Spiced Chai Tea - Bigelow

A warm, fragrant cup built on cinnamon, cardamom and clove

Few things smell quite like a pot of chai coming together on the stove — sweet cinnamon, peppery ginger, a curl of clove and the citrus-floral lift of cardamom. Bigelow's spiced chai tea captures that whole aromatic story in a single convenient bag, layered over a brisk black tea base. It's the cup you reach for when you want something more interesting than a plain breakfast brew but don't want to grind whole spices or babysit a saucepan. Tear open a bag, pour hot water, and the kitchen fills with that unmistakable masala-chai warmth in under a minute.

This blend is bagged, full-bodied and built for everyday drinking. Whether you take it neat as a fragrant black tea or build it into a creamy latte with steamed milk, it slots easily into a morning routine and just as easily into a slow afternoon. Below you'll find everything you need to brew it well, dress it up, pair it with food and store it so the spices stay vivid — plus straight answers to the questions we hear most.

What this blend is and who it's for

At its heart, this is a spiced black tea — a classic chai built on the Indian tradition of brewing strong tea with warming spices. Each tea bag combines black tea leaves with a signature spice blend so the work of balancing those flavours is already done for you. There's no measuring of cinnamon sticks or cracking of cardamom pods; the proportions are dialled in and consistent from cup to cup.

It suits a wide range of drinkers. If you're new to chai and curious about all the hype, the bagged format is the gentlest possible on-ramp — no special equipment, no guesswork. If you're a committed chai drinker who already knows you want milk and a touch of sweetness, this gives you a reliable base to build a café-style drink at home for a fraction of the price. And if you simply want a caffeinated morning cup with more character than ordinary black tea, it delivers that too. People who love warm, full, slightly sweet-spicy flavours — the kind of person who reaches for cinnamon in their coffee or ginger in their cooking — tend to fall for this quickly.

Bagged convenience without sacrificing character

Loose-leaf chai certainly has its devotees, but a good bagged blend wins on speed and repeatability. The spices are pre-portioned, so you get the same balanced cup whether you're brewing at 6 a.m. on a weekday or unwinding on a Sunday. For most homes and offices, that consistency is exactly what makes a tea become a daily habit rather than an occasional treat.

The flavour profile, spice by spice

The first thing you notice is cinnamon — sweet and rounded rather than sharp. Close behind comes cardamom, which gives chai its distinctive perfumed, almost cooling top note. Ginger adds a gentle heat that builds on the back of the palate, while clove contributes depth and that classic "holiday spice" warmth. Underneath it all sits a brisk black tea that lends body, a little tannic grip and the caffeine that makes this such a satisfying wake-up cup.

Brewed on its own with just water, the result is bright, aromatic and full-bodied with a naturally sweet-spicy finish — no sugar required to enjoy it. Add milk and the whole thing transforms: the spices soften, the texture turns creamy, and you get the comforting, dessert-adjacent drink most people picture when they think of a chai latte. It's a remarkably flexible flavour profile that rewards a little experimentation.

How to brew it properly

Getting the most out of this blend comes down to three things: the right amount of water, the right temperature and enough time for the spices and tea to fully infuse. Here's the method that works best.

• Use one tea bag per 240 ml (about 8 oz) of water for a standard-strength cup.
• Heat fresh water to a true boil, then let it settle to 95 °C — just off the boil. Black-tea chai likes hot water; cooler water won't pull the spices or body fully.
• Pour the water over the bag and steep for 4 to 5 minutes. Four minutes gives a brighter, more aromatic cup; five gives a deeper, maltier, more assertive one.
• Lift the bag out gently without squeezing too hard — over-pressing can drag extra tannins into the cup and add astringency.

If you don't have a thermometer, don't worry. Bring the kettle to a boil, then count to thirty before pouring; that brief pause lands you right around the target temperature. The single most common mistake is under-steeping — pull the bag at two minutes and you'll get colour without the rounded spice. Give it the full 4 to 5 minutes and the difference is night and day.

Building a chai latte at home

To make a café-style latte, steep one or two bags in a smaller amount of water — say 120 ml — to create a concentrated base, then top with the same volume of hot or steamed milk. Doubling the bags keeps the spice and tea from getting lost once the milk goes in. Whisk or froth the milk if you want that signature foam. A small saucepan also works beautifully: warm milk and water together, drop in the bags, bring just to a gentle simmer, then steep off the heat for a few minutes for a richer, more traditional result.

Milk, sweeteners and easy variations

Chai is endlessly adaptable, which is half its charm. A few directions worth trying:

• Milk: dairy, oat, almond or soy all work. Oat milk in particular adds natural sweetness and a velvety body that flatters the spices.
• Sweetener: honey, maple syrup or a little brown sugar each complement the cinnamon and clove. Start small — the blend is naturally sweet-leaning, and you may need less than you think.
• Iced chai: brew a strong double-strength batch, cool it, then pour over ice and add cold milk. A summer staple.
• Dirty chai: add a shot of espresso to a chai latte for a coffee-and-spice hybrid that's genuinely greater than the sum of its parts.
• A squeeze of citrus: while milk is the classic move, a thin slice of orange or a little zest brightens the cup if you're drinking it without dairy.

One note: lemon and milk don't play well together, so pick a lane — go creamy with milk and sweetener, or go bright and clear with a touch of citrus and no dairy.

When to drink it and what to pair it with

Because it contains caffeine and brews up full-bodied, this is a natural morning tea — the spice and the lift make it an easy alternative to coffee at the start of the day. It also shines in the mid-afternoon when you want a warming pick-me-up. The warming spices make it especially welcome in cold weather, though iced versions keep it in rotation year-round.

On the plate, it loves anything baked and a little sweet. Cinnamon rolls, banana bread, oatmeal cookies, shortbread, gingerbread and apple desserts all echo the spice notes beautifully. At breakfast it pairs naturally with buttered toast, scones or a bowl of spiced oatmeal. It even holds up alongside savoury brunch fare like a flaky pastry or a slice of pumpkin loaf. As a latte, it's dessert in a mug all on its own.

Caffeine and ingredients

This is a true black tea blend, so it contains caffeine — that's part of what makes it such a dependable morning cup. The exact level varies with steep time: a four-minute brew is milder, while a five-minute steep or a double-bagged latte gives you more. If you're sensitive to caffeine, lean toward the shorter steep and enjoy it earlier in the day rather than late at night.

The ingredient list is refreshingly simple: black tea combined with a warming spice blend of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and clove. It's the same family of aromatics used in traditional masala chai, just packaged for everyday convenience. The blend is crafted, blended and packed in Canada.

How to store it for maximum freshness

Spices are volatile by nature, so storage matters more for chai than for plain tea. Keep the bags in their original box or transfer them to an airtight container, and stash them somewhere cool, dark and dry — a cupboard or pantry shelf away from the stove is ideal. Heat, light, moisture and strong odours are the enemies; tea readily absorbs nearby smells, so keep it clear of coffee, spices and anything fragrant. Stored well, sealed bags hold their aroma for many months. If a cup ever tastes flat, it's usually a sign the spices have faded with age rather than anything wrong with the brewing.

Why buy this chai from LocoYoko

LocoYoko is a Canadian coffee roaster and tea shop, and we ship across Canada with fast, fresh stock — no tea sitting forgotten in a warehouse for a year. Because we're Canadian, your order skips the cross-border delays, surprise duties and currency conversions that come with importing tea yourself. Orders over $50 ship free, and every purchase is backed by our 30-day happiness guarantee: if the brew isn't right for you, we'll make it right. Add a bag of coffee or a second tea and it's easy to clear the free-shipping threshold in one go.

Frequently asked questions

Does this spiced chai tea contain caffeine?

Yes. It's built on a black tea base, so it contains caffeine. For a milder cup, steep closer to four minutes; for more lift, steep the full five or use two bags in a latte.

How long and how hot should I steep it?

Steep for 4 to 5 minutes in water at 95 °C — just off a rolling boil — using one bag per roughly 240 ml of water. That window gives the spices and black tea time to fully infuse.

Can I make a chai latte with these bags?

Absolutely. Steep one or two bags in a small amount of water to make a concentrate, then top with hot or steamed milk. Doubling the bags keeps the spice from getting diluted once the milk goes in.

Is it sweetened?

No — there's no added sugar in the bag. The blend tastes naturally sweet-spicy on its own, and you can add honey, maple syrup or sugar to taste if you like.

What does it pair well with?

Anything warm and lightly sweet: cinnamon rolls, banana bread, shortbread, oatmeal and apple desserts all complement the cinnamon-and-clove notes. It's also lovely with buttered toast at breakfast.

How should I store it?

Keep the bags airtight, somewhere cool, dark and dry, and away from strong-smelling foods. Tea absorbs nearby odours easily, so a closed cupboard shelf is perfect for preserving the aroma.