Loose leaf Smoky Chai blend with dark tea leaves and warm spice fragments scattered on white background, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.
Smoky Chai brewed in a glass mug with wisps of smoke and star anise, its black tin behind, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.
Smoky Chai loose leaf black tea in a black canister with gold label band, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.

Loose Leaf Black Tea | Smoky & Spiced | Contains Caffeine

Smoky Chai

Blended in Oregon Smoky Spicy

A bold, smoky twist on classic, warming chai spice.

Ingredients: Organic Black Tea, Organic Ginger Root, Organic Cardamom, Organic Cinnamon Bark, Organic Cloves, Organic Nutmeg, Organic Star Anise.

$21.00 USD
$21.00 USD
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Size: Tea Tin
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About Smoky Chai

Where the campfire meets the art of chai.

Pine smoke comes up first, then sweet cinnamon and a warm ginger heat over a malty black tea. We blend our Lapsang Souchong half and half with our Assam. The Lapsang is dried over pine wood fires in Fujian, China, and brings the campfire. The Assam brings the malt, and the body to stand up to milk. Then come the spices from our Chai: ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and star anise. This blend contains caffeine.

Why the smoke works

The smoke comes from the leaf itself. Lapsang gets its character from leaves dried over real pine wood fires, so it tastes of wood and warmth and carries the spice without going harsh. The Assam keeps it in balance, so the cinnamon and ginger still come through.

The Fireside Latte

Steep 1 tablespoon in a cup of just-boiled water for 5 minutes and stir in a little maple. Top it with warm, frothed oat or whole milk. The milk softens the smoke and brings the spice forward. For a cup on its own, steep 1.5 teaspoons in 8 ounces of boiling water for 5 minutes.

Read the story of Smoky Chai

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Campfire smoke and sweet cinnamon.

Flavor: Pine smoke first, then the malt of the Assam.

Finish: Cinnamon, cardamom and ginger linger on a warm finish.

Why You'll Love It

Two tea traditions: In Fujian, China, Lapsang Souchong leaves are dried over pine fires. In India, masala chai brings black tea and warm spice together. Smoky Chai puts both in one cup.

A fireside cup: Smoke and spice make a cup for cold evenings, like chai by a campfire.

Smoky Chai loose leaf black tea in a black canister with gold label band, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.

Smoky Chai

$21.00 USD
$21.00 USD
What's inside

Key ingredients

The botanicals at the heart of this blend, and where in the world they're traditionally grown.

Black Tea

Camellia sinensis

Assam, India & Yunnan, China

Ginger

Zingiber officinale

Cochin, India & Shandong, China

Cardamom

Elettaria cardamomum

Kerala, India & Guatemala

Cinnamon Bark

Cinnamomum verum

Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

Cloves

Syzygium aromaticum

Maluku Islands, Indonesia

Nutmeg

Myristica fragrans

Banda Islands, Indonesia & Grenada

Star Anise

Illicium verum

Guangxi, China & Vietnam

Black Tea

Camellia sinensis

A fully oxidized tea leaf with the caffeine to wake you up. Bold and malty.

In the cup

Black tea is the most oxidized of the true teas. The leaves are left to darken fully before drying, which deepens the color and the flavor into a brisk, malty cup with the body to stand up to milk. It also carries the most caffeine of any tea, the reason it is the classic morning brew. Most comes from Assam and Yunnan.

Traditionally grown in Assam, India & Yunnan, China

Shop Black Tea teas

Ginger

Zingiber officinale

Warming and peppery, the classic cup after a heavy meal.

In the cup

Ginger is the spicy underground stem, or rhizome, of the ginger plant, used fresh, dried, or crystallized. It brings sharp, warming heat and a touch of natural sweetness. Ginger has been the after-dinner cup across Indian, Chinese, and Western traditions for thousands of years, most often as the cup after a heavy meal.

Traditionally grown in Cochin, India & Shandong, China

Shop Ginger teas

Cardamom

Elettaria cardamomum

Floral and warming, long used to freshen the breath and spice a chai.

In the cup

Cardamom is the seed pod of a plant in the ginger family, picked green and dried whole. Crack one open and the aroma is floral, piney, and a little citrusy, complex in a way few spices match. It is the signature note of South Asian chai, and the pods are chewed after a meal to freshen the breath.

Traditionally grown in Kerala, India & Guatemala

Shop Cardamom teas

Cinnamon Bark

Cinnamomum verum

Sweet, woody warmth with a natural sweetness, no sugar needed.

In the cup

Cinnamon is the inner bark of a tropical tree, peeled and dried until it curls into quills. Ceylon cinnamon, the kind from Sri Lanka, is delicate and sweet rather than fiery. It brings cozy, woody warmth to chai and spiced blends, plus a natural sweetness that lets you reach for less sugar.

Traditionally grown in Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

Shop Cinnamon Bark teas

Cloves

Syzygium aromaticum

Intense, sweet-spicy warmth. A little goes a long way.

In the cup

Cloves are the dried flower buds of a tropical evergreen, picked before they open. They carry one of the most intense flavors in the spice rack, sweet, warm, and almost tingly, thanks to their natural oils. A clove or two deepens a chai or a holiday blend. They have also long been chewed to freshen the breath.

Traditionally grown in Maluku Islands, Indonesia

Shop Cloves teas

Nutmeg

Myristica fragrans

Warm, sweet, and nutty, the spice of cozy seasons.

In the cup

Nutmeg is the seed of a tropical evergreen, grated for its warm, sweet, slightly nutty spice. Once so prized that wars were fought over the islands that grew it, today it is the comfort note in eggnog, baked goods, and spiced tea. A little brings depth and a cozy, holiday warmth to a chai or dessert blend.

Traditionally grown in Banda Islands, Indonesia & Grenada

Shop Nutmeg teas

Star Anise

Illicium verum

A star-shaped pod with bold, sweet licorice warmth.

In the cup

Star anise is the striking eight-pointed seed pod of an evergreen tree, named for its shape and prized for its bold, sweet, licorice-like flavor. A single pod perfumes a whole pot. Essential to Chinese five-spice and to a proper chai, it brings a warming, aromatic depth that lingers on the finish.

Traditionally grown in Guangxi, China & Vietnam

Shop Star Anise teas

1 of 7
Black Tea

Smoky Chai

Steep bold. Sip smoky.

Caffeine: High
8.0 oz
Water
212°F
Temperature
1.5 tsp
Leaf
5 min
Steep Time
Re-Steep · Up to 1×
Stay close to the timer. Past 5 minutes the smoke starts to crowd out the spice. For a latte, steep 1 tablespoon instead and top with frothed milk.
1
Cup

Craft Your Cup

A few notes from our teamakers.

The Fireside Latte
Steep 1 tablespoon in a cup of just-boiled water for 5 minutes, stir in a little maple, and top with frothed oat or whole milk. The milk rounds the smoke and lets the spice spread out.

The Bold Morning Cup
Take it black. Pine smoke first, then malt, then a wave of cinnamon and ginger.

The Chilly-Evening Pot
Brew a pot for the porch or the firepit. Campfire aroma in the cup, sweater weather in a mug.

Loose leaf Smoky Chai blend with dark tea leaves and warm spice fragments scattered on white background, by Yerba Buena Tea Company.

Your Questions About Smoky Chai, Answered.

How is this different from your regular Chai?

Our Chai puts the spices up front over a malty Assam base. Smoky Chai uses the same six spices over a base that's half our Assam and half our pine-smoked Lapsang Souchong, so the smoke comes first and the spice follows.

Is the smoky flavor artificial?

No. The smoke comes from our Lapsang Souchong, black tea leaves dried over pine wood fires in Fujian, China. We add no smoke flavoring.

Is this tea very spicy?

About as spicy as our Chai, with a little ginger heat. The smoke sits alongside the spice, and milk softens both.