Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: ESP Emporium
Company Description:
The popular fresh taste of fruity, sweet oranges goes well with the moderately strong, spicy, slightly smoky Mate tea. The strikingly decorated, delicious specialty is a high-grade offer for the rising demand for Mate tea. The well-balanced addition of pleasant licorice gives the necessary sweetness to this fresh and slightly tangy blend. Similarly to black tea, mate tea is stimulating with a short brewing time (5 minutes); this effect diminishes with longer brewing times (10 minutes).
Taster’s Review:
This is a perfect tea for Halloween!
But, first, I have a confession to make. The first time I tried this tea (about a year or so ago), I didn’t like it. Today I am trying it again for the first time and … I don’t know if it is because my palate is acquiring a taste for Yerba Maté, or if the blend has been changed a little bit since the last time I tasted it, but, as I sit here writing this, I am finding more to enjoy about this tea than I did with my previous sampling. I guess it just goes to show that one should not judge something based on first impressions alone! Things change, including our tastes!
Now, I’m not saying that this is my favorite tea. But I am enjoying it right now. And as I said, it reminds me of Halloween. The licorice flavor is stronger here than I remember. I like the sharp yet sweet flavor of the licorice that reveals itself mid-sip. The sip begins with a smooth, earthy note from the Maté that is mellowed just slightly by the sweet, juicy orange. This is followed immediately by the sharp note of licorice, and the finish is orange-y and licorice sweet.
I remember when tasting this tea previously, I found the maté to be quite harsh and too earthy for my palate. Now, I am finding the maté flavor to be fresher and smoother in taste.
I consumed this tea hot with a drizzle of raw honey. The honey highlighted some of the sweet orange notes as well as curbed the licorice sharpness just enough. A very enjoyable cuppa!
