This post is a little different for my blog. I don't think I've ever reviewed a tea before and this is more or less a reference for me so that I can remember my first impressions of this tea. My memory isn't what it used to be, lol. I've probably reviewed a tea and just can't remember and I'm too lazy to look.
I had a tea haul from Teavana delivered yesterday. This is probably one of the most missed stores that I miss from San Diego. There are some things that you should buy in person rather than over the internet and loose leaf teas are definitely something that you should buy in person. I really hate Teavana's high-pressure sales techniques, but seeing and smelling loose leaf tea in person is a great experience. When you live in the boonies, what are ya gonna do?
I loved the sound of the description of this tea from Teavana's website:
It’s not coffee, is it tea? Taste this coffee-like maté and red rooibos blend. Sweetened with cocoa and chocolate chips, this mochaccino inspired blend infuses smooth, dark rich sips that are soft and robust.
Roasted infusion with rich chocolaty overtones
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| A palmful of MateVana Tea. You can see the marigold and chocolate chunks clearly. |
This Mate tea has a bit of caffeine in it and I love a tea that I can drink in place of a morning cup of coffee because some days, I'm just not in a coffee mood but can use an energy boost. This is a very aromatic tea with strong chocolate overtones and nutty undertones. It has a strong tea flavor with chocolaty/nutty flavors. I think it also has a bit of a light anise taste to it as well. Something that bothers me about this tea is that I can swear that I'm tasting an artificial sweetener but it isn't listed in the ingredients. I would almost put money on this tea having an artificial sweetener in it.The ingredients do list sugar and "artificial flavors" soooo... Despite the troubling sweetener taste, I have enjoyed this tea this morning. While the chocolate comes through very strongly, I would not compare this tea to a mochaccino. It's just not what I think of when drinking this tea. It's very tea-y versus having a coffee flavor. It's also something that I would rather drink on a cold morning and/or evening rather than a hot and humid morning like we had today at my house.
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| Very dark brew. It looks like coffee but tastes like tea. |
I thought the tea had an odd taste too! It is nice having a tea to replace coffee, though. I have it for emergencies when I run out (a little bit of an addict, here). Do you drink it plain? I added some milk this time I can't figure out what's the best way to drink it.
ReplyDeleteMost often, I drink my tea straight. Sometimes, I sweeten it with honey or rock sugar. Depending on the tea, I sometimes add a slice of lemon. I drank this tea straight to try it out for the first time. I've tried milk in my tea one time and hated it. Maybe I should try it with different varieties?
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