Dripping grey clouds coat the sky in chilling wetness and muck. No rain, snow or hail for now, but the wind blows tenaciously to get water on someone. If it doesn’t, then it can savor the accomplishment of keeping the fine people of Michigan State University cooled and determined to profit Starbuck’s. I, however, am an agonizing nonconformist with his glass travel mug and an over sized tea ball. And thus, Harvest Chai becomes the Excalibur against this weather and the horrendous onslaught of blind consumerism. It aids me well and tastes so, so good.
This is officially my favorite Chai. I really hope that Brenden releases this tea again, and I would highly recommend it to chai lovers or people wanting to try something from his company. My mom actually liked it and she is not exactly a chai person. I can only see people being detracted by the price and how mellow this oolong is compared to the vivid descriptions you get on the website….or what I’m writing. In short, it tastes like a chai with a smooth, crisper tea that is closer to a black, but not too robust. It is as mild as fall, which is the season this tea caters to. It’s also the bane of winter rain.
Again, it tastes like a honeycrisp apple juiced then mulled with Masala spices, then finally drizzled with a bit of caramel. As it brews, the more the flavors flux between another remaining constant and balanced. Though it tastes the same pretty much in every cup, every few seconds gives you a better angle of the pure ingredients. And having something wonderful in every cup is never something to fret about. Not having enough of it is.
I have one last serving before this tea is gone. Yes, I’m being melodramatic. I’m a 20 year old Social Studies major reading Plutarch and Livy in a modern art museum, all while wearing a grey heathered cardigan, black, glossy workout pants, a black and grey designer scarf, and a black v neck lounge shirt one size too tight. What more pretension can you expect?