Dark Choc Chilli Chai

Had another go with this yesterday, while watching an old episode of The Vampire Diaries on DVD. When I made the first cup a few days ago, I kind of forgot what I was dealing with and treated it much as I would any other black tea. I was “rewarded” with a very strong chilli kick, which was almost a bit much. So today, I decided to try and remedy that a little and brewed this as a latte instead. I used quite a big cup, added an extra teaspoon of leaf (with some trepidation, admittedly), and used half as much water as I usually would. After about 5 minutes, I topped it up with some warmed milk.

It’s much better this way. The chilli is still there, but it’s a spicy warmth rather than a hot burn. The other flavours are also a little more prevalent — there’s more chocolate coming through, and some of the other spices, like the cinnamon and ginger, are making their presence known.

It’s nice to know that there are a couple of ways I can brew this, depending on the flavour profile I’m looking for. It’s equally reassuring to know that I can tone the chilli down into something pleasant, rather than a challenge. I feel more at home with this one now.

Was hoping this Chili Chocolate Chai would offer me the spice I was looking for. Alas, it’s the same as Della Terra’s version: zero spice or heat to it. Still nice and creamy, just something other than what I was looking for, or what it’s labelled as.

Bird & Blend Advent Calendar 2021 – Day 22

So I wasn’t super excited to see this one on the side of the little box this morning, not being a chocolate tea lover. Plus I feel like all the spicy teas I’ve tried recently have been way too spicy?

But actually, it’s quite pleasant. The chocolate flavoring does taste quite artificial, but the cacao shells help to temper it a bit. The cardamom is the strongest spice to my palate, with the others and the chili playing more of a supporting role. My tongue is sightly tingly, not sure if that’s the chili or if there’s ginger here as well.

Overall, pleasantly surprised! Not something I would order, but I enjoyed my mugful this evening well enough. :)

Bird & Blend Advent Calendar 2021: Day 22!

Wow, this one is spicy! I got tons of chili with just a hint of chocolate. I don’t mind spice but could’ve done with a slightly toned-down chili element. I’m not detecting much chai, but I think that’s actually for the best… chocolate + chili + chai has the potential to be overkill!

B&B Advent 2021 Day 22

The steeped scent was very dark chocolate with hints of spice that immediately reminded me of a chocolate spice cookie. The taste translated almost exactly. I would say the chai fell to the background, and the dark chocolate came forward with a spicy kick in the back of the throat. We both downed our cups at record speed and agreed we must order this one!

I loved the Mayan chocolate chai from 52teas, so I was excited to try this tea with a similar flavor profile. Compared with my memory of that one, this one is a little muted. I taste the chai inspiration, and I also taste a little chocolate, but it’s certainly more in a tea way than in a hot chocolate way. The spiciness definitely comes out more like a hot pepper than usual chai spices, which is fun. I just wish the flavoring were stronger, and as always, it could use more cocoa shells! I want more of everything from this tea.

Sip down!
I have enjoyed this one. It is of the caliber of Zhi Tea chais, which are my favorite. It is well balanced and flavorful. The chili adds a slight warming sensation, which could be WAY stronger IMO. IF I were to spend the money on shipping for another order, this would be on the short list of teas I really enjoyed from this company.

i’m not overly a fan of chocolate teas but this one is a fun and decent cup! I like the chocolate flavour, the chili is a nice kick to the entire cup and overall i can get behind this as a chai. It might be a little spicy for some though.

Sipdown!!

Thank you Nattie!! This smells like a fudgey brownie which is oh-so-tempting but the taste is mostly cacao. Granted it is a rich cacao flavor, one I am enjoying far more than most but at the end of the day, it is still cacao and that is not a flavor that is really for me when it comes to teas. However, I 100% recommend this to anyone who enjoys cacao flavors with a little bit of a tasty kick.

Ooooh it’s a deep burn. Ohhhhhhh. This was a bonus treat from Scheherazade in our swap, so thank you! Woo! I don’t often go for chocs or chais and I did end up regifting most of this sample to a friend who is a fan of such things, but I couldn’t resist taking just enough for myself to sample the once.

And then I did my wonderful work trick of forgetting about my still-steeping tea, and this oversteeped—for around 15mins. So it’s got a KICK to it, son! SHEESH. I tamed the beast with a teaspoon of sugar and a dollop of milk, and now I’m getting that creamy chocolatey taste and the chilli isn’t knocking me on my ass. Ooh, this would be good on a cold winter night (and they’re not too far around the corner for me).

Good job with this blend! And thanks again to Sarah for forcing me to try things I wouldn’t otherwise gravitate toward. The joy of tea strikes again!