Happy New Year one and all! I hope the New Year has treated all of our dear readers well. What better way to start the New Year than with a tea that is completely out of my comfort zone. I thought this could be the year that I really try and expand my tea horizons with ginger.
Ginger and I have a love hate relationship. Until recently, I absolutely couldn’t handle anything with ginger in it. But I’ve found that I’ve started to really enjoy ginger and even ate candied ginger. . .and loved it. I’m wondering if my taste buds are starting to change. . .
Let’s Toast is a brilliant blend of yerba mate, ginger, orange extract, orange peel, holy tulsi trinity, and rose hips. This drink has it all and I couldn’t wait to try it.
Brewed up with freshly boiled water and allowed to steep for the recommend time on the package, this tea smelled like an herbal treat in a cup. There were definite citrus notes coming through.
And those some citrus notes came through in the very first sip. This tea is rich and deeply flavored with notes of citrus with a toasted texture and a hint of a spicy twist (from the ginger). A wonderful morning brew that gives you that kick you need to get going without the traditional tea flavors. What really makes this tea special is that herbal flavor you get towards the end of each sip providing you with warmth that stretches to your toes. This tea begs you to brew it up, wrap your hands around the mug, and just drink until those warm and cozy feelings kick in.
I’m sure you’ve already figured this out but I adored this tea. Just adored it and have found myself reaching for it so much that I’m almost out of it. I really love the change of pace this tea offers, plus with the ginger in it, this tea fuels my newly acquired love for all things ginger. Highly recommend this one if you are looking for something new to try for this new year. This one may even become a stable in my tea stash.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Yerba Mate Blend
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description
This is a delicately toasted Yerba Mate is perfectly balanced with the Holy Tulsi Trinity (Holy Basil: Krishna, Rama & Vana), a powerfully beneficial and exotic mix. This blend has the depth of a black tea, yet it is very light and easy to drink. An intoxicating scent of orange with the subtle spice of freshly dried ginger root. It is a favorite at the Tea Hive!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jump Start from Adagio Teas. . . . . .
I’m a caffeine lunatic that’s a little hesitant about maté (it sometimes tastes dry/musty to me). So I was holding off on this until a Day of Great Urgency.
Today was such a day. I spaced out in the shower and was late to a meeting with wet hair. The files I needed for a bunch of projects were unavailable to me. The Internet was down. I considered turning to my nemesis, coffee, for a much needed jolt.
But then I remembered My Backup Plan, the Jump Start.
I’m pretty sure this tea hooked up some wires directly to my heart and zapped it alive again. I went from “mehhhhhh on liiiiiife” to dancing at my desk.
The taste itself is okay — I still don’t love maté — so I recommend adding a bit of honey and vanilla almond milk to it. Boom. Yum.
You’re good to go… TO INFINITY… AND BEYOND!
(Yes. I am VERY hype right now.)
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Description
Mate, Kola, and Black tea make up this well-caffeinated blend to make your mornings deliciously efficient.
blended with toasted mate tea, black tea, cocoa nibs, cinnamon bark, kola nuts & safflower
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mate Lemon from Numi. . . . .
A few months ago, my fiance and I attended the wedding of a good friend of mine, a first-generation Uruguayan American whose wedding and celebration were permeated with beautiful and significant representations of her home culture and family’s heritage. My favorite– by far– were the delicious vats of yerba mate tea all throughout the hall. We sipped on it all night long, and I made a mental note to check back in with my friend on the culture significance of mate as soon as she returned from her sunny honeymoon.
I knew the basic origins of mate, but I had no idea how strongly steeped (hee. see what I did there?) in the Uruguayan culture yerba mate truly was. My friend showed me her traditional mate cup, carved from a gourd with a small basin, holding space for the leaves and filtering out the tea into the bottom as hot water is poured over the leaves again and again. My friend shared with me the benefits her whole family (and whole home country) experience from their constant mate drinking– improved digestion (especially, as she noted to me, for a country whose diet focuses significantly on meat), maintenance of high vitamin A levels, the list goes on and on.
For the next few weeks, I was insatiable– from trying every mate I could find to researching flights to Uruguay in my spare time (a girl can dream, right?). So when this Numi bagged mate showed up in my latest sample box, I was over the moon!
First things first: this isn’t your traditional mate (obviously). It’s a bagged tea, and I won’t be drinking it out of a gourd anytime soon (even more obviously). But that said, it was truly a delight to drink. The lemon came through quite strong, and I rather enjoyed the balanced blend with green tea– even those who aren’t huge fans of the traditionally grassy flavor of mate might find this blend far more palatable. This cup needs nothing added, and for a bagged tea, it certainly isn’t a weak brew. While it might not be the most traditional mate I’ve ever tried, it’s up there with some of my favorites. I’ll definitely be adding bags of this to my regular rotation!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Mate
Where to Buy: Numi Organic Tea
Description
This infusion of organic South American Yerba Maté, Australian Lemon Myrtle and green tea unfolds into a lemon taste with sweet, earthy undertones. Its stimulating effect evokes a cheerful mental lucidity.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Burgundy Yerba from Tea Dude
Are you ready for a Yerba Mate review? Next up is…Burgundy Yerba from Tea Dude! I have to admit that Yerba Mate is down on my list of priorities when consuming and reviewing. It’s not that I don’t like Yerba Mate it’s just that I like so many other teas more regularly and it’s hard to fine interestingly-flavored Yerba Mates that I really want to try!
Burgundy Yerba from Tea Dude was pretty good but I had to do this one ICED. WHY? You guessed it – because of the Hibiscus! I think this was a little heavy on the Hibiscus and that is coming from someone who isn’t fond of that particular ingredient so you might find it to be fine and dandy!
Having stated my dislike for Hibiscus MANY times I will say that Burgundy Yerba from Tea Dude was pretty good ICED. I really loved the addition of the orange peel which was probably my favorite part in this. The natural flavor of Yerba Mate was stomped on by the hibiscus and orange peel which was ok especially if you want to consume more Yerba Mate and aren’t specifically looking for the taste of Yerba 
Mate.
Another thing I really liked about Burgundy Yerba from Tea Dude was the end sip and aftertaste. It was very pleasant. It was fruity
but didn’t leave a funky aftertaste like some fruity and hibiscus teas and tisanes tend to leave behind.
The energy boost of Burgundy Yerba from Tea Dude wasn’t too shabby either. That’s the TRUE reason I do enjoy Yerba Mate when I do consume it. All-in-All I found Burgundy Yerba from Tea Dude to be pretty tasty and satisfying
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: Tea Dude
Description
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Focus from BlendBee
Today is DEFINITELY the day to review this tea. I woke up at 6:20 this morning to help out at work. Arrived at 7:30, left at 2:30, took the dog on a long walk, and am now (3:40) settling in for a my team’s football game. Can I survive 3-4 hours of football, or will I melt into a nap-puddle under my Tardis blanket?
While I wait for the caffeine to settle in, I can definitely taste a smoky tea as well as a citrus note. There’s a tiny little floral element, but it’s only the slightest of hints. I can’t taste cacao at all. It might be folding into the depth of the black tea. If you like a bold, rugged, earthy tea, this one might be for you.
4:10 update: still going strong.
7:00 update: after 1 20-minute micronap, 1 beer, 1 mixed drink, and 1 soda, I am feeling wide-awake. I did, to be fair, take a quick nap in there, and the soda was caffeinated. I should probably test it again under more controlled circumstances. Today was strange in a bunch of ways (wake-up time, nap, two drinks). However, I don’t think I normally feel nearly this good at 7 p.m. during a long day like this with such a tiny nap. I’m pretty sure the tea helped.
What do you think of teas like this, Tea Buddies? Do they help you focus? Can they save you from the brink of exhaustion?
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black/Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: BlendBee
Description
Sharpen your mind & stay focused.
This invigorating black tea & yerba mate blend was specifically designed for a tea lover whose favorite tea was discontinued. We recreated it for her, and to our delight, we loved this blend and decided to whole world should have it. It definitely helps you to stay focused and has a great energy. Enjoy!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!