Tasting Lab: Maple Chai

Maple Chai's maybe a little biased of a choice. I like it! I think it's spicy, sweet, and on the more interesting side of our chais. The teabag version of this tea is excellent for on-the-go, but I think if you want to make this in a pot on the stove, the loose is the best choice. So, with the upcoming release of Vanilla Spice and Pumpkin Spice, I think Maple Chai is a great Tasting Lab choice for fall. With the addition of crushed chili peppers, it gives this tea an extra kick.

Murchie's has released quite a few spiced teas over the years; it's interesting, tracking the history. Our oldest are Lemon Spice and Orange Spice--using old catalogues from the 1960s and the 1980s, I've been able to narrow them down to sometime in the 1970s. Unfortunately, I'm lacking in many 1970s product lists, which is a shame! In the past, many customers have reached out and allowed us to scan and digitize their old catalogues, a great help to fill in the blanks in history.

I suspect Orange Spice is a tad older than Lemon Spice, but their timing makes sense. Orange tea with cinnamon and clove was definitely catching on by the 1960s, with variations popping up across several companies. Lemon Spice is a little more unique. I thought originally it must have come much later, but it looks to have released roughly around the same time. The old advertisements and product guides often featured it as a great iced tea option--lemon with a little bit of cinnamon. It sounds refreshing and zesty for a hot day.

Orange Spice and Lemon Spice were Murchie's two main staples until the 90s. In 1998, Hyatt Blend (aka Tuscany Orange) was released in collaboration with Hyatt Regency Vancouver (you can read more about that here). This tea skewed more orangey, but still had the gentle warmth of clove and cinnamon. 1999 is where I find Christmas Tea first popping up--orangey, spicy, with a sweet, creamy vanilla note. Christmas Tea is particularly difficult to track, as it only shows up in the Winter versions of the guide. It's likely much older, and was just advertised at the store-level, instead of printing a whole new price list for just the holidays.

In the spring of 2002, we introduced an entire line of spiced teas: Summer Chai, Autumn Chai, and Holiday Chai. One for every season except--ironically--spring. These paired spice with orange and raspberry, making interesting hot and cold drinks. Orange and spice has always been a favoured pair, but with so many, eventually the fan-favourite versions won out in the end.

Maple Chai was a late arrival, first blended in 2015 by my predecessor. It was followed by Bombay Chai in 2017. Maple Chai's definitely a very Canadian spin on the classic, but takes it a step further by including chili pepper and licorice root. It certainly makes it the spiciest and sweetest chai out of our lineup. The teabag has been a Canadian favourite (alongside Sugar Maple) in-stores for years. With the release of Pumpkin Spice, and the return of Vanilla Spice this month, it seemed perfect timing to slide in the loose version of this tea. It rounds out the sweet-and-spicy Fall Lineup this year.

I think every tea blender Murchie's has had over the years has brought something interesting and new to the table, and coworkers know I often talk expound about the 'styles' of particular past-blenders. Maple Chai seems straightforward, but hints at interesting flavour-combos, pairing maple with licorice root, and traditional chai spices with chili pepper. It's zesty, naturally sweet, and packs a lot of heat. I find the licorice really enhances and brings out the maple more. Chili pepper seems like an odd choice, but it's bridged by the more 'desserty' spices like cinnamon and ginger. The result is a tea that opens with cinnamon and maple, a moment of sweetness before the punch of chili. The spicy burn lingers, but the sweet licorice lasts longer.

When it comes to stovetop-chai, I think loose is the way to go. Teabag has convenience, but loose allows you better control, and boiling whole spices brings out more flavour. If you're really looking to up your chai game, I suggest lightly crushing the spiced tea with a mortar and pestle first. Spices are always best freshly crushed or grated, and it'll help bring out the aroma and taste before boiling the tea. A little bit of maple syrup or brown sugar makes a great pairing (though with the licorice root already included in the blend, not too much sweetener is needed), and a creamy milk or milk alternative will make it extra decadent.