Tasting review of 'Craft Boss World's TEA Chai Latte' where you can taste authentic chai with a spice that settles

Suntory's 'Craft Boss World Tea' series will be joined by a new addition: ' Craft Boss World Tea Chai Latte .' Inspired by the chai that is commonly consumed in India, this chai latte was the first beverage to use spices created using frozen crushing technology. We had a chance to try it out and see what it tasted like.

The package of 'Craft Boss World Tea Chai Latte' looks like this.

The illustration features a chai latte with plenty of cinnamon. The contents are 600ml.

The ingredients are milk, sugar, skim milk powder, edible oil, black tea, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.

The calories are 39kcal per 100ml, which is equivalent to 234kcal per 600ml plastic bottle.

Until now, bottled and canned beverages have typically used spice flavorings and spice extracts to express a spicy flavor, but these have made it difficult to achieve the rich aroma of chai enjoyed at cafes. Therefore, Suntory has adopted 'freeze-grinding technology,' a first for a ready-to-drink RTD beverage , which freezes spices at extremely low temperatures and grinds them while still retaining their aromatic components. Our editorial team received regular spices (left) and frozen-grinded spices (right), so we'll compare them on a plate.

On the left are regular spices (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves), and on the right are frozen ground spices (cinnamon, cloves, cardamom).

When comparing the same spices, you can see that cinnamon (bottom) and cloves (middle) have slightly different colors.

Regular spices are ground quite finely, but when you look closely, you can see that the individual grains have subtle differences in size and shape, giving the impression of being 'grains.'

On the other hand, frozen ground spices have finer and more uniform particle size, giving the impression of being more like powder than grains.

Although the difference between the two was apparent, the aroma of the frozen and crushed spices was comparable to that of regular spices, making it difficult to distinguish them by aroma.

I will actually try 'Craft Boss World Tea Chai Latte'.

The frozen ground spices settle to the bottom, so we recommend shaking well before drinking.

Shake well and pour into a glass.

The pungent, refreshing aroma of spices hits you as soon as you bring the glass to your face. While chai-style bottled drinks often emphasize cinnamon, the Craft Boss World Tea Chai Latte's cardamom and clove aromas are striking. The chai tastes sweet, but less sweet than the 'overly sweet chai you'd find at an Indian or Nepalese curry restaurant.' The sweet aroma of cinnamon, cardamom, and clove lingers after you swallow. One chai-loving editor commented, 'The cardamom and clove are prominent and wonderful. If I had my way, I would have liked some spicy spices like ginger. However, spicy spices can be divisive, so this level of spice may be optimal for a bottled drink that appeals to a wide range of people.'

'Craft Boss World Tea Chai Latte' is available in 600ml PET bottles and 280ml PET bottles for vending machines, with suggested retail prices of 205 yen (excluding tax) for the 600ml PET bottle and 204 yen (excluding tax) for the 280ml PET bottle. It is scheduled to be released nationwide from Tuesday, March 10, 2026.