Creme Earl Grey Yerba Mate from Fusion Sweets. . .

What kind of day is it? The kind where I try my first ever earl grey maté. I’ve tried black (obviously), green (sure), and even a rooibos, but never a maté on this theme. WHO IS READY FOR EXCITEMENT?

For those of you who haven’t tried maté, it’s a caffeinated South American leaf that’s not, technically, the same type of plant as tea. It has a smooth taste that’s, in my opinion, closest to a green/coffee flavor. It’s an underdog of the tea world, a feisty up-and-comer that doesn’t quite fit in.

This earl grey creme is VERY creme-y. It’s got oodles of vanilla, almost enough to wash out the tang of the bergamot and the mate, but not quite. The sweet-vs-tangy battle is an interesting taste experience and the backbone of the flavor profile. They manage to coexist, but my brain flicks back and forth between the two like kids on a see-saw. They’re both present in the aftertaste.

All in all, while I enjoyed this tea’s kicky nature, its duality is a bit overwhelming. I’m not sure that this is the one for me. But it’s totally worth trying, especially if you’re an Earl Grey afficianado and want to complete the “set.”

Fusion Sweets has an option on its site where you can order a sampler.

 


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Mate
Where to Buy:  Fusion Sweets
Description

Similar to Earl Grey tea with the creaminess of vanilla but without the astringency of black tea.

We’ve scented yerba maté with Italian oil of bergamot and sweetened with vanilla beans.

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!

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!

Sweet Cinnamon Mate from Because UR Priceless. . . . .

I have never actually had a mate blend. Which is interesting because I have drank a lot of teas, but just never had an interest in mate I guess. Although mate is considered an herbal blend, it still contains a pretty high amount of caffeine. I really needed a caffeine boost today so I decided to brew up a cup of Sweet Cinnamon Mate. I like sweet cinnamon, not hot cinnamon, so I hoped that this tea would live up to its name.

Now, I don’t have any other mate blends to compare this to, but I noticed a pretty distinct vegetal/herbal flavor right off the bat. I also noticed a slight bitterness, and whether that was from the cacao or the mate, I am not sure but there was a definite bite to this blend. The cinnamon added some nice warmth, but it wasn’t overly hot or spicy, it was definitely sweet as promised. I almost want to use the word smokey to describe this. It definitely brought on feelings of comfort and warmth and would be a great blend on a cold fall morning.

This has definitely peaked my curiosity for mate blends and I will be trying more in the future, so stay tuned!


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Mate
Where to Buy:  Because UR Priceless
Description

SWEET CINNAMON MATÉ (pronounced mah-tay) brings you a satisfying beverage that’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and a whole lot energizing! The delicate balance of yerba matế, cinnamon, and sweet cacao nibs creates a tea drinking experience you will enjoy again and again.
(Note: This blend has a light, mellow cinnamon flavor rather than a strong, hot cinnamon flavor.)

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Chocolate Covered Almond from DAVIDsTea

It seems like forever ago since I drank a tea from David’s Tea. Today I’m sharing with you their Chocolate Covered Almond flavored Black Tea. This tea is NOT currently listed on their website but according to the package does NOT contain dairy.

It claims that this is sweet, crunchy, and totally addictive. I would certainly agree that it IS a tasty treat! Cocoa, Carob, and Almonds are the addictive trinity here, friends! This tea also contains yerba mate, sugar, and flavorings.

Aside from the yummy-goodness of the flavor of this tea I have to say that I was overly impressed that it contained a black tea and Yerba Mate blended base. Because it had so much flavor it was hard to pick out the Yerba Mate flavor by itself but I appreciate that it was in there, regardless!

It’s sweet, bold, creamy, nutty, tasty, and certainly satisfies the sweet tooth on occasion.


Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type:  Black Tea
Where to Buy:  DAVIDsTea
Description

This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!