Shae Send Message

207 Followers / 743 Following

Shae drank Decaffeinated Chai by Twinings

1092 tasting notes

The first tea I remember drinking (and actually enjoying) was a sweet and frothy chai latte from my university cafe. A professor of mine encouraged me to try it, and for the remainder of my freshman year I must have bought one every week. I loved the warmth from the spices and the creaminess of the milk.

I picked up this tea a while back, hoping to recreate the experience. I made this cup at work so I wasn’t able to brew it as a latte. Instead, I added cream and sugar once the tea had finished steeping. I’m pretty sure this contributed to the lackluster taste. The tea smelled of Red Hots candy and tasted mostly of anise. It was watered down and bland, but definitely spiced. In fact, I tasted only spice and no tea.

I will try this again, but will definitely be making it a little differently next time. If it fails as a drinkable tea, I’ve found a recipe for Chai Latte Ice Cream that should serve as a nice way to use up the rest.

Flavors: Anise

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 6 min, 0 sec 8 OZ / 236 ML

I Like This

1 likes

0 comments

People who liked this

Profile

Bio

Lifetime student. Lover of books and paper and ink. Kitchen dweller. Aspiring herbalist, excessively proud cat lady, and tea fanatic. Thirty-something elder millennial. She/her.

I love flavored black teas most of all, always with cream and honey. I prefer to sweeten my tea as it seems to bring out the flavor. I enjoy floral and fruity teas, as well as flavored or scented ones. I’m not overly fond of green or white teas, but I’ve found a few that I enjoy.

I’m open to tea swaps and/or just sharing what’s in my tea cabinet! Please reach out if you see something I have that you’d like to try. I do my best to update my cupboard regularly.

It will take me longer than usual to get to the post office while we’re in the midst of this pandemic, but I would still love to send you something next time I’m out and about!

Favorites
Any and all black teas, smoky teas, raspberry, strawberry, red fruits, bergamot, chai spices, floral teas, caramel/toffee, jasmine, rose, vanilla, peaches, plums, valerian root, cinnamon, cardamom

Not a fan
Lime, white teas, green teas, artificial sweeteners, sarsaparilla, licorice

Rating Scale

1-20: By far, one of the worst teas I’ve tasted. I most certainly will not finish my cup and will likely “gift” the rest to my sweet husband who almost always enjoys the teas I dislike (and vice versa).

21-40: This tea is not good but if I mix it with another tea or find another steeping method I might be able to finish it.

41-70: This one is just okay. I might drink it again if someone were to give it to me, but I probably won’t be buying more for myself.

71-79: This is a consistently good tea. It’s reliable but not necessarily special.

80-90: This one is a notch above the rest and I would gladly enjoy a cup of it any day of the week. I’ll likely be keeping this in my cupboard, but it isn’t one of my all-time favorites.

91-95: One small change and this tea would be perfect. I’ll definitely have a stash of this in my kitchen if you come over for tea.

96-100: No words can describe this tea. It’s an experience, an aha moment. Closed eyes, wide smile, encompassing warmth. Absolutely incredible. Perfect.

Currently reading:

A Breath of Snow and Ashes
by Diana Gabaldon

Updated October 2020.