more depth as it acts to subdue the tangy
element of the flavor. Milk or creamer also pair very well, bringing about the malt and hazelnut undertones to light.

The result? It was exactly what I was going for! I loved it; he loved it. I still get rave reviews about it!

Tea offers inspiration in culinary exploration. Infusing tea in deserts introduces a new realm of complexity and exotic flavor options. It’s really easy to do; just get any recipe you would like to infuse the tea in and replace the liquid ingredient with tea!

To do this, it’s important to keep 2 things in mind:
The base of the liquid and the intensity of the tea.  If the liquid is a water base then replace the liquid component directly with tea steeped in water.  If the liquid is a milk base then replace the liquid component directly with tea steeped in milk!

In regards to intensity, just keep in mind that the other ingredients in the recipe will act to mellow out the tea flavor. Milk-based tea will also act to soften the infusion. In that regard, it is important to REALLY make your tea strong! You can do this by increasing both the steep time and tea amount. Do not be afraid of making your tea “too strong” for this processs– those green tea truffles I made required 4 times the amount of steeping material and I even ground the dragon pearls to extract even more flavor. Flavor extraction is truly a trial and error process– be prepared to get full from all the taste-tests!

This was a rich, dark soothing tea with a refreshing natural rustic flavor. I did not have to add any sweetener as I felt that it stood wonderfully on its own; however, the addition did bring about a nice element of sweetness that was complementary to the overall experience. I would probably even suggest that a dash of milk would add nicely, but I did not have any on hand and can confidently say that such additives are not required to enjoy this brew.

Unaware of what to expect, the one word that comes to mind when describing this tea is “natural.” Many times in tasting some teas it’s easy to forget that tea comes from natural sources-leaves, flower petals, bark, etc. That is not the case with this tea. It serves as a wonderful reminder with an almost cedar-like element to the flavor.

The flavor is deep and rich-not recommended for the lighthearted tea drinker. This is a quality tea; appreciable by its full complexity of natural flavor.