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Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté, Black Tea, Green Tea, White Tea, Pu-erh & Tulsi PLUS Spice Melangé
Where to Buy: The Tea Spot
Tea Description:
A super-charged blend of teas, spices and herbs formulated to provide a refreshing daily lift for people with active, high-energy lifestyles. Climber’s High is a high-powered way to increase your intake of beneficial antioxidants such as flavonoids and catechins, as well as a host of healthy vitamins, trace minerals, beneficial phyto-constituents, and caffeine. It was originally conceived to assist people in adjusting to higher altitudes. This spiced yerba mate chai tea is both good for you and a pleasure to drink.
Learn more about this Yerba Mate Chai here.
Taster’s Review:
This blend has got a WHOLE lot going on!
When I first opened the package, I noticed a pleasant smell that was sweet and a little spicy, smelling a bit like a gently spiced chai. And one quick glance at the ingredient list suggests that this could easily be categorized as a chai (well, yeah, all tea is technically chai, but, I’m talking about what we here in North America think of when we think “chai”) so, I categorized it as chai.
The brewed tea smells a little earthy, slightly vegetative, but still possesses a certain spicy tone – a bit different than that of the dry leaf, but, it still smells warm, sweet, and a little spicy.
Wow! OK, so yeah, this DOES have a lot going on, but, somehow, it all comes together to offer a pleasant tasting blend. I don’t really taste each of the specific tea types here, I just taste a medley of different flavors that I’d associate with the different leaf types.
For example, I taste the earthy, vegetative taste of Yerba Maté, and I would attribute some of that earthiness to the Pu-erh as well. It tastes rich and smooth like a black tea, but it has a light, almost creamy/airy texture and flavor that I’d attribute to the white and green teas. I taste hints of mint and basil that I attribute to the peppermint and Tulsi. And yes, I taste the warmth of the spices, and the sweet, creamy finish that I attribute to the vanilla.
I wouldn’t say that I taste specifically any one of these ingredients, instead, I taste the combination of them all. I taste hints of sweet licorice, I taste the sweet warmth of the cinnamon and little peppery kick from the ginger and pepper. I don’t know that I taste any one ingredient more than the others, they all seem to come together in such a way to provide a very solid taste without one overpowering the others. Some might seem a little lost along the way but at the same time I can’t say that this blend would be the same without any one of these ingredients.
And while there are a lot of flavors to explore here, I am really enjoying the challenge and the journey this tea offers. It is warm and energizing, just the kind of cup I want on those mornings when I need a little motivation.
I like it!
Special Savings: Now through July 22, you can save 15% off of Climber’s High Tea from The Tea Spot. Use the code climbsister in the coupon field at checkout to receive your special discount!
Rainforest Maté Tea from The Spice & Tea Exchange
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: The Spice & Tea Exchange
Tisane Description:
Spice and fruit unite in this unique herbal melange composed of energizing mate’ tea, licorice, spices, rosehips and pineapple chunks that refresh and revitalize when brewed. Moderate Caffeine.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
This tisane has a lot going on, but it all works together very nicely. The cloves offer the most prominent flavor of this cup, followed by a sweet licorice flavor. I don’t taste much of the distinct earthiness of the Yerba Maté, and given the natural earthy qualities of the spices I don’t think that earthy/vegetal tone is really necessary and might detract from the delicious flavors that the spices provide.
By the end of the sip, mint tones begin to peek out without becoming too overwhelming. I like the mint notes here, they are mere hints of minty goodness rather than an overpowering mint flavor … which is rather nice as I know from my own experience of blending teas that it is not easy to keep mint from taking over.
The sweet pineapple gives this tisane a luscious, fruity tone that is almost a surprise with the first couple of sips. With the start of the sip comprised of warm (but not spicy) spice, I didn’t really expect the sweet, juicy flavor of pineapple to shine through, but it does! Right about mid-sip, the pineapple begins to weave its way in and out of the sip. It’s quite nice!
In the background there are hints of floral notes that seem to complete the rainforest-y theme that this tisane embraces. I love how this tisane doesn’t just call itself a “rainforest” blend – it actually captures the spirit of what I imagine from a rainforest. Zesty, but with a cool, crisp mint coming in toward the end. Sweet, starting with a sweet yet snappy licorice note which is followed by a lovely pineapple flavor. It all comes together in a very refreshing and energizing way!
Guayusa Tea with Chai from Stash Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Guayusa
Where to Buy: Stash Tea
Tea Description:
GUAYUSA (gwhy-you-sa) is a rare herbal tea produced from the leaves of a holly tree (ilex guayusa) native to the Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador. Guayusa is naturally caffeinated and has an awakening effect similar to coffee and yerba mate. For this signature blend, we’ve combined Guayusa with Chai spices for an aromatic, spicy, and invigorating tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
On those mornings when I have a difficult time keeping my eyes open and I can’t crawl back into bed, Guayusa is often my choice for that all-important first cup of the day. It wakes me up the way coffee used to, but without the late morning nausea that I’d get after drinking coffee. And Guayusa even tastes quite a bit like coffee, except that it has less bitterness.
And with the chai spices that are used in this blend, it makes for a lovely, warming cup on this wet and rainy morning. The Guayusa makes a nice base for the blend of masala spices, different from the typical black tea base, but, still quite tasty.
The cinnamon is a little overwhelming with this particular chai. It is not a bad thing – I like cinnamon just fine – but, I find it a little difficult to pick out the other spices as the cinnamon seems to be stealing the spotlight a bit. This actually tastes a bit more like a cinnamon flavored guayusa than a chai guayusa, because the cinnamon stands front and center while the other spices are a bit in the background, providing more of a accent to the cinnamon than standing on their own.
I am enjoying this very much, as I said, I like cinnamon … but, I had expected the spices to be a little more in balance. By the time I reach the bottom of the cup, the ginger starts to emerge. I notice a bit of a prickly, peppery note on the back of my palate from the ginger. The cloves and cardamom still seem content to be off in the background, but their flavors do become more pronounced by the end of the cup.
Overall, though, a very enjoyable tea, and a great way to wake up!
Apples and Snowflakes from Kärma Blends
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Kärma Blends
Tea Description:
Add romance to your day with our Apples and Snowflakes. Inspired by the season of fall, just the aroma of this tea is enough to put you in another world. Flakes of white mint candy add a sweet touch. We promise you will replace your apple cider with this one!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! This tea is WONDERFUL!
The white tea base has a delicate flavor: soft and sweet. Not quite what I’d call “grassy” but more like a warm hay kind of flavor that complements the flavor of clove very well.
But what really knocks my socks off about this blend is the flavor combination of clove and mint. Mint tends to be a rather selfish herb and often overpowers the other flavors in a blend, but, the clove keeps it in check, creating a contrasts in flavors that is both cool and crisp from the mint and warm and spiced from the clove.
The apple starts out quite subtle, but as I continue to sip, I notice the apple more and more. By the end of the cup the flavors are a little like apple cider with a hint of mint. The overall flavor is something that is very familiar, but, at the same time, unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before. Very warm and cozy and absolutely memorable.
I like this one very much!
Harvest Apple Spice from Tea Forté
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Tea Forté
Product Description:
A naturally-caffeine free blend with the taste of crisp sweet apples and the luscious warming of spices, for a cup reminiscent of Mom’s apple pie.
Ingredients: rooibos, organic cinnamon, apple chunks, hibiscus, natural apple flavor, clove buds, natural cinnamon flavor, other natural flavors
Taster’s Review:
I’m ordinarily a little hesitant when it comes to rooibos blends based upon my past experience (now it is a few more years into the past than I care to admit to) with this herb. But, to be honest, over the past few years, I’ve tasted more rooibos blends that I’ve truly enjoyed than those that I haven’t. So, why hesitant? I don’t know… it seems to be more or less an automatic response.
This has to be one of the very best rooibos blends that I’ve tried. I can’t really taste much from the rooibos … what little I do taste is a slight woody/nutty character deep into the distant background. Mere hints, nothing too strong, and none of that funky taste I often associate with rooibos.
This tastes so strongly of apples! Like freshly picked apples that have been baked with autumnal spices and served warm. YUM! The thought of such a treat makes my mouth water … just like this tisane does.
The apple flavor is crisp and sweet with just a slight tartness to it, reminding me a bit of a Jonagold apple. It is certainly more sweet than tart, and as the tisane in my cup cools slightly I notice more of a apple-cider-y kind of taste and texture to it. It feels very smooth to the palate, and the spices are warm without being too spicy-hot. Pleasant notes of sweet cinnamon and warm clove.
There is also hibiscus in this blend – which is definitely not one of my favorite herbals – but, here, the only thing I really notice from the hibiscus is the reddish hue of the tisane and a slightly thicker consistency (contributing to the aforementioned cider-like texture). I don’t taste much of the signature tartness that hibiscus generally brings to the party, and that is certainly a good thing in my opinion.
I received this blend (and several others) as part of the Warming Joy Collection in the Petite Ribbon Box (as shown in the photo above). This would make a most welcome (and delicious!) gift for the tea lover on your gift-giving list, or perhaps a perfectly charming hostess gift for the holiday parties you might be attending.