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Cameron B. drank Coconut Chai by Zhi Tea

4132 tasting notes

Sipdown! (27 | 516)

I’m not sure what I was thinking when I ordered these samples from Zhi Tea, since I ended up with three coconut teas and it’s never a favorite flavor of mine…

This one smells a bit odd, I thought I was smelling stevia at first, and then changed my mind to licorice root. But neither of those things appear to be in this tea, so not sure what’s going on. It also tastes a bit odd. The base is coming off very earthy, when it’s apparently an Assam. Not sure what’s making it taste that way to me, maybe the ginger? The coconut is very light in comparison to the spices IMO. I mostly taste cinnamon, and it’s somewhere in between Red Hots and bark. I probably would have guessed clove as well, but there is none. Not really picking up on the cardamom either.

An odd experience, as it really doesn’t taste like I would expect from the ingredients list. I would probably swear up and down that this has licorice root in it if I didn’t know it doesn’t. Hmm.

Flavors: Anise, Bark, Candy, Cinnamon, Clove, Coconut, Earthy, Ginger, Licorice Root, Sweet, Woody

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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3 comments

Evol Ving Ness
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Coconut is so seductive. I can see how you succumbed to its charms.

Cameron B.
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Clearly this was a retail therapy moment, LOL!

Evol Ving Ness
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Happens. :)

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Comments

Evol Ving Ness
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Coconut is so seductive. I can see how you succumbed to its charms.

Cameron B.
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Clearly this was a retail therapy moment, LOL!

Evol Ving Ness
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Happens. :)

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- October sipdowns: 9
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 138

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing