Rishi's Vanilla Mint Chai Review

Rishi's Vanilla Mint Chai is a loose interpretation of "masala chai" tea blends. It contains only one traditional masala chai spice (cinnamon), but it's not altogether different from the many flavored chais on the market, such as vanilla chai lattes or Peppermint Oregon Chai.

I rarely forget a tea. Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that I recognized this "new" chai from Rishi Tea as a repackaged version of their Vanilla Mint Pu-erh. Both contain Organic Fair Trade pu-erh tea, organic vanilla, organic peppermint, organic cinnamon and organic licorice root. However, Rishi recommends that Vanilla Mint Pu-erh be infused (like pu-erh usually is) and that Vanilla Mint Chai be boiled with milk (like masala chai often is).

Rishi recommends preparing this pu-erh mint chai as a decoction by boiling it with milk and water for three to five minutes, sweetening the tea to taste and then straining it into a mug. It can also be infused with hot water and seasoned with milk and / or sugar to taste.

For complete tasting notes on Vanilla Mint Chai, I recommend you read my review of Rishi's Vanilla Mint Pu-erh.

Infused with milk and sugar, it tastes very similar to the plain infusion, but it's milkier and the peppermint note is more pronounced.

Boiled with milk, its taste lies somewhere between a regular pu-erh and an unsweetened mint hot cocoa, with a licorice finish.

Boiled with milk and blended with sugar, it tastes like a lighter, mellower relative to mint hot chocolate with pu-erh and licorice undertones. Prepared in this way, it is very much a dessert tea.

No matter how you prepare it, this tea is not much like a traditional masala chai or an unflavored chai tea latte. However, it is an enjoyable blend and it could be a great "healthy" (or at least "healthier") alternative to hot cocoa.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.