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I drink several mugs of this tea every day all fall and winter long. I'm very particular about chai teas, many brands use licorice/anise which makes the taste way too sweet for me. But Tazo's blend is the perfect mixture of spices so just a splash of milk and a bit of sugar or honey and it's a great way to warm up all day long.Because it's decaf, I can drink it when I'm writing at night without worrying about being kept awake.
Commonly called South African red tea, the product has been popular in South Africa for generations and is now consumed in many countries]. The greatest part is you can transport this anywhere, without having to travel to the depths of the Himalayas to harvest the ingredients yourself, before departing for the depths of a plantation in some remote African village fo the rooibos.
For starters, they may have cut the caffeine content, here, but they most definitely did not sacrifice taste. If you are looking for a great cup of chai with less caffeine, Tazo Decaffeinated Chai is the tea for you.
I can't help but feel at peace and delightfully removed from the trials and traumas of everyday life when I take a moment to savor a little pleasurable cup of this wonderful beverage. This chai is made with African rooibos, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, and, if brewed for five minutes or so, you can taste every flavorful ingredient.
What can I say. [FYI: rooibos is a member of the legume family of plants and is used to make a tisane (herbal tea).
This Chai is as close as the tea aisle in your favorite natural grocery store.
****Tazo's Decaffeinated Chai Black Tea is an enjoyable chai experience for the most part. It is caffeine-free.Tazo is an interesting company that makes only super premium teas. Tazo is owned by Starbucks. Tazo describes the aroma as "sweet spice". It is unclear, though, from their web site, how many of their ingredients are organic or kosher, and they do use some "natural flavors" in their teas--this wording seems a little vague for a super premium tea.I would rate this tea, and Tazo in general, as good---better than premium teas like Stash or Celestial Seasonings---but not as good as Numi. Those are pretty accurate. On the paper tea packet, Tazo writes, "a rich blend of full-flavored naturally decaffeinated teas and exotic aromatic spices." On their web site, Tazo describes the flavor profile of Decaffeinated Chai as "creamy, vanilla, sweet and pungent spices". They are socially responsible, based in Portland, and have the motto, "The Reincarnation of Tea".
The black tea "blend" is a little bitter, though, even with minimal brewing. It's a real trick to get it to brew long enough to get to experience the flavor from the spices without having the tea turn bitter.The ingredients in Decaffeinated Chai are: naturally decaffeinated black teas, rooibos, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, chicory, cloves, black pepper, natural flavors, and star anise. Their web site is fun and quirky, with a Zen-type focus, definitely worth checking out. I'm soooooo spoiled by Numi teas, which is why Tazo Decaffeinated Chai gets only four stars.****
"Throughout India, chai wallahs can be found serving cups of decaffeinated chai to souls who naturally seek inner beauty at a slightly gentler pace." If you like your Chai with a peppery kick, then this tea will interest you. Best served with milk/powdered milk/soy milk or a dash of cream and some honey. Rooibos, cinnamon, ginger, decaffeinated black tea, cardamom, ginger, chicory, cloves, star anise and other natural flavors seem to take a back seat to the delicious peppery flavor of this tea. This tea tastes similar to a tea I first tasted in Africa, where Rooibos tea is grown. Since this is a decaffeinated tea, it is perfect for late night writing sessions or when you want something calming to drink that doesn't taste like chamomile. ~The Rebecca Review
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