Mango Maté from Fusion Tea Room

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Yerba Maté

Where to Buy:  Fusion Tea Room

Product Description:

The elegance of this blend is simple and sophisticated. Our unsmoked yerba mate infused with the flavor of ripe mangoes. Very smooth that goes down easy. You ‘ll forget you’re actually drinking mate because the astringency and bitterness that so many other brands have isn’t there. Energize your midday over ice. Love it, drink it, share it.

Taster’s Review:

I have to agree with the above description, this is very smooth, it goes down easily!  There is no astringency and no bitterness.  It is sweet and absolutely delicious.  This just may be my favorite Yerba Maté blend yet.

Although I must say that I don’t actually forget that I am sipping on Yerba Maté, because it tastes like Yerba Maté.  It does lack the sometimes bitter taste that accompanies a typical smoked Yerba Maté, but beyond that, I can taste the vegetative and earthy qualities of the Maté.  It also has that invigorating quality of Yerba Maté.  This is a Yerba Maté blend I’d recommend to those who have tried Yerba Maté in the past and found it to be a little off-putting.  This blend will change their mind!

The mango tastes sweet.  It’s a very vibrant fruit flavor – very authentic and juicy.  The fruit melds so beautifully with the vegetal taste of the green Yerba Maté.  The vegetative taste is a little more prominent than the earthy quality of the Maté here, and the flavors unite so harmoniously.

As I said before, I’d recommend this to anyone who has tried Yerba Maté in the past and didn’t care for it – this one will change your mind.  I’d also recommend this one to the Yerba Maté newbies out there.  Heck, I’d recommend this one to anybody – it’s that good!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Yerba Maté

Choco-Maté from WhiteAugust Tea Company

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Yerba Maté

Where to Buy:  WhiteAugust Tea Company

Product Description:

This energizing combination of sweet chocolate and south amercian mate is sure to stimulate your senses.

Taster’s Review:

Did someone say chocolate?

As I’ve mentioned more than once before, I am a chocoholic (and I’m not ashamed to admit it).  I love chocolate, and my belief is that more chocolate = better.  This belief translates into my passion for teas as well, and when it comes to chocolate flavored teas/tisanes, the more chocolate flavor, the better.

The combination of Yerba Maté and chocolate is a brilliant one, because the two seem to go together so naturally.  The earthy tones of the Yerba Maté enhance the flavor of the chocolate.  However, my belief about more chocolate = better applies here, and this would be better with more chocolate flavor.

That’s not to say that this isn’t chocolate-y, because it is.  It is a rich, sweet, dark chocolate flavor and it is absolutely delicious.  That being said, this chocoholic can’t help but want more of a really good thing!

This cup is smooth and sweet.  There is a vegetative quality to the Yerba Maté that adds an interesting dimension of flavor.  I also agree with my SororiTea Sister, TeaEqualsBliss, about this tisane:  I can taste a nutty/woody quality that is very rooibos-like.  But I don’t find this off-putting at all, in fact, I’m enjoying that nutty characteristic and how well it goes with the chocolate tones.

Overall, a very rich and satisfying cup.  A great wake-me-up tisane, since Yerba Maté is a bit more caffeinated than most other teas/tisanes.  Something so delicious – it’s a bit like having dessert for breakfast!  Yummy!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Yerba Maté

Sweet Orange Maté from ESP Emporium

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Yerba Maté

Where to Buy:  ESP Emporium

Company Description:

The popular fresh taste of fruity, sweet oranges goes well with the moderately strong, spicy, slightly smoky Mate tea. The strikingly decorated, delicious specialty is a high-grade offer for the rising demand for Mate tea. The well-balanced addition of pleasant licorice gives the necessary sweetness to this fresh and slightly tangy blend. Similarly to black tea, mate tea is stimulating with a short brewing time (5 minutes); this effect diminishes with longer brewing times (10 minutes).

Taster’s Review:

This is a perfect tea for Halloween!

But, first, I have a confession to make.  The first time I tried this tea (about a year or so ago), I didn’t like it.  Today I am trying it again for the first time and … I don’t know if it is because my palate is acquiring a taste for Yerba Maté, or if the blend has been changed a little bit since the last time I tasted it, but, as I sit here writing this, I am finding more to enjoy about this tea than I did with my previous sampling.  I guess it just goes to show that one should not judge something based on first impressions alone!  Things change, including our tastes!

Now, I’m not saying that this is my favorite tea.  But I am enjoying it right now.  And as I said, it reminds me of Halloween.  The licorice flavor is stronger here than I remember.  I like the sharp yet sweet flavor of the licorice that reveals itself mid-sip.  The sip begins with a smooth, earthy note from the Maté that is mellowed just slightly by the sweet, juicy orange.  This is followed immediately by the sharp note of licorice, and the finish is orange-y and licorice sweet.

I remember when tasting this tea previously, I found the maté to be quite harsh and too earthy for my palate.  Now, I am finding the maté flavor to be fresher and smoother in taste.

I consumed this tea hot with a drizzle of raw honey.  The honey highlighted some of the sweet orange notes as well as curbed the licorice sharpness just enough.  A very enjoyable cuppa!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Yerba Maté

Chocolate Mate Chai from Rishi Tea

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Pu-erh & Yerba Maté

Where to Buy: Rishi Tea

Company Description:

Velvety, mellow and deep, this chai is an enticing blend of energizing pu-erh tea, shade-grown yerba maté and cacao. Made even more inviting by creamy vanilla, nutty coconut and fruity, pungent and uplifting Ayurvedic long pepper, this is a most sophisticated take on hot cocoa.

Taster’s Review:

This is a tea that frightened me.  I am not crazy about pu-erh tea (although I think I am acquiring a taste for them).  It’s the earthy quality of pu-erh that puts me off, and in a blend with yerba maté which is also quite earthy, I was afraid this blend would be way too earthy for my palate.

But it isn’t!  This is really very tasty!

The chocolate flavor is very prominent, and it tastes rich and smooth.  It is a somewhat savory chocolate which pairs well with the masala spice blend.  The spices are not over-the-top, I can taste a peppery note though, but it does not overwhelm the cup.  It is actually quite delicate and accents the other flavors very nicely.

But the real star here is the coconut.  It is the most prominent flavor that I’m detecting.  It is sweet and creamy and in perfect harmony with the cocoa flavor and the spices.  This really is quite a bit like a gourmet hot chocolate!

The flavor of the pu-erh tea is not really distinct – and that is just fine with me.  As I’ve already mentioned, I’m not all that crazy about pu-erh.  That being said, there is a pleasant depth to this blend that I attribute to the tea as well as the yerba maté.  There is a hint of earthy quality but it is not off-putting, it’s really very pleasant.

I like this tea very much.  I did not brew it the way that the packaging suggests – with a boiling water and milk combination – I simply used boiling water and steeped for 4 minutes – using about 1 tsp. of tea per 6 ounces of water.  This created a very sumptuous cup that was alive with the flavors of coconut, chocolate, and warm spices.  Delicious!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Chai, Pu-erh, Yerba Maté

Maté Carnival from Chado Tea

by liberteas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Roasted Yerba Maté

Where to Buy:  Chado Tea Room

Company Description:

Raosted mate, cocoa, rooibos, sunflower, cactus, cornflowers and almonds. Coffee substitute, great with milk. Perfect of American Breakfast. Must Try!

Taster’s Review:

This is a pleasant yet rather unusual yerba maté blend.  I am really enjoying it!

Roasted yerba maté and chocolate really complement each other very well.  The combination of the deep, toasty, earthy flavor of the yerba maté and the rich, smooth chocolate is just so decadent and yummy!

There is a faint sharpness to this cup as well, and I attribute that to the sunflower.  It is very faint, though, and might otherwise be missed if you’re not trying to find it.  The almonds and chocolate – being a classic flavor combination – work well together in this blend as well.

I can also detect the woodsy rooibos flavor, but, again, this isn’t strong enough to really compete with the stronger, pungent flavor of the maté.  I am not really sure what contribution the cactus makes to the overall flavor of this tisane, although there is a fruit note to this tea that I cannot otherwise place.  Perhaps that is the cactus?  I can’t say for sure, but I don’t think that this blend would be quite the same without the cactus.

I’ve tried a couple of chocolate flavored maté blends, but this one stands alone because it has a more complex flavor to it – perhaps because of the rooibos, or the almonds, or the sunflower, or even the cactus.  Or, maybe it’s because of all of these components and how well they work together in this cup.

I really like it.

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Yerba Maté