Vahdam Vanilla Chai Review

Once prepared, my tea was a lovely soft brown color similar to the image at the top of this post. I have to apologize for forgetting to take a photo of my cup. I was just too eager to drink it and missed my opportunity.

As mentioned earlier, I was already in the perfect mood to enjoy a cozy spiced chai, so the aroma and creaminess really hit the spot.

While I enjoyed it overall, the flavor of this tea was very gentle, and I wouldn't describe it as full bodied. It was pleasantly spiced, and I specifically noticed the cardamom in the taste profile. I wondered if I should have brewed it with a higher ratio of tea to water, because it just lacked any richness in flavor. I recognize that this is a personal requirement but I definitely have a preference for full-bodied flavor. This chai was a bit one-dimensional. I completely forgot that it was a vanilla chai, as all I really tasted was that light cardomom flavor and the creaminess of milk.

This time I brewed double the amount of chai with water only, simmering it for four minutes on the stovetop. I was impressed by the dark brew. It honestly looked like coffee, and I imagine the caffeine content was similar due to the high amount of tea for a yield of only 1 cup.

The flavor was definitely stronger with this second brew, but with that came a serious increase in bitterness. I wanted to try it straight without adding any milk or sweetener, but was forced to mix in some cream and sugar just to get through the cup. I was disappointed that the bitterness was so intense without a significant increase in spice and vanilla to even it out.

To be honest, I enjoyed the first version much more than the second. The latter was worth a try and with the cream and sugar it was certainly bearable, but I disliked the one-sidedness of the flavor and was a bit surprised by the intense bitterness that came with a higher concentration of tea, without a notable increase in the spice and vanilla flavors.