I really enjoy the flavor of hazelnut. When I was a coffee drinker I would always get a hazelnut macchiato or hazelnut iced coffee in the summers. I know that mate is very energizing, and I really would like to enjoy it. The mate blends I’ve tried thus far weren’t too pleasing to me. Although they were good blends, and i’m sure that others would enjoy them, they just weren’t my taste. When I came across Hazelnut Mate on Fava Tea’s website, I thought i’d give it a try. I figured I may enjoy the hazelnut flavor, since for whatever reason mate tends to come closest to a coffee substitute out of all the tea types, next to black tea of course. There’s something about the richness of the mate blends I’ve tried that really reminds me of coffee, plus the energy boost is pretty awesome too.
Upon smelling the dry leaf of this blend I noticed that the cocoa scent was strong, although that didn’t translate as strong to the taste of the cup. I was thankful for that because I didn’t want a blend that was too chocolatey, I wanted it to be more nutty/hazelnut. I immediately liked this tea as soon as I sipped it. This is the first mate blend that I couldn’t put down. It is so smooth and its not too heavy or thick. I have tried many hazelnut black teas, and the difference between them and this mate blend is that the mate has absolutely no bitterness and it isn’t as bold and in-your-face as black tea can be. Its really smooth and almost a little grassy, but the hazelnut component adds some nuttiness and that flavor that I know and love from my coffee-drinking days. I really enjoyed this tea and it has made me curious about other mate blends. Whether you’ve had mate before or not, if you like hazelnut you should try this!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: Fava Teas
Description
Nutty, smooth and packed full of vitamins and minerals this is the perfect choice for an enlightening lift! Roasted yerba mate leaves blended with hazelnuts, cocoa nibs and cornflower blossoms. And finally because sometimes you feel like a nut…. Blends well with Chocolate Cream Rocks.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mocha Nut Mate from Adagio Teas. . . .
This is tea’s answer to coffee!
If you like that full, diner coffee feel, but maybe don’t like those jitters, give this maté a try. Maté isn’t a “tea” as such; it’s a different type of plant (also caffeinated). It affects people to varying degrees, so you might want to try this in the morning so it won’t affect your sleep.
The flavor is a little bit of a bitter zing, with a nutty body, and a slight whisp of chocolate. Mate works on me very much, so I am definitely INVOLVED IN MY DAY at this point. Listening to podcasts*, talkin’ tea, and making designs 100%.
* Where IS Richard Simmons? The podcast about his abrupt disappearance is really interesting. His past and connection to the public is REALLY COMPELLING. Everyone he knows is a CHARACTER — as is he, obviously. I am chomping these developments down like peanut butter cups. Which I will obviously have to then dance off to the oldies.
This tea reminds me of Denny’s somehow. Like when you and your friends are out preposterously late and there’s literally nowhere else to go. So you wander out to Denny’s because it’s open and 1 AM. And of course, because you’re a little stupid and/or drunk, you order yourself COFFEE. Which sounds delicious, until it’s 4 AM, your friends are gone, and you can’t sleep. So you listen to the Backstreet Boys until the sun rises, eat breakfast in the dorm basement’s middle-of-the-road dining commons, and then sleep the rest of the day.
I speak from experience here. I an a connoisseur of late-night 24-hour establishments. Our Denny’s was the best one. It was by far the most beautiful one I’ve ever been to, and the staff was friendly, regardless of the hour or busyness. Note that I said “was” — even though it was one of the most popular places in my town, it somehow lost its license or something (???) and is gone.
I’ll just have to fill in with this tea.
I’m not sure how I’ll fill the hole in my heart left by Richard Simmons, though. Maybe a different tea. I’ll let you know if I figure it out.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Mate
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Description
The mellow chicory-like character of our Brazilian toasted mate is a perfect platform for a favorite indulgence: chocolate! Add a bit of hazelnut and you have the perfect treat. Great straight up or enhanced with cream and sugar. If you’re a fan of chocolate mate teas, we invite you to give this formula a try. Please note that all Mate varieties contains caffeine; we would not suggest it as a nightcap.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Hazelnut. . .Chocolate. . .Yerba Mate. . . Mocha Nut Mate from Adagio Teas
Okay, full disclosure here, I was really hesitant about this blend. I am not a fan of mocha/coffee flavor at all. I switched from coffee to tea a long time ago and don’t really like tea that tastes like coffee. However, the smell of the dry leaf was enticing me because I could smell the hazelnut and chocolate and it smelled delicious. I’ve never had mate before and I hear its loaded with caffeine, so if you are looking for an energy boost this just may be a great tea for you.
The steeped liquid looked as dark as coffee and I feel like if I added a little cream you would have thought it was coffee in my cup opposed to tea! I added just a pinch of agave to this one, and that’s usual for me, but I really did it because this blend includes dark chocolate and mocha flavor- both of which can be very bitter especially in combination with each other. Not going to lie, I was not a fan of this. The only reason I didn’t like it is because it was true to its name- mocha. This tea tasted just like a cafe mocha with a dash of hazelnut and chocolate! I did not finish the cup, but my coffee-loving boyfriend did and he thoroughly enjoyed it!!!
Unfortunately this tea was not my “cup of tea” (pun intended). But that doesn’t mean that this wasn’t a good blend. It actually would have been a favorite of mine if I enjoyed the flavors of mocha and dark chocolate. It was true to its name and the flavors were bold and smooth and comforting. I think that if you like coffee or are looking for an alternative to coffee, you will really love this tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Mate
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Description
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Honey Bear from East Indies Coffee & Tea. . . . . .
I first had this at a child’s birthday party and totally wasn’t paying attention. I was like “I’m gonna TAKE NOTES in my SKETCHBOOK and write an ELOQUENT POST UPON MY RETURN.” But then I got sucked into pizza! cake! balloons! reading children’s books aloud! putting outfits on toys! The only thing I vaguely remembered was the thought that I wanted MORE HONEY from the tea.
So this time I made it again, carefully, at home, with zero distractions* and a tiny half-spoonful of honey.
*Except for my dog trying to jump on the couch and falling off. I laughed.
This is a really tasty sweet mix. There’s the honey in the tea, plus the honey I added, plus this roasty, mellow, underlying mate.
A good mate is like hardwood floors. They’re a classy base for whatever you’re putting on top. Are you going to get some classic furniture? Some showy furniture? Everything looks good on hardwood floors.
If I were to continue this metaphor (and there’s nothing I love more), the honey in this tea is the big puffy couch with lots of pillows that rests on that floor. It’s straight-up hygge.*
* That’s the Scandanavian word for sitting around drinking tea in a blanket, enjoying the comforts of winter.
So take it easy, Internet. Drink some honey with your honey tea and just devote the afternoon to enjoyment.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Mate
Where to Buy: East Indies Coffee & Tea
Description
- honey taste with teddy bear sprinkles and flavoring
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Awake from Bird’s Eye Tea. . . . .
I’ve been sleeeeepy lately. It seems with all that’s been going on in my personal life, a full 8 hours of ZZZs is usually the first thing to take a hit and man, is it ever slowing me down. So you can imagine when I saw this cute little packet of tea in my sample stash proclaiming to make me “awake!” I couldn’t open it fast enough with my sleepy little fingers.
It’s a beautiful mate with herbs galore– tulsi (my favorite adaptogenic herb), bacopa, spearmint and current. It brews up a beautiful, vegetal dark gold, and tastes brilliantly herbal with no bitterness (and no need for honey).
I can’t say I immediately perked up after my first cup, but the soothing holy basil and fresh spearmint chilled me out and gave me that nice, focused feeling of being awake without being buzzy.
Just what I needed! Now to find what else I need– a cozy bed and a spare two hours to nap.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Mate
Where to Buy: Bird’s Eye
Description
Bird’s Eye is a monthly subscription plan. Check out the link below for more information.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
