Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: ArtfulTea orArtfulTea on Etsy
Tisane Description:
The indulgent taste of chocolate and hazelnut, plus mellow chicory, give this mate blend a rich, roasted, mocha flavor. Yerba mate is an herbal infusion, but unlike most herbal teas, mate contains a stimulating caffeine-like compound.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s been a while since I’ve had some Yerba Mate, and this is a great tisane to get myself back into it! This is really quite tasty!
It actually reminds me a lot of a tisane that I used to make back in my blending days! I made a mocha flavored Mate, mostly because I was looking for something that would satisfy my craving for coffee back then because I was still missing coffee. As I’ve said before I couldn’t drink coffee any longer, but there were still times when I missed the flavor of coffee. I certainly didn’t miss the sick feeling I’d get a few hours later though!
Since that time, I’ve come to really love tea more than I ever loved coffee. That’s probably pretty obvious, huh? But I still love it when I find a tea or tisane like this one that offers a taste that is reminiscent of that rich, roasted flavor of coffee that I used to enjoy.
And this satisfies that craving! This tastes very much like a rich, delicious mocha that you might find in one of those super expensive coffee shops, complete with the sweet, nutty flavor of hazelnut and even a touch of chocolate. I am wishing there was more chocolate flavor to this, though. It’s got some chocolate, but as I have been known to say, more chocolate is always better, and that’s true with this tisane too.
As it is, though, I found this to be quite enjoyable and I’m really glad that I got to try it. Another tasty offering from ArtfulTea.
Organic Chocolate Chai Tea Blend from Rishi Tea
Chai Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh Tea & Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: Rishi Tea
Tea Description:
Velvety, mellow and deep, this chai is an enticing blend of energizing pu-erh tea, shade-grown yerba maté, and cacao. Made even more inviting by creamy vanilla, nutty coconut and fruity, pungent and uplifting Ayurvedic long pepper, Chocolate Chai is a most sophisticated take on hot cocoa.
Learn more about this chai here.
Taster’s Review:
On this cold and wet evening in the Pacific Northwest, I wanted something warm and invigorating. This Organic Chocolate Chai Tea Blend from Rishi Tea is just what I needed!
And it is tasty! I did a quick rinse of the leaves (there’s pu-erh in there, and I didn’t want the cup to taste too earthy) and then I steeped this for four minutes in just under boiling water.
I find that when I use boiling water for Yerba Mate, the resulting brew comes out just a wee bit bitter. My solution to this was to use just under boiling water for Yerba Mate and Mate blends like this one. That way, I can steep a while to get full flavor out of the blend without having a bitter cup.
I’m really liking this chai, although, I find myself in disagreement with calling this “chai.” While I do understand that the word “chai” means “tea,” here in the United States, we’ve come to recognize the word “chai” to mean a tea blended with spices, and these spices usually consist of (but are not limited to) a combination of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and ginger. There are sometimes omissions of one or more of these, and sometimes other spices like peppercorns or anise are added.
However, this blend includes these ingredients:
Ingredients: Organic and Fair Trade Certified™ pu-erh tea, organic roasted cocoa nibs, organic roasted dandelion root, organic yerba maté, organic coconut flakes, organic long pepper, organic cardamom, organic vanilla bean.
With only one of the “usual” ingredients, I find it difficult to call this a “chai.” That … and the fact that this isn’t as spicy as you’d normally experience with a chai. There is some warmth from the pepper and cardamom, but, it’s not a strongly spiced tea.
That said, this is still really enjoyable. I love the deep, mellow notes of the pu-erh and how well they marry with the earthy, vegetative notes of the yerba mate. The cacao and coconut and vanilla play incredibly well together to give this a sweet, rich, chocolate-y and creamy coconut-y flavor. YUM! It’s almost dessert-like!
I love the warmth, I love the complexity of flavors, and you KNOW I’m loving the chocolate! A really yummy tea!
Acai Matetini Mate Tisane from Teavana
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: Teavana
Tisane Description:
The newest craze in cocktails inspired the infusion of real fruit, herbs, and flowers with mate tea. Our mock martini is a classy notch up, first blending acai, blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry. We added to the mix crisp apples and sweet pineapple, brightened with the zesty citrus notes of orange, lemongrass, and hibiscus. Cheers! SUPERFRUIT ENHANCED
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
My very first impression of this Acai Matetini Mate Tisane from Teavana, based only on the appearance of the dry leaf, is that this tisane has a whole lot going on it it … maybe too much going on. I mean, seriously … this tisane looks a whole lot more like a fruit/herbal tisane than a yerba mate blend.
I can see some yerba mate in this, but, mostly what I see is HUGE chunks of dried fruit. Big pieces of assorted berries as well as apple and orange. I see some lemongrass as well as some hibiscus. Not a fan of hibiscus. You probably already knew that about me!
But, I decided to brew it up anyway. And it’s not too bad. It is very fruity, with lots of sweet and tart flavors going on to tantalize my taste buds. I don’t taste a lot of yerba mate – which shouldn’t be too surprising to me because I didn’t see a whole lot of yerba mate leaves in the dry blend.
I taste a lot of berry flavors, but the sweetness from the apple seems to curb some of the tarty flavors that I’d might normally experience from all those berries. It’s tart … but this is more sweet than it is tart. This tastes a lot more like a fruit drink than it does a tea.
In fact, what comes to mind as I sip this tea is my marinara sauce. Why? Because when my kids were younger, I used to puree zucchini and carrots in my marinara to add vegetables to my kids diet without them knowing it. I kind of feel like that’s what’s being done with this tisane. It’s like someone added all this fruit to the yerba mate to disguise the flavor of the yerba mate, because had I not known there was yerba mate in this blend (based on the name), I wouldn’t have guessed it by the flavor.
Overall, it’s tasty, but it’s not really my cup of tea. If you’re looking for a cup of energizing yerba mate … this is NOT the tisane for you. If you want a sweet, fruity drink that’s more fruit punch than it is tea … this might be right up your alley.
Organic Yerba Maté from Kally Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Kally Tea
Tisane Description:
Organic unflavored Yerba Mate’. Our other Mate’ offerings are of a flavored variety. We felt that unflavored would be an excellent addition to our line.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s been a while since I’ve had a pure, unflavored green Yerba Maté, so this Organic variety from Kally Tea is a welcome and inspired change from what I’ve been drinking. Not that I haven’t been enjoying what I’ve been drinking, but, sometimes it’s nice to change things up a bit.
I really don’t drink Yerba Maté all that often, maybe once every couple of weeks at the most, but that’s not because I don’t like it – I enjoy it. I suppose that the truth is that there are a lot of amazing teas and tisanes out there for me to try and … just not enough time (or bladder endurance) to drink them all!
This is a really nice green Yerba Maté. It tastes fresh and I can feel it begin to invigorate me as I sip it … I was a little sleepy before I prepared this cup of tea, and now, I can feel my eyes opening and my body feeling energized and ready to go! Yerba Maté always has this affect on me. It’s got that eye-opening ability that coffee has, but without the nauseating feeling that I get a few hours after I drink a cup of coffee. I get the best of both worlds with Yerba Maté.
And this organic green Yerba Maté from Kally Tea has a really nice flavor too. Sweet, vegetative, and earthy … but, unlike some Yerba Maté that I’ve tried, it doesn’t taste too earthy or vegetal. It has a smooth, delicious flavor. I don’t know if the difference here is that this is an organic offering or what the difference is, but I like what I’m tasting with this one.
Another awesome offering from Kally Tea’s new organic teas!
Enchanted Forest Blend from ESP Emporium
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green Tea & Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: ESP Emporium
Tea Description:
This blend of mellow Sencha and spicy, green mate is a real surprise. Richly decorated, it captivates not only with its striking look, but also develops a completely new and aromatic taste. The tempting aroma of Black Forest Cherry cakes, refined with a little sweetness and attractively decorated, make this blend a much sought-after specialty. An exceptional creation which proves that tea always has something new to offer.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
This Enchanted Forest Blend from ESP Emporium is a tasty blend, but, even though I’m not hating what I’m tasting … I’m a little disappointed. The description suggests “Black Forest Cherry Cake” and I’m not getting that from the aroma or the taste.
What I do taste is a sweet, vegetative green tea, and the earthy notes of yerba mate. It has a refreshing taste to it and I can definitely feel the invigorating effects of the yerba mate. It has a fresh, crisp flavor, and I taste very subtle hints of floral tones. It is a pleasantly sweet, vegetative cup with a light brothy texture.
But, if I’m supposed to be tasting cake-y flavors, well, I’m not. No black forest, no cherry, no chocolate, no cake. And there’s nothing in this blend that even suggests at these flavors except for a vague, indistinct tart note that could be very faint insinuation of sour cherry flavor. But even that note is something that is so barely there that doesn’t even seem worth mentioning.
So, I was hoping for a chocolate-y, cherry Black Forest cake dessert-y type tea blend … but what I got was a blend of earthy yerba mate and refreshing Sencha. Tasty, yes … but not something I’d recommend to others.