Tea Review: Vanilla Almond Spiced Chai by Trader Joe's

 This was in the refrigerated section of Trader Joe's, and well, I love me a good chai.  Loving a good chai means that I am eternally on the hunt for good chai blends, which means I pretty much have to try nearly every chai that I come across because you never know when it is that you're going to find THE chai blend that is perfect for YOUR palate.  As such, I picked this up for a taste test.


Now, the large print advertises this as a chai - but if you keep reading the bottle, the smaller print bills this as a protein smoothie, and honestly that's far more accurate.  "Protein smoothie with chai tea, almond, coconut cream, and an exotic spice blend" is how the entire label reads.  Texture wise, this is DEFINITLY a protein smoothie.  It's thick in that nearly melted milk shake sort of way, and it has a coarseness to the texture that utterly betrays the presence of the chopped up almonds.  There is also the not quite dissolved powder sensation that you get with any protein powder boosted smoothie.


All that having been said, the chai and vanilla flavor is quite nice.  The spice blend is strong enough that it can be tasted past the strong almond and vanilla flavours, but isn't so strong that the spices dry out the tongue.  I think the coconut cream adds a nice natural sweetness and really helps with the creaminess in the texture.


Final thoughts: Is it something I'll drink when I crave a good chai?  No.  But it IS a very nice chai flavoured breakfast substitute.

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