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Chai Tea Review

Review: Adagio Teas’ Masala Chai Tea (Loose Leaf)… WOW!

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Adagio Tea's Masala Chai Tea (Latte)
Slurp, Indeed.
In a recent Adagio Teas order, I got to choose a free sample and, being the Chai Tea Latte FANATIC that I am, I went with Masala Chai Tea (loose leaf). Knowing Adagio the way I do, I knew it would be extra special (since every tea they make is outstanding) – and the thought of an extra special Masala Chai made into a Chai latte filled me with unspeakable happiness.

Like all fanatics, I can recall the exact day I became obsessed with Chai Tea Lattes. It was over 10 years ago… on a Saturday afternoon. It was the middle of winter and my husband and I had gone to a local coffee house for liquid warmth. As a Crazy Tea Chick, my hot drinks of choice in coffee houses are almost always tea. This time, instead of a hot black or green tea, I decided to try a Chai Tea Latte…. and my life was never quite the same.

To this day, my winter “go to” drink in all coffee houses is a Chai Tea Latte. My summer “go to” alternates between iced black tea, green tea frapps, and a Starbucks fixation, Strawbery Acai Refresher.

My winter drink does not alternate. Ever.  Naturally, I make my own Chai Tea Lattes at home (can you say daily?) as well.  I normally use my Breville Cafe’ Milk Frother (an absolute must if you enjoy lattes, coffee or tea) but a blender will certainly do the trick.

I made up a pot of the Masala Chai as soon as it arrived. As soon as I opened the pouch, I knew it was going to be a great afternoon. The aroma was unspeakably beautiful – I realized right away that most Masala Chai loose leaf tea doesn’t measure up when it comes to this aroma.

{Review Continued Below….}

Adagio Tea's Masala Chai Tea (Loose Leaf)
When making lattes at home, I always brew the tea stronger than normal. This makes the latte a real work of art. I add equal parts brewed tea and milk (any type – coconut milk from a can is AMAZING with Chai tea… AMAZING) to the Breville Cafe’ Milk Frother (or blender) and turn it on.

After you’ve poured the deliciousness in your cup, taste it to see how much (if any) sugar you want to add to sweeten the deal. More times than not, I will add a little whipped topping to the top instead of adding any sugar.

Another decadent treat is to stir the latte with a cinnamon stick. As luck would have it, I was all out of cinnamon sticks… so I just dove in without any frills.

Phenomenal. Seriously. Adagio Tea’s Masala Chai Tea makes one of the best Chai Tea Lattes I have ever had – and, believe me, I have had gazillions.

Confession – I normally use Tazo’s Chai Tea Latte Concentrate when making Chai Tea Lattes at home. It gives me that strong, addictive, utterly beautiful Chai Tea Latte experience I live by and, quite frankly, I’ve found very few Chai Tea loose leaf teas that can hang with Tazo’s concentrate.

Adagio’s Masala Chai (loose leaf) was more than up for the challenge and it blew me straight away. The concentrate has nothing on this beautiful tea.  If you love Chai Tea Lattes, like me, or have never experienced one on your own… this is the Chai Tea for you. Trust me – if there’s one thing this Crazy Tea Chick knows, you’re looking at it below.

Find the Masala Chai and other Chai Teas on Adagio Tea’s website. Trust me, you won’t be sorry – these people know their tea like few people could ever hope to.

Adagio Tea's Masala Chai Tea (Latte)
More Adagio Teas Reviews on Crazy Tea Chick:

Review: Firepot Nomadic Teas Rooibos Chai Tea Concentrate

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Firepot Nomadic Teas Rooibos Chai Tea Latte

Firepot Nomadic Teas  Delicious Rooibos Chai Tea Latte

It’s not easy for a Crazy Tea Chick to admit that there’s actually a tea she isn’t perfectly crazy about. And yet… well… Rooibos tea and I don’t have a very good history. Throughout my tea-obsessed years, I’ve tried Rooibos tea – each time ordering myself to fall in love with it.

Alas, not a single spark ever flew. Heck, I never had one even begin to kindle.

Me… the Crazy Tea Chick who loves black, green, and white tea like they’re members of the family. Me.. the one who orders a tea-based drink each and every time she’s in Starbucks. Me.. the nut with not one, not two, not three, but FOUR shelves devoted to tea in her kitchen.

It has always bugged me that there is actually a tea I’d have to warm up to in order to even reach “lukewarm.”

On the other hand, I am (without a single doubt) the biggest Chai Tea Latte lover in the world. Obsessed doesn’t cut it and fanatical doesn’t even come close.

So, here was a dilemma recently presented to me: Rooibos Chai Tea Concentrate from Firepot Nomadic Teas! When I picked the bottle of concentrate up, I kind of felt like I had one little devil on one shoulder and one little angel on the other. While I’m sure Rooibos never did anything to earn such an association, it is what it is.

I’ve been so blown away by every Firepot Nomadic Tea I’ve tried that I held my breath – not wanting one to break the streak, yet fearing that if one WERE to break the streak, he’d answer to the name Rooibos.

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Firepot Rooibos Chai Tea Concentrate
 

Naturally, I used my Breville Milk Café Milk Frother to make my Rooibos Chai Tea Latte. Simply pour in equal parts of the concentrate and milk (skim, lactose free, whole milk… your choice) and push the button.

While it worked its magic, I tried to tame the doubts but my brain just kept trying to process the unlikeliest of pairings.  In fact, the Eagles classic “Hotel California” started playing in my head, “This could be Heaven or this could be Hell…”

Finally. The moment of truth.

My first thought was literally, “You have no right to be this delicious.”  And, yes, as a matter of fact, I do talk to inanimate objects. All the time.

They don’t judge, counter, or rebuff.

From Firepot Nomadic Teas:

Inspired by an ancient recipe from Northern India, our masala chai (meaning spiced tea) has won the hearts and captured the tastebuds of Firepot devotees for almost two decades. Our exotic and aromatic spices are hand-blended and freshly ground for a uniquely vivid and balanced taste. Firepot Rooibos Chai is brewed with South Africa’s mineral and nutrient-rich herb, making our popular chai recipe caffeine-free.  {Continue Reading…}

The Firepot Rooibos Chai Tea is just ridiculously delicious. While I do, personally, think the Firepot Masala Chai Tea (click for my review of this beauty) is EVEN better, I am wild about the Rooibos Chai Tea. There is a uniqueness to it that floats my boat and I totally recommend it to anyone who loves lattes – whether or not you’re into Rooibos or not.

If you do happen to love Rooibos… why are you still reading?!?! Go order a bottle right now!

As for me, I believe I’ll have a nice warm cup of it right now.

I have to admit it, Firepot’s Rooibos Chai Tea has inspired me to renew my search for a great Rooibos Tea. There may be hope for us.

Firepot Rooibos Chai Tea Latte
It Was, Indeed, Heaven….

Firepot Masala Chai Tea Concentrate Review (Delicious!)

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Firepot Masala Chai Tea Latte

Firepot Masala Chai Spiced Black Tea Concentrate

I’d hate to think of living in a world without Chai Tea Lattes, but having said that, a bad Chai Tea Latte makes me want to curl up in a corner and cry.

I’m nothing if not dramatic.

While finding a truly great Chai Tea Latte in coffeehouses can, itself, prove challenging, making one at home can be almost impossible. Fortunately, there are a few concentrates out there that actually “get it.”  They understand that a Chai Tea latte should taste exotic and distinct.  They “get” that one sip should take your taste buds to a beautiful far away land and they “get” that drinking a chai tea latte should be an experience. A very special experience.

Did I ever tell you I was obsessed with Chai Tea Lattes?

Firepot Nomadic Tea “gets” Chai Tea and Chai Tea Lattes as well as anyone could possibly get them.

I made my first Chai Tea Latte using Firepot’s Masala Chai Tea concentrate yesterday. By the time I made one this afternoon, it was my third. You could say I kinda freaking love them to the point of wanting to buy a new cat just so I can name him Firepot.

If, like the Crazy Tea Chick, you experiment with a lot of different Chai Teas and Chai Tea Lattes, you know that – like people –  each has its own distinct personality.

You’re also well aware that – again like people! – some personalities are more pronounced and agreeable than others.

I recently had a Chai Tea Latte in a beautiful little coffee house that was totally devoid of a personality. Reminded me of some people I’ve met. I vowed to avoid their Chai Tea Lattes in the future like I avoid the people it reminded me of.

Firepot’s Masala Chai Tea, by contrast, is loaded with personality. If it were a human, it’d be the life of the party.

Firepot Masala Chai Tea Concentrate and Latte

Firepot Masala Chai Tea Concentrate and Latte

Why the Crazy Tea Chick is ALL About Chai Tea Lattes:

When I go to coffeehouses, I almost always order a tea-related drink. I guess that’s the sort of thing you’d expect from a Crazy Tea Chick, right? But there are more methods behind my madness than just being obsessed with tea.

  1. I live with my own personal barista/coffee expert. My husband, in a stroke of beautiful luck for me, has a couple of hobbies he’s especially passionate about. Coffee is one of them.  While I don’t benefit from his love of golf, I benefit daily from his great knowledge of and appreciation for coffee. He brews our coffee each day (with various methods he selects for each coffee bean).  So… you know… why bother ordering coffee if great coffee is already part of your daily routine?
  2. As someone with asthma, I’ve found that a piping hot Chai Tea Latte almost always clears me up when I’m having trouble breathing. I just make a Chai Tea Latte and normal breathing is restored by the time I finish my cup.
  3. I’m one of those annoying cold natured people who seldom think the heat can possibly be set high enough. If I’m not toasty, I’m not convinced it’s warm enough.  Chai Tea Lattes actually warm you up from the inside out.  Try one on the next really cold day. I promise you, you’ll feel like you’re sitting beside a fireplace enjoying a beautiful drink. That’s what I call the Chai Tea Latte experience.

From Firepot Nomadic Tea:

Inspired by an ancient recipe from Northern India, our masala chai (meaning spiced tea) has won the hearts and captured the tastebuds of Firepot devotees for almost two decades. Our exotic and aromatic spices are hand-blended and freshly ground for a uniquely vivid and balanced taste.  Read More….

Making a beautiful, exotic, and insanely flavorful Chai Tea Latte in your own home couldn’t be simpler with Firepot’s Masala Chai Tea Concentrate – you simply combine equal parts of the concentrate and milk (skim, whole, Lactose Free, soy…) in a saucepan and bring them to the desired temperature you’re looking for.

You could, of course, also simply drink the Chai Tea Latte cold.

To add a little loveliness to the production, you could top it off with a small amount of whipped cream or frothed milk.

I actually make all of my Chai Tea Lattes in a Breville Milk Frother (pictured in the sidebar).  I pour in 1 cup of the concentrate and 1 cup of milk, push the button and wait semi-patiently with my cup in hand.

Firepot Masala Chai and Rooibos Concentrates
In a wicked short amount of time, I have a frothy, delicious, piping Chai Tea Latte. And when the Chai Tea is as excellent as Firepot’s is, it’s truly a beautiful thing.  Sometimes I top Chai Tea Lattes off with a little cinnamon or nutmeg. I did so with Firepot’s Masala Chai Tea the first time I made it (pictured in the purple gradient mug). However, by the time I made it the second time, I realized it needed no help from me or my cinnamon or nutmeg, so they stayed in the cabinet.

Firepot Masala Chai Tea is packed with beautiful layers of flavor. Each sip is a total and complete experience and makes me fall in love with Chai Tea Lattes over and over again.

This Chia Tea fanatic strongly urges you to buy a bottle of Firepot’s Masala Chai Tea concentrate and take your taste buds on an exotic excursion. If you’re already a fan of Chai Tea Lattes, you’ll be blown away by the unique flavors Firepot brings to Chai Tea. If you’re new to Chai Tea Lattes, brace yourself – you’re going to have a new obsession.

Also See:  My Firepot’s Breakfast Tea Review

Firepot Masala Chai Tea Concentrate and Latte
Firepot Masala Chai Tea