My introduction to Wise Ape’s Chocolate Hustle tea was a sister suggesting we brew it cold, in coconut milk… all of which I had no idea was even possible but wow, such a great idea for lazy mornings!!! This has since overturned my ugh totally “basic” hot water regimen. I was tempted this morning to liven up my bland, healthy cereal by putting it in here, but the scientist in me needed to have a control group first before I went too far down the rabbit hole testing the bounds of FLAVOR! (Cue that stoned cook from Blake Lively’s movie, Acceptance.)
Overnight the creamy liquid turned cocoa colored, though I saw no obvious powders in the sachet, a la the matcha plus tea leaves trend. It also definitely smells like chocolate but tastes more earthy with a hint of true mint. Oh, it’s a maté blend, that explains it. I bet hot brewed in milk would perk up more flavor. The sweet coconut taste seems to overpower some of the other flavors, let’s see what else is in here. Oh chicory goodness! Hmmm ashwagandha… but I didn’t dislike it like other mind boosting teas. Stevia?! That normally tastes “off” with chocolate recipes but I don’t notice that in this concoction.
I can’t say I necessarily felt Planet of the Apes wiser, but it did boost my alertness during my carb-coma 3 hour block of post-lunch Biology slide shows! I’m learning our bodies can be unpredictable, but fortunately advances in science can help us live full, worthwhile lives. Another great note: A portion of their profits is donated to the brain tumor society. I HIGHLY recommend trying this tea, and that’s not the cook from Acceptance talking again.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Yerba Maté
Where to Buy: Wise Ape
Roasted yerba mate tea with hints of chocolate and mint, blended together with natural brain boosting herbs. Designed to heighten your focus, energy, and clarity.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Climber’s High from The Tea Spot. . .
Though working out isn’t my favorite activity, I can understand the uplifting physical feeling that comes with good old-fashioned exercise. With a name that refers to an athletic euphoria, it’s no surprise to me that Climber’s High tea from the Tea Spot has yerba mate in the blend. Yerba mate is technically an herbal tisane, not made from the same stuff as black tea, but it contains a high amount of caffeine and is often cited as a better caffeination choice than coffee, with fewer jitters and crashes.
Yerba mate on its own has a dry hay, fresh-mowed-field fragrance, and a gently earthy taste. This blend is no exception, with the dried grass scents mellowing out as smooth and earthy in flavor.
This blend also has its fair share of chai spices like licorice root, black pepper, fennel, tulsi, and cardamom. I love spicy chai teas so I made sure to scoop a big cardamom pod into my cup. That said, the spices are understated, very gentle and unassuming. Personally I would have liked a little more pop, but I understand that spicy teas aren’t for everyone. Don’t be discouraged by this ingredients list if you aren’t into chai teas, this might just be the right blend for you.
I don’t always need the caffeine kick that yerba mate provides, but if you’re looking for a powerful alternative to coffee or black tea, Climber’s High is a great blend to check out.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Yerba Mate/Herbal (caffeine)
Where to Buy: The Tea Spot
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 even more about this tea and tea company here!
Chocolate Covered Banana from DAVIDs Tea. . .
One of my coworkers ordered Caramel Corn from David’s Tea and accidentally received this instead. (WHOOPS! Seems like somebody over there had a case of the Mondays.) Caffeine of any sort makes her face explode in treacherous boils of acne (she alleges; she’s perfect, so I doubt it). She got a refund. I got the tea.
The ingredients for this tea include “Banana, Blackberry Leaves, Chocolate Chip, Cocoa Bean Shells, Coconut, Currant, Green Yerba Mate, Natural Coconut Flavor, Pineapple.”
Though the tea isn’t currently available, there is a nice blog post about preparing a latté it here.
I didn’t prepare it that way. I can’t even begin to even. That sounds nice, though. If you have a tea on hand that has a similar flavor profile, please try that and report back.
The primary thing I taste in this blend is the cocoa shells, which is like slightly watery hot chocolate from a packet. There’s also a slight inkling of the freeze-dried banana/pineapple, which adds a little bit of a tartness/sassiness to the blend.
Would Elvis approve of this? I’m not sure.
This tea reminds me of one of those tropical-themed parties that happens in the winter. “We’re going to have a boardwalk treat!” the party-owner says, wearing a parrot-head hat and pretending to lean on a plastic, inflatable palm tree. The crowd is wearing leis over their sweaters. They are not sure they can handle the Jimmy Buffett/hula/reggae playlist forever. The basement they are in is not fully heated.
I’m not sure I love this mix, but if anyone ever wants to engage me in a Tea Trade, I will happily send it along!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Yerba Mate
Where to Buy: DAVIDs Tea
Description
This tea is not currently available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
On the Rebound – Teavana-Styled Rebound Teas from Adagio Teas. . . .
Late last year, Adagio teas offered a free set of “rebound teas” for recent customers of David’s Tea and Teavana. While David’s Tea isn’t going anywhere as far as I know, Teavana has been closing its doors and sold out of the final stock in its online shop. Adagio’s rebound teas were blended to be familiar to tea lovers from those other shops in the hopes of encouraging these tea-fanatics to try out more teas from Adagio’s selection.
Now, I am a little biased because I got my loose-leaf start with Adagio, but I feel as though different tea suppliers have different specialities, and I’ve enjoyed tea from both David’s Tea and Teavana. David’s Tea and Teavana tend to have more specialized themed blends. They are a great choice when you want a tea that tastes like a peanut butter cup or an over-the-top tropical peach iced tea. Not to mention, they have some very cute tea tins, mugs, and accessories to jazz up your tea shelf.
Adagio’s Rebound Sampler featured 5 teas (though they are adding new rebound blends all the time, see their listing of comparable teas here)
Teavana had a few popular peach teas, so this sampler has two peach teas of its own: Peach Bellini and Peach Serenity. They are subtly different, with Peach Bellini focusing on more tropical flavors like mango and papaya, and Peach Serenity with more herbal ingredients like lemon verbena and chamomile. In both blends, the strong peach flavoring drives the smell and taste. I think these would be best suited for cold brews, where the sweet candy peach flavor can add sweetness without sugar. These teas are great if you are a fan of peach rings candy. I’m always in favor of having more herbal blends, but I think I prefer the more subtle peach taste in Adagio’s peach black tea or peach oolong.
Raja Oolong is an oolong blend with lots of delicious inclusions like chicory, ginger, and cocoa nibs. Likewise, White Ayurvedic Chai is a white tea with a long list of flavorful spices and fruits, like cloves, pineapple, lemongrass and cinnamon. Despite the varied ingredient listing for both blends, the strong cinnamon flavoring takes over. These teas would be great for fans of Adagio’s hot cinnamon spice tea, or for fans of Hot Tamales candies. I’m all for a spicy tea, but I wish there was more variety in the spice. It would be great to have some sweet ginger heat or herbal black pepper spice share the spotlight. I would recommend trying Adagio’s original White Chai blend as another take on the white tea and spice combination.
Samurai Mate is a sweet and tropical mate blend, with lots of sweet papaya flavoring. The fruit pairs well with the green yerba mate, but it is a little one-note. This might be more subtle when iced, not to mention a cold brew would suit the tropical fruit theme. Not the blend for me, but a very striking fruity blend.
If you were able to take advantage of the rebound deal, I hope all the Teavana and David’s Tea fans out there enjoyed your first taste of Adagio. I think Adagio’s strengths lay with their more naturally flavored or unflavored teas. Let’s not forget their lively fandom blends where customers design themed flavors using the tea blender tools. If there’s a discontinued tea flavor that you’re missing, why not try your hand at creating a signature blend of your own to bring it back?
Here’s to a healthy rebound in your loose leaf tea life!
Here’s the scoop!
Where to Buy: Adgaio Teas
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Jump Start You Day with This Blend from Adagio Teas
Jump start your car with a blast of electricity. Jump start your brain and your day with this high caffeine cuppa! For tea lovers everywhere, it’s no secret that mate tea is a powerful pick-me-up, and often cited as a great alternative to coffee. Well Jump Start blend from Adagio teas has toasted mate and so much more.
There’s not just mate, there’s traditional black tea in the blend as well, a staple of every breakfast blend around. But let’s take this caffeine level a step further: kola nuts. Kola nuts are caffeine-containing tree nuts, previously used as an ingredient in sodas, hence where we get the term “cola.” So there’s caffeine from the mate, from the black tea, and even from the kola nut inclusion. This tea should come with a warning, like roller coasters: don’t brew this tea if you have a heart condition. You’ll be rocketing out of your socks in no time!
So how do all of these ingredients taste? The toasted mate brings roasty, earthy, dry hay notes, which serve as a compliment to the more traditional boldness of the black tea. With additions like smooth, sweet cocoa nibs, and warm, spicy cinnamon bark, it’s hard not to imagine the kola nuts adding their own kind of cola sweetness. I brewed this blend black, how I take most of my tea, but it is bold enough to hold up its flavor, even if softened with a bit of milk.
This will be an amazing tea for those of you who just can’t seem to get enough caffeine. Skip your espresso-laced red-eye cold brew coffee, and just brew a cup of Jump Start instead!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black/Herbal
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Description: Mate, Kola, and Black tea make up this well-caffeinated blend to make your mornings deliciously efficient.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!