Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black with Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Design a Tea
Company Description:
All that’s missing is that pain in the butt parrot and a buried treasure; like we said, you will remember after 1 cup of Pirate Tea where the treasure is… or at least where you lost your car keys! This is a hardy chai with a very pleasant sweet pineapple aroma and after taste. GREAT COLD
Taster’s Review:
I am not generally a huge fan of Yerba Maté. For the most part, I can take it or leave it, although sometimes, I come across something pretty spectacular. I even blended a pretty spectacular Yerba Maté blend… if I do say so myself.
But, Yerba Maté isn’t necessarily my favorite … know what I mean? It’s kind of like rooibos. I don’t dislike rooibos… but, it’s not something that I crave usually either.
BUT… this blend… I can actually see myself actually craving! It is so good.
It is a blend of black teas and Roasted Yerba Maté (generally my preference when it comes to Yerba Maté). The Yerba Maté is not an overwhelming presence in the cup (perhaps that is why I like it so much?) but the deep earthy flavor is there, as well as the roasted quality from the Maté.
The black tea is also not an overwhelming presence. I can taste it, but, it seems to be providing more of a smooth presence to help curb the edge that can sometimes be part of the flavor of the Yerba Maté. Together, the Maté and black tea create a very smooth, yet rich, deep, earthy flavor.
The pineapple is the strongest flavor in this cup, but it is not an overly aggressive flavor. Rather, it is pleasantly sweet and juicy, and provides a beautiful contrast to the earthy character of the Yerba Maté and the warmth of the masala chai spices, creating a perfectly harmonized balance of flavors.
There is also vanilla flavoring added to this blend, which is soft and smooth, and gives the whole blend a hint of creamy, sweet goodness without being too obvious.
This is an amazing blend – definitely one of my favorite Yerba Maté blends, and perhaps the best I’ve tried from Design a Tea. That’s saying quite a lot, because I’ve been very impressed with what I’ve tried from them! This one is a real winner!
