I generally enjoy mate blends more than straight mate, but this one is good enough to drink on its own, the best I’ve had in that regard. It has rounder, almost malted notes. Thanks to Becky for the great trade :)
(I recommend this for a straight mate, which to me is a bit of a lower standard than recommending as a tea.)
Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Barnyard, Bread, Brown Toast, Hot Hay, Malt, Roasted
Strong preference for exploring teas au naturel, and unflavored (except for unprocessed ingredients, e.g., cocoa shells/nibs, vanilla beans, flowers, fruits…). Favorites lean in the direction of rich caramelly, malty blacks, any puerh, fresh floral oolongs and whites that have some dimension.
I am always up for swaps.
Beyond the experience of tea, I’m interested in exploring its medicinal aspects. Other interests … yoga, creative veggie cooking, environmental issues, animal welfare, music/guitar, lefty politics, preventive health/nutrition, biking, swimming, foosball, photography.
Here’s how I rate ’em:
95+: euphoria-inducing, le petite mort
91-94: extraordinary, exhilarating
85-90: delicious
81-84: definitely enjoyable
75-80: good, solid stuff
65-74: I’ll drink it, but without enthusiasm
45-64: something redeeming about it, but not much
31-44: just barely drinkable
< 30: tidy stream into the spit bucket
Metro DC
