Tea Review: Cardamom Spiced Masala Chai (Vahdam Teas)

Cardamom Spiced Masala Chai
Vahdam Teas
Type: Flavored Black
Origin: India
Product Description:

Exquisitely crafted classic Indian Chai with extra cardamom for an enriched flavor experience.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

The dry leaves are blended with cardamom.

The dark red infusion has an aroma of cardamom and baked fruit.  The taste is mildly astringent and filled with cardamom.

This tea blend delivers exactly what the name implies.  While I found a nice balance of flavor and astringency by steeping for 2 minutes, a 3 minutes or longer steep will produce more astringency if that is your preference. 

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Kashmiri Kahwa Masala Chai (Vahdam Teas)

Kashmiri Kahwa Masala Chai
Vahdam Teas
Type: Flavored Green
Origin: India
Product Description:

Quintessential Kashmir in a cup - aromatic and earthy, with a fine green tea blended with rich spices.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 1.5-2 minutes

The dry leaves are blended with cardamom, cinnamon, saffron, and almonds.

The golden infusion has an aroma of sweet cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger.  The taste is mildly astringent with bold notes of cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon.

The aroma of the dry leaves reminded me of holiday cookies thanks to the combination of almond and  spices.  I found this quite pleasant when steeped for 1.5-2 minutes, while a longer steep at 3 minutes produced similar spiciness with more astringency.  I would usually recommend lowering the water temperature as an alternative, but that tends to weaken these particular spices.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Maharani Oolong Chai (Vahdam Teas)

Maharani Oolong Chai

Vahdam Teas
Type: Flavored Oolong
Origin: India
Product Description:

An indulgent combination of a medium-bodied & mellow Oolong tea livened with cheerful spices.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

The dry leaves are blended with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper.

The reddish-orange infusion has an aroma of sweet cinnamon and cloves.  The taste is mildly astringent with spicy notes of cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and a hint of cardamom with a long spicy finish.

The aroma is deceptively mild with cinnamon being the focus and then that first sip is filled with the wonderfully bold spices and low astringency.  This chai blend is very pleasant on its own, though it may hold up well with milk and sugar if steeped longer.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Sweet Cinnamon Spiced Masala Chai (Vahdam Teas)

Sweet Cinnamon Spiced Masala Chai
Vahdam Teas
Type: Flavored Black
Origin: India
Product Description:

Sweetly spiced traditional Indian Chai enhanced with extra cinnamon for a lingering flavor.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaves are blended with cardamom and cinnamon.

The dark red infusion has a sweet cinnamon and cardamom aroma and taste with mild astringency.

Steeping for 3 minutes produced a cup of tea that was nicely balanced with the natural sweetness of the cinnamon and mild astringency.  A shorter steeping time will mellow the astringency for those who prefer something milder and a longer steep will allow the flavor to shine through with the addition of milk and sugar.  This flavor and aroma reminded me of cinnamon candy. 

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: India's Original Masala Chai (Vahdam Teas)

India's Original Masala Chai

Vahdam Teas
Type: Flavored Black
Origin: India
Product Description:

A best selling traditional Indian blend of black tea with a myriad of fresh & aromatic spices.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

The dry leaves are blended with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper.

The dark red infusion has a balanced aroma of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and black pepper.  The taste is boldly spicy and moderately astringent with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and black pepper all coming through clearly.

This chai was full-flavored throughout three infusions.  Steeping for 1.5 minutes resulted in a deliciously spicy cup of tea with just the right amount of astringency.  For those who prefer something even stronger or would like to add milk and sugar, steeping for 3-5 minutes will take you where you need to go. I was especially impressed by how well each spice came through clearly as there are usually one or two that get buried. 

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Earl Grey Masala Chai (Vahdam Tea)

Earl Grey Masala Chai
Vahdam Teas
Type: Flavored Black
Origin: India
Product Description:

A unique combination of black tea with the citrusy flavor of bergamot fruit and a zingy piquancy of spices.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 1.5-2 minutes

The dry leaves are blended with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and bergamot extract.

The dark red liquor has an aroma of sweet cinnamon, cardamom, and bergamot.  The taste is bold and moderately astringent with notes of bergamot and cardamom most pronounced, followed by cinnamon.

This tea blend brews up to full flavor very quickly and I found it to be rather strong after a 2 minute steep.  A shorter 1.5 minute steep produced a nicely balanced flavors and aroma, making for a pleasant tasting session.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Vanilla Masala Chai (Vahdam Teas)

Vanilla Masala Chai

Vahdam Teas

Type: Flavored Black
Origin: India
Product Description:

A delicious medley of of our original chai enhanced with the vibrant creamy flavor of vanilla

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2-3 minutes

The dry leaves are blended with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, cappuccino extract, and vanilla extract.

The dark red liquor has an aroma of sweet cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom and a hint of coffee. The taste is moderately astringent with cardamom and cinnamon at the front and vanilla in the finish.

A slightly shorter steeping time helps to reduce the astringency without losing the kick of spices for those like myself who enjoy masala chai without milk. This was also lovely and creamy when prepared with a splash of milk and sprinkle of sugar.  The cappuccino notes were lightly present in the finish.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Turmeric Spiced Herbal Tea Tisane (Vahdam Teas)

Turmeric Spiced Herbal Tea Tisane
Vahdam Teas
Type: Herbal
Origin: India
Product Description:

A timeless Indian combination of pure golden Turmeric chunks and top ginger - soothing and smooth.

Temperature: 208° F

Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaf blend includes turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, black pepper, lemongrass, and bergamot.

The golden liquor has an aroma of turmeric, sweet cinnamon, ginger, and lemongrass.  The most prominent flavors are of spicy ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, and lemongrass. 

This tisane has a pleasantly spicy kick similar to the freshly grated ginger infusion I make when I'm feeling under the weather, which I definitely appreciated.  The flavor and spiciness held up beautifully throughout three infusions with the promise of many more.  

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Double Spice Masala Chai (Vahdam Teas)

Double Spice Masala Chai
Vahdam Teas
Type: Flavored Black
Origin: India
Product Description:

Strong, bold black tea with an added punch of spices for an energetic and spicy cup of Chai.

Temperature: 208° F

Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2 minutes

The dry leaves are blended with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper.

The dark red liquor has a sweet and boldly spicy aroma of cinnamon.  The taste is moderately astringent with bold notes of cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger and a sweetly spicy finish.

While the first infusion has the boldest flavor, I particularly enjoyed the 2nd infusion where the astringency mellowed slightly and the taste of sweet cinnamon moved to the front joined with ginger moving to the front in the third infusion. A bit of milk and sugar in the first cup was rather tasty.  The sweet aroma throughout reminded me of cinnamon candy.

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Tulsi Masala Chai (Vahdam Teas)

Tulsi Masala Chai
Vahdam Teas
Type: Flavored Black
Origin: India
Product Description:

Black Chai tea blend with the goodness of Indian holy basil and exotic spices.

Temperature: 208° F

Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaves are blended with tulsi, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, nutmeg, and mace.

The dark red, slightly cloudy infusion has a deeply spicy, almost-citrusy aroma with notes of tulsi, ginger, and cinnamon toward the front.  The taste is pleasantly bold and spicy with notes of tulsi and ginger most prominent.

Cinnamon notes became more prominent by the second infusion with the tulsi moving back by the third.  Throughout three infusions the taste and aroma were lovely, deep and spicy with the promise of even more flavorful infusions.  

This tea was purchased by me.

Tea Review: Fennel Spiced Masala Chai (Vahdam Teas)

Fennel Spiced Masala Chai 

Vahdam Teas
Type: Flavored Black
Origin:  India
Product Description: 

An energetic and lively blend of black tea with gentle sweet fennel and other exotic Indian spices.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2-5 minutes

The dry leaves are blended with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and fennel.

The dark red liquor has a sweet and spicy aroma with notes of cardamom, cloves, and fennel up front followed closely by black pepper.  The taste is sweet and spicy with moderate astringency and a refreshing spicy finish.

A 2 minute initial steep produced a delightfully spicy broth with moderate astringency.  The natural sweetness of the fennel also seemed to help bring balance to the bold astringency that I would usually expect with a CTC tea.  For the second and third infusions, 4-5 minutes steeping time kept the tea spicy and full-flavored without becoming overwhelmingly astringent.  For those who prefer a stronger brew, 4-5 minutes will do the job nicely.  I thoroughly enjoyed this masala chai blend without the addition of milk or sugar.  

This tea was purchased by me.