Product Review: Premium Masala Green Chai Tea- Organic, Loose leaf

***Disclaimer: I received the following product for free for the purpose of an honest review. See Disclosure/Policies.***

Premium Masala Green Chai Tea- Organic, Loose leaf

Purchase at Amazon for $10.95 at the time of this posting

My thoughts:

It is very aromatic loose leaf tea. Being a chai tea I did expect it to brew darker, however this is based entirely on my experience with chai tea from coffee chains and not home steeped chai. Also, this is a green tea, which I would expect to have a lighter color overall. 

Since this is a green tea, the caffeine content is lower also than black tea. A regular chai, which is usually black tea, is 1/3 as caffeinated as coffee*. Green tea generally has less caffeine than black tea. Good to know. 

*I found conflicting data on the internet about the caffeine content in teas. Green tea for instance is said to have varying levels of caffeine depending on how it is steeped, and how long. 

I received one bag containing 3.53 oz (100g) of Darjeeling Green Tea, Cardamom, Cinnamon, and Clove. The bag directions state using 1 tsp of loose leaf tea in a cup of 90-100*C/194-212*F (so just about boiling) water, and to steep for 2-5 minutes. I didn't think this was a lot for a cup but I do think it is for a 6 oz cup, not necessarily a 10 oz coffee mug. When the correct temperature water is used, and the correct steep time, the tea is definitely a green tea with a nice touch of spice. When the tea is steeped longer than stated it becomes a very strong tea that I found hard to drink. 

Thinking back on that last bit, if I had added some cream to the tea at that point, it probably would have cut the sharpness and been very enjoyable. That's something to try next time. 

I do like the tea. I don't necessarily like loose leaf teas however because, as you can see in the photo of my cup, the strainer I have lets out bits of the leaves. The smell of this tea alone makes me like it. The lingering spice after taking a drink keeps me drinking and enjoying it.

If you go to the amazon link above, you'll see more about this particular tea but I'll share some here:

This is a pure Darjeeling tea, grown and harvested in small batches in the mountains of India. It contains Indian spices of cardamom, cinnamon, and clove. Each batch is packaged in a zippered double air sealed bag within a short time of harvesting to ensure freshness. You can find more information about the origin, date of picking, tea type, and preparation instructions on the bag. The tea itself, along with the spices are touted to be full of anti-oxidants. The tea also is helpful for relaxing and reducing stress. This aromatic loose tea can be used straight in a cup or even in a reusable K Cup.