Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Indie Tea
Product Description:
O.K….So You’re A Little Different. That’s Cool. We Understand. As Long As You Don’t Run Butt Naked Through The Produce Aisle Of The Local Grocery On A Regular Basis.
4.65 oz. Organic and Fair Trade Ingredients: Organic Roasted Yerba Maté, Organic Star Anise, Organic Pink Peppercorns, Organic Cloves, Organic Cocoa Nibs, Organic Lemon Peel, Organic Lemon Grass, Organic Coriander Seed, Organic Fennel, Organic Cumin Seed. 4.65 oz
Taster’s Review:
This tea represents the first that I’ve tried from this company, and I’m very happy with it. There is a lot going on with this blend, a lot of different flavors. For that reason, even though it is a chai blend, I chose to serve it not-latte, because I really wanted to experience the different flavors in the cup and I thought that the milk would mask some of the taste.
The first thing that I noticed with this blend is the beautiful dry leaf! It looks like it should be sitting in a bowl as a decoration! Huge, whole pieces of star anise and other whole spices really make this blend visually appealing.
With all these flavors swilling around in the cup, each sip becomes an adventure! Like Forest Gump said “You never know what you’re gonna get.” There are interesting hints of citrus and licorice throughout the sip, with warm notes of cloves and a little bit of smoky heat from the cumin.
There is a solid base of earthiness to the cup, and it seems to really ground the flavors and give them a good foundation on which to build. I like that there isn’t TOO much of any one characteristic here: it isn’t too earthy, it isn’t too spicy, it isn’t too sweet, it isn’t too sharp, it isn’t too smoky. The tisane offers hints of each of these qualities, but none of them are so strong that they overwhelm the cup. There is a nice synergy going on with this tea!
If I were to offer one complaint, I guess it would be that I would like for more of the chocolate-y tones to present themselves. It’s a minor thing, really, because I love this tisane just as it is, however, being the chocoholic that I am, when I see cocoa nibs as one of the ingredients, I get all chocolate-happy, and as lovely a tea as this is, it is not a chocolate tea.
The website suggests a brewing time of 4 – 5 minutes, but because it is a Yerba Maté blend, it won’t get bitter if you allow it to steep for a longer period of time. I think it’s actually a good idea to let it steep for at least 6 minutes (if not longer) because you’ll get the most out of the many spices that are in this blend.
This is an exciting blend – and one I’d recommend to anyone who wants to go a little out of their comfort zone and take a walk on the wild side … get Out of Your Gourd!
Tropical Lime Yerba Maté from Maté Factor
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Maté Factor
Product Description:
Tropical Lime Yerba Mate Tea Bags (formerly Hibiscus Lime)
80% Organic IngredientsOur Tropical Lime tea box contains 20 large tea-bags. All of our tea-bags contain 3.5 grams of tea, DOUBLE the size of most tea-bags on the market, so you can enjoy more of the flavor, nutrition, and energizing effects of Yerba Mate!
Ingredients: Organic Green Yerba Mate, Organic Hibiscus Flowers, Sun-Dried Lime
High in Natural Vitamin C
This amazing, fruity blend is not only refreshing hot or cold, but is an amazing booster to your body’s defense system.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve said on numerous occasions, I’m not that fond of hibiscus. Some hibiscus in blends is OK so long as it’s not overdone – it provides an interesting tart flavor and a little bit of body to a tisane – but, when there is too much hibiscus in a blend, it becomes too tart and too thick and syrupy.
In drinking this tea, I’m not sure if there is too much hibiscus here, or if it is just a tart tisane. The lime and hibiscus together create a rather sour pair. Nice if you enjoy sour or tart tastes, I’m not one of those people, though.
That being said, this isn’t thick or syrupy, which leads me to believe that it’s not too much hibiscus, it’s just the combination of lime and hibiscus that creates such a tart experience. It has a nice body to it. And I found that a drizzle of agave nectar helped to turn this rather tart cup into something quite good.
Interestingly enough, the earthy quality of the Yerba Maté in this blend cuts through some of the tart hibiscus taste, so I am getting more lime than I am hibiscus. Both the hibiscus and lime are still rather strong, but, the earthy nature of Yerba Maté saves this blend.
And who’d have thought I’d ever be happy for the earthy characteristic of Yerba Maté? Certainly not me, not until now! But somehow, the blending of earthy and tart work together quite nicely. The tart cuts through some of the musty flavors of the earthy tones while the earthy flavor smooths out some of the tarter edges. It works together well.
Now, I am not about to say that this is my favorite Yerba Maté blend, because it isn’t. But it is quite good and appealing in its own way. It is one that I would recommend to all you lovers of tart/sour tastes out there.
Little Black Dress Strawberry Vanilla from Teaquilibrium
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong & Green Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Teaquilibrium
Product Description:
Close your eyes and imagine sitting in a field of fresh strawberries– breathe in the intoxicating scent, pick a plump berry and let the flavor burst in your mouth. Teaquilibrium’s organically grown Strawberry Vanilla is delightful and gently energizing. The distinct flavor of green yerba mate magically blends with the smooth toasty cocoa aroma of the oolong, organically grown strawberries and topped with a hint of vanilla. As with all of our Little Black Dress teas, Strawberry Vanilla is an exclusive Teaquilibrium blend.
Try Strawberry Vanilla hot or chilled. For a delicious and refreshing pick me up, cold infuse Little Black Dress Strawberry Vanilla and serve in a pitcher with fresh strawberries.
Taster’s Review:
Happy New Year!
I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a blend quite like this one. Oolong and Green Yerba Maté? I certainly had my doubts going in to this but, I am glad I finally decided to try it, because it is really quite tasty!
The combination of Oolong and Yerba Maté make for a truly interesting blend. The Oolong has a rich, roasted and somewhat buttery quality to it, and the Yerba Maté seems to pick up where the Oolong leaves off to create a very full-flavored experience – one that neither Oolong nor Yerba Maté could accomplish on their own.
The flavors are a bit lighter than I was anticipating, although the flavors do intensify as I make my way toward the bottom of the cup. I like the way the sweet, ripe strawberry flavor sort of pops in and out of the sip, while the vanilla adds a creaminess that completes the flavor. This is a pleasantly smooth and sweet cup – but not too sweet.
This is a very well-rounded cup that I really enjoyed! Bravo to Teaquilibrium for a tea well done!
Yerba Maté Chai from Tea Chai Té
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Tea Chai Té
Product Description:
Yerba mate blended with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, orange peel, clove, allspice, and star anise. Organic.
Taster’s Review:
I’m always excited when I find a new tea company that’s local! Tea Chai Té has a tea shop that just so happens to be on one of my favorite streets in Portland, so the next time I’m shopping there I will have to stop in for a cuppa!
In the meantime, I will enjoy some of their teas that can be purchased online. This chai blend is incredibly warming and even though Yerba Maté tends to be very invigorating, this blend has a very soothing effect too. Perhaps it’s the warmth of the spices that are lulling me into this unique state of comforting alertness.
The sip begins with a soft earthy flavor from the Yerba Mate and a hint of citrus from the orange. This intriguing combination of flavors is immediately enveloped by the distinctive flavor of the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Somewhere about mid-sip, a licorice-y note hits the palate, and seems to disappear just as quickly as it appears. Sort of like now I taste it, now I don’t! There is a strong, peppery flavor coming from the ginger and black pepper that hits the palate at the tail of the sip and lingers through the aftertaste, which is comprised of peppery notes and orange with just a whisper of licorice taste from the star anise.
This chai blend is an interesting adventure that is keeping my attention and my taste buds captivated! I really like this a lot. I like this with a dollop of raw honey (or if you prefer, agave nectar). I found it is delicious as a latte – just add a splash of warmed milk or cream – but it is also quite nice without this addition. It all just depends upon your mood!
On the 8th Day of Christmas … from 52Teas
Yep… you read that right. Today is the 8th day.
I still can’t believe it’s Christmas already… this year seems to have flown by!
So much has happened this year… my first born graduated from high school, and she got engaged to a wonderful guy. I’m thrilled he will be joining our family. My youngest started 4th grade! It’s been quite a year.
Anyway, enough of that, or I shall be writing this review with teary eyes. To avoid the tears, lets get to the tea of the day, shall we?
MALTED CHOCOMATÉ
Tea Information: 
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Product Description:
This is roasted yerba mate with organic cacao nibs and all natural chocolate and malt flavors. It is one delicious energy kick! If you missed our last yerba mate blend, you can read more about mate and it’s properties here. This is our first roasted mate blend. The previous mate blends were made with green yerba mate. The difference in flavor is similar to the difference between a black and a green tea, though the roasted mate still has tiny bit more of a vegetal taste than black tea.
Taster’s Review:
Another favorite from 52Teas, and for good reason. With this one, it’s all about the chocolate, baby! Of all the 52Teas I’ve tried thus far, this one is by far the most chocolate-y (although, if you are a chocoholic like I am, I also highly recommend the Chocolate Malt Honeybush from My Sweet Honeybush, which I would say is probably neck and neck when it comes to chocolate-y-ness).
I previously reviewed this tea for the Tea Review Blog, and really my feelings about this delicious tisane have not changed. It is still just as rich and delicious as it was when I wrote the review.
The Yerba Maté does have a vegetative quality to it but I don’t find it distracting. What is especially nice is how well the roasted aspect of the Yerba Maté enhances the flavor of the chocolate. The flavor is sweet, pleasantly toasty, and decadent.
To be quite honest, I would prefer this to a chocolate ice cream malt any day, if for no other reason than that I find tea to be infinitely more soothing and comforting than ice cream. Don’t get me wrong, I love ice cream (and malts!), but if given a choice between ice cream and tea… I’d choose tea every time. And even though this is not technically a “tea” because it’s made from Yerba Maté leaves and not tea leaves, I still love how wonderful this really is.
And even though it is rather soothing and comforting, the Yerba Maté definitely is rather invigorating! I wouldn’t recommend sipping on this just before bedtime. I find the caffeine in Yerba Mate to be more stimulating than that in tea, but without the “jolt” that coffee delivers – and without the inevitable nausea (at least for me) that follows the coffee jolt.
This is truly a delicious blend – one that is definitely worthy of its place in 52Teas permanent collection, one I am glad was featured in this 12 Teas of Christmas box, and one that should definitely be on the shelf of every chocolate lover! It’s so good!