Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Mate
Where To Buy: The Persimmon Tree
Tea Description:
This aromatic and refreshing cocktail of yerba maté, lemongrass, orange peel, and lemon myrtle is the perfect tonic after a workout or tiring day. Citron Maté is a stimulating brew that can give you a little caffeine boost without the shakes or crash that can follow. Try it sweetened over ice with fresh lime juice for a refreshing summer treat!
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
For my first cup of the day, I generally prefer a good, strong cup of black tea. However, there are some mornings when I need a little more than the caffeine boost that the black tea can give you, and on days like that, I often turn to Yerba Mate.
Yerba Mate has more caffeine than tea. It’s more like coffee when it comes to caffeine. But with Yerba Mate, I don’t get the jitters or the sickly feeling a few hours after drinking it the way I do with coffee. Yerba Mate is a big win when it comes to a caffeine fix.
And I’m really enjoying this Yerba Mate blend from Persimmon Tree. It has a sweet, citrus-y flavor that perks up the earthy, vegetative flavor of the Mate in a very agreeable way.
To brew this tisane, I used my Breville One-Touch. I measured 3 bamboo scoops of tisane into the basket of the tea maker (I generally like to use a little more leaf when it comes to tisanes) and added 500ml of freshly filtered water to the jug. Then I set the parameters: 185°F – usually I go with 195°F for yerba mate tisanes but because this is a green yerba mate, I thought I’d take this opportunity to “test out” a slightly lower temperature for the green yerba mate – and 10 minutes steep time. Because yerba mate is low in tannins, a longer steep time will result in a fuller flavor without bitterness.
I’m quite pleased with the result! The flavor is sweet and citrus-y with notes of orange and a sweet hint of lemon and lime. There is a light, creamy flavor that I’m tasting that melds nicely with these citrus notes. The citrus isn’t a strong presence, in fact, I think I’d like a little more citrus to this (and I’d recommend serving it with a thin slice of whatever citrus fruit you might have on hand!) but it does add a lovely little accent of bright flavor.
It’s very “morning” bright – this cup of Citron Mate!
The yerba mate has a fresh, vegetative taste with earthy background notes. It has a smooth flavor and isn’t bitter or astringent. Smooth from beginning to finish! I know that some people have remarked that they find yerba mate to be a tad on the bitter side, but to these people I recommend a slightly lower brewing temperature. When I steeped yerba mate at a boiling temperature, I would experience bitterness too, but since I’ve dropped the temperature to 185° – 195° F, I find that I get a smooth, bitter-free taste from every cup of yerba mate now!
If you’re looking for a vibrant way to start your day, you should give this Citron Mate from The Persimmon Tree a try! It’s tasty!
Lemon Ginger Cookie Oolong Tea Blend from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
This was one of the suggestions I got for the new blend in the 12 Teas of Christmas set. I liked the idea so much I decided to make it NOW rather than save it for the gift set. Fujian oolong, ginger and lemon myrtle combined with organic flavors make this a treat you won’t want to miss out on. It will warm your bones and please your palate.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn how to subscribe to 52Teas’ Tea of the Week program here.
Taster’s Review:
Mmm! This tea evokes happy memories for me. Every once in a while when my daughters were younger, we used to have tea parties. We’d go all out for them, making little finger sandwiches and scones and buying special sweets for the occasion. Our favorite cookies were ginger cookies with a lemon cream filling. The zesty flavor of the ginger along with the bright flavor of the lemon – a perfectly delightful combination.
And this tea is also perfectly delightful!
I like that I’m tasting lemon and ginger here, but that they aren’t overpowering the Oolong base. Oolong is one of those teas that I often think is better off left alone and not flavored because it can easily go wrong, and most Oolong teas are simply amazing without anything added to them.
Oh, I’ve enjoyed many flavored Oolong teas and I even flavored an Oolong in my blending days (a melon flavored Oolong which was exceptionally good – if I do say so myself). However, because it is easy to do wrong by the Oolong when flavoring it, I think that for the most part, it’s just better to leave the Oolong alone rather than just go woefully, painfully wrong with it.
BUT … Frank did good by the Oolong this time! This is lovely!
The light, creamy base of the Oolong melds beautifully well with the sharp notes of the ginger and the vibrant lemon notes, and these two flavors are not overwhelming the Oolong. It’s sweet, a little creamy, and smooth.
It tastes like a tea party in a teacup! It resteeps well too. The second infusion was almost as lovely as the first.
As I write this review, I see that there is one pouch left in stock of this tea. So, if it’s one you’d like to try, you can always request that it get reblended here. And while you’re at it, you can also submit your idea for a great tea blend!
Organic Earl Grey Black Tea from White Lion
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: White Lion
Tea Description:
Natural Italian oil of Bergamot gives this tea its crisp citrusy bouquet. An all time classic, this tea is Sir Aubrey’s favorite.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yay! Earl Grey!
The dry leaf aroma is intensely bergamot with notes of bold top citrus notes and and undertone of a slightly floral note. The aroma of an Earl Grey tea is one of the things I love most about this traditional favorite, and so I was eager to taste this new-to-me Earl Grey!
To brew this tea, I used my Breville One-Touch tea maker and poured 500ml of water into the jug. Then I measured out two bamboo scoops of the tea into the basket and set the controls for 205°F and 2 1/2 minutes. The brewed tea is dark in color with a considerably softer fragrance than the dry leaf, but I can still detect the bergamot very clearly.
The bergamot flavor is much more subtle than I usually desire from an Earl Grey tea, but I can still taste the distinct notes of bergamot. Sharp, tangy notes of citrus that are much more focused if I slurp the cup to aerate the tea as it hits the palate. The aftertaste has a clear citrus note. This tea gets bonus points for a low astringency, as I find that many Earl Grey (or other citrus teas, for that matter) tend to have astringency. Here, the astringency is mild.
The black tea has a pleasing robustness to it. It’s very smooth in flavor from start to finish. It’s a little bit earthy and a little bit malty, and the malty notes meld with the bergamot in a very favorable way. The tea is strong and rich in flavor. It’s a medium to full bodied tea that would make a good late morning cuppa or early afternoon cuppa.
This would be a good Earl Grey for those who are timid when it comes to their bergamot. The bergamot is flavorful but not overdone. It is mellow enough for those who find a strong bergamot flavor to be too overpowering for them, but there is enough bergamot here to know that you’re drinking an Earl Grey.
Personally speaking, I prefer my Earl Grey to have a stronger bergamot essence, but I am enjoying this cup. I like that the tea is organic and it has a very satisfying flavor. It’s a good Earl Grey and it’s of good quality.
That said … this tea is best iced! I usually prefer my Earl Grey the same way that Captain Picard does … hot. But, this particular Earl Grey tastes best iced. The bergamot really pops as the tea cools!
Whole Leaf Green Tea with Essence of Citrus and Pomegranate from Eden Grove
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Amazon Trading
Ingredients:
Green tea with natural citrus & pomegranate flavors.
Learn more about Amazon Trading here.
Taster’s Review:
When I read the name of this tea, I was pretty sure I’d enjoy it – I like citrus flavors in tea and I like pomegranate teas, so I felt pretty confident that this tea would be one I liked.
And it’s alright. I’m getting a fair amount of both flavor profiles, I can taste the bright and tangy notes of citrus fruit and I can taste the sweet-tart notes of pomegranate.
The green tea is a smooth, buttery green tea. The citrus notes are present throughout the sip, and I find that the citrus flavors are especially nice in this cup. It’s a very lilting sort of taste that lingers into the aftertaste. The pomegranate is a little softer in taste and seems strongest right toward the tail of the sip. I like that little burst of flavor that I get from the pomegranate.
Overall, it’s an enjoyable cup.
Summer Garden Citrus Mint Blend from Verdant Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green & Oolong Teas
Where to Buy: Verdant Tea
Tea Description:
Summer calls for a blend that’s crisp, sweet, and tangy enough to be a showstopping iced tea. We wanted to do something a little different to celebrate the season, so we sourced a beautiful Wenshan Baozhong Taiwanese oolong tea as the base of our recipe. Wenshan Baozhong is an extremely green oolong, full of grassy notes, but with floral and creamy aftertastes. Mixed with a dash of Yunnan Jingshan Green to round out the body, we think this makes the perfect green base for summer.
To bring out the fruity and floral notes naturally present in Wenshan Baozhong, we picked out creamy and sweet orange peel, rich lemongrass and a juicy bergamot. We use roasted dandelion root and licorice root to draw out the sweetness and help you make a satisfying iced tea- no sugar necessary! Finally, we make it crisp and refreshing with a dash of lavender and spearmint. Enjoy!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! This tea really is the perfect summer refreshment. This summer has been so hot and uncomfortably muggy that there have been times when I couldn’t bear to brew a pot of hot tea because even though I know that hot tea tends to be more cooling than a cold drink, I couldn’t bring myself to brewing something hot to drink. Thank goodness I had a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge for times like that.
This! This tea would make a perfect iced tea. I’m drinking it hot right now, and even served hot, it’s incredibly refreshing. The base of Yunnan Jinshan Green and Wenshan Baozhong Oolong makes for a wonderful sweet and light flavor with a lovely creamy texture. It’s lightly vegetal with just the right buttery note.
The lemon grass, orange peel and touch of bergamot adds a bright citrus note. The bergamot does not give this an Earl Grey-ish sort of flavor, but instead just enhances the sunny citrus flavors with it’s zesty character. I don’t know that I necessarily taste the dandelion root, although I do taste a toasty, nutty flavor which may be the presence of the roasted dandelion root. I also don’t taste a lot of licorice. But I do get a nice sweetness here – it’s pleasantly sweet without the addition of sweetener.
But the real star of this cup is the spearmint. It adds just the right touch of crisp, cool minty flavor without getting too aggressive. It doesn’t overpower … everything tastes very harmonious. This tea is named perfectly: Summer Garden Citrus Mint Blend. I taste fresh leafy notes, citrus, mint. It’s a beautifully smooth and enjoyable cup.
I can’t wait to be drinking this one chilled tomorrow! YUM!