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 Yerba Maté and Ginseng from Stash Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Guayusa and Yerba Maté
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, Guayusa is paired with yerba mate and ginseng for an invigorating brew that is sure to awaken your senses.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This blend really surprised me. It doesn’t really taste at all like what I expected, which was a very earthy and vegetative/herbaceous kind of taste. I didn’t really get that at all. This tastes more like a very smooth, sweet coffee.
It has a warm, nutty kind of taste: rich, slightly earthy and sweet. I taste very little of the ginseng. I also taste very little of the yerba maté … or at least, what I’ve come to recognize as yerba maté. I taste Guayusa, but, it tastes sweeter than the Guayusa I’ve tasted in the past … perhaps a result of the combination of the other components. It’s really quite tasty!
It’s invigorating, too. I woke up much too early this morning, and found myself unable to get back to sleep. So I was very drowsy when I started this cup … but not any more! I’m awake and ready to go!
I am really glad I got the opportunity to try this blend. When I received this sample, I wasn’t all that excited about it … but the taste has won me over! This is really good!
Mexican Mango Chili Maté from Capital Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté, Rooibos & Green Tea
Where to Buy: Capital Teas
Tea Description:
A superior blend of green mate, rooibos, and green tea forms a perfect canvas for infusing the brilliant colors and flavors of chili peppers and mango. Inspired by Aztec recipes blending chili with fruits, we’ve also added a dash of coconut and an energizing pop of ginseng for the perfect combination. Try over ice for a spicy cold treat on hot days or enjoy its lingering warmth when brewed hot on a cold day.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea has a lot going on, but, I’m enjoying the way the flavors come together.
The title suggests that this may be a spicy blend, but, it doesn’t start out that way. A gentle warmth, perhaps, but, I really thought that this would be spicier right from the very first sip. The spiciness gradually builds, starting with a gentle, cozy warmth and building to that spicy tickle that hits the back of the palate and throat. By mid-cup, it is much spicier than at the start, and my palate is quite warm long after I’ve taken a sip.
I think that the sweetness of the mango counters the spicier notes of the chili … softening the blow, so to speak. The mango adds a distinct sweetness, but this doesn’t taste overwhelmingly MANGO. By mid-cup, though, the mango is much more distinguishable. The coconut adds a creaminess to the taste as well, which seems to smooth out all the flavors and bring them all together into one unified flavor. This is not a mango tea, or a chili tea, or a coconut concoction … it is a seamless beverage that offers pleasing notes of many different ingredients, like a treasure chest of flavor, offering many surprises along the way.
The background flavors are earthy, with barely-there notes of vegetation. I don’t taste a lot of flavor from the Yerba Maté, green rooibos, green tea or even the ginseng as individual components, but, I do taste their collective input. It becomes more of a medley of collected flavors rather than specific flavor notes that I can pick out and say “this is the Maté” or “this is the green tea.”
From the very first sips as a mild, intriguing set of tastes to the last drop where the flavors are zesty can even be categorized as hot … this is a very enjoyable cuppa. I really like the way the flavors present themselves, a mass medley of tastes that allow the drinker to discover the various flavors.
Definitely a fun and creative cup!
Chai Spice Maté from Fusion Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Fusion Teas
Tisane Description:
A spicy take on a traditional Argentinean brew. This fusion of yerba mate, and freshly ground whole cardamom, cinnamon sticks, star anise and ginger bits create a delicious and warming cup. Great iced or with sweetener and a touch of soy milk.
Taster’s Review:
Over the last couple of days, it’s been very windy here in the Pacific Northwest. Windy and chilly! When it’s like this, the chill seems to saturate me, and even my bones feel cold. It’s perfect weather to stay inside and enjoy a hot cup of chai! The warmth of the masala spices helps to warm me from the inside out, and makes me forget all about that howling wind outside.
I like this Chai Spice Maté from Fusion Tea Room very much. The flavors of masala spice and Yerba Maté are balanced very well. The earthy/vegetative quality of the Maté is very prominent, and usually that would be something that I’d find off-putting, but, I’m really enjoying how the earthiness of the Maté and the earthy notes of the spices work together.
The spices are very warm but not what I’d consider spicy. I wouldn’t call them “mild” either, they’re somewhere in between the two – very pleasantly warm and exotic without overpowering the palate with spice. One of my favorite spices is star anise, and I like that the flavor of the anise comes through very nicely here, giving a licorice-y kind of taste that lingers well into the aftertaste.
A wonderfully warm and energizing cup of chai! This one will help get you going!
Maté Chai from Element Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Element Tea
Product Description:
Boost circulation and stimulate your senses with this popular blend of Yerba Mate and Masala Chai Spices. For a sweeter and creamier finish, add milk and sugar.
Ingredients: Mate Green, Cinnamon, Ginger Bits, Cardamom, Cloves, Fennel, Anise Seed
Taster’s Review:
I love chai (and when I say “chai,” I mean the beverage that is made from a masala spice blend … with or without tea or other leaf types, like the green Yerba Maté leaf used in this blend). I enjoy it year ’round, but I find it especially enjoyable this time of year. The spices warm me from the inside out, and the zesty flavor is very invigorating.
The spices dominate this tisane, and what I taste most are the fennel and anise seed. They give a sweet, licorice-y kind of taste to this chai, and I’m really liking that. (I’m quite fond of black licorice!) While the cinnamon does not present a really strong presence in this cup, I like the way it mingles with the fennel and anise.
The ginger, cloves and cardamom are pretty well balanced here. One of these spices does not seem to be stronger than the others, they all seem pretty even. Every once in a while, a flavor will pop out that I recognize distinctly as one particular spice, but for the most part, it is a very unified set of spices.
The green Yerba Maté of this blend lends an earthy, somewhat vegetative taste to the cup. It isn’t nearly as strong a flavor as the spices, of course, but, it really adds an interesting dimension of flavor to the cup. The earthy notes are a pleasing contrast to the licorice-y flavors.
I recommend drinking this hot with a dollop of honey to help round out the flavors. I didn’t drink mine with milk, but, I think it would be quite nice as a latte. This turned out to be one of the nicest Yerba Maté Chai blends I’ve tried!