The Chai Brewing Company

Took a chance and brewed this up with milk for some friends who stopped by for brunch. Smelled strongly of pepper and turmeric, and with the milk it was a beautiful creamy, buttery yellow color. Very spring-appropriate! The spices had more scent than taste, so it was very mild. I sweetened it very slightly, which I’m not sure was an improvement – it may not need any sweetness at all. That being said, I felt that it was more of a health drink (and I don’t drink tea for health reasons at all – just for flavor) than a delicious beverage. It was okay, not amazing. But I think that’s just a personal taste thing, not the fault of the tea. I think for people who love caffeine-free turmeric-based drinks, it would be a winner – it just wasn’t my thing.

Picked this up at last year’s Toronto Tea Festival and just getting around to it now (egads!). It’s spicy, ginger-forward and warming, with a richer tea taste to it than other chai I’ve tried. It’s really good, very enjoyable but I noticed a lot of fennel in it. Luckily, the flavor didn’t transfer too much to the brew. Picky note from me: this chai is a bit more finely chopped, so it tended to clog both my chai pot and the filter in my teapot when I decanted it.

The Chai Brewing Company is a small business here in Canada, and it continues to impress me! I feel like they make each one of their tea blends with so much love! :)

I have been hunting for a spicy chai blend, but that has no caffeine. This one hits the spot if you still want a bold, black tea base, but without the caffeine. I enjoy having this decaf chai in the evenings. It has no bitterness or astringency. The ginger and black pepper notes are the most prominant with a slight hint of caradamon.

It tastes quite good. However, I like really spicy chais, which is why I loved the chai brewing company’s masala chai blend. However, I like this one too. I had it just black, but I could imagine it tasting great with some milk and sugar.

Another excellent tea by the lovely Chai Brewing Company, a small business in Toronto. I know I said this during my last review of their masala chai blend; however, the owners of this company are SO nice and provide excellent customer service.

First Impressions: It smells strongly of turmeric, and then the other spices like black pepper and cardamon, are more so in the background, which makes sense since turmeric is a bold flavour/smell.

Preparation: 2 heaping tablespoons of turmeric chai, 16 oz David’s Tea nordic mug, and steeped in boiling water for 5 minutes. It steeps to a beautiful, vibrant orange.

Taste: I loved this blend. The turmeric tasted extremely fresh. There is no astringency or bitterness to this tea, but it has a kick.

Wow! I am beyond impressed with this tea. This tea is from a small business in Toronto, which I discovered through the Toronto Tea Festival’s Instagram page. To be honest, most of the prepared chai blends I have tried have been from David’s Tea or chai-inspired blends. These were also delicious!!! :)

However, I have been on the search for something truly authentic. For me, as somebody who is South Asian, this would entail finding a masala chai blend that replicates what I would find in my grandmother’s kitchen, and I think I found it! :) Please consider supporting this small Canadian tea company if you can!

Smell: Strong, fragrant, pungent masala chai spices. When I looked at the blend, all the spices were ground, not whole. This is how my grandma usually made chai since grounding the spices lets the flavours shine.

Preparation: I made this one stove-top style with water, sugar, and milk!

Taste: This stole the show for me! It really tastes like an authentic masala chai. That is my only way of putting it. All the flavours are well-balanced. The notes I get the most are the ginger, cardamon, and fennel. The other notes are there too, but they are more so in the background. I really enjoyed this! It also has a very warming feeling that I expect from my masala chais; perfect for the winter.

Overall, a great tea blend, and the owners of this small business are lovely. Answered all my questions promptly! If you love chai, I would highly recommend this blend.