Mate Java Espresso

I’ve been on a new-to-me tea spree, since I need to get a better handle on what might go in tea boxes. I’m kind of missing my favorites! Opening my sample bag, the smell of this one is DIVINE. oh wow. This is a roasted yerba mate mixed with black tea. I can see chocolate chips and little cinnamon pieces in the blend. There is also supposed to be vanilla! I don’t know why the package says this has zero caffiene since it is both a black tea AND yerba mate. After a four minute steep, I’m thinking this could be one of my favorites from Tealux. It’s a nice roasty, earthy, rustic flavor (I love roasted yerba mates). The other flavors aren’t extremely pronounced, but you get hints of chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon. It reminds me of Fusion’s Chocolate Mate but that one tastes slightly more like a barbeque. haha. I could easily order two ounces of this one!

TheTeaFairy was kind enough to send me some more of this “because you liked it a lot and it’s not in your cupboard anymore”. That’s true – I did like it a lot, and I still do.
Thank you for reintroducing me to an old favorite.

So the rule is I will not add creamer to a tea until I have had it first without it because I’m still in the process of figuring out all the differences between teas. Can’t learn squat if they all taste like hazelnut creamer. Most times I won’t add creamer at all (North African Mint and hazelnut creamer anyone? Didn’t think so) but some of the chocolate teas are screaming for it.

This tea, which I should not be having at 10 pm, tastes a little like java but mostly like mate. Can’t taste any black tea, nor was I able to smell it. Also not entirely sure about vanilla. While I might not be able to pick out anything specific beyond light coffee, it all comes together to make a tasty tea.

See, Dexter3657 ? I told you you’re batting a thousand today.

It seems the trend lately is caffeine-free coffee teas (which, don’t get me wrong, I quite enjoy!) but sometimes what I am really craving from a coffee tea is the stimulation of coffee as well as the taste, and I have to say this one holds up pretty well. It has a very strong black coffee flavor, which mimicks the flavor well but also comes off just a tad artificial. The dry leaf smells strongly of the cocoa elements but I don’t really taste that in the cup… it just tastes like black coffee with a roasty undertone, as well as a strong hit of cinnamon. I really like the cinnamon, and somehow paired with the black coffee flavor it tastes more like nutmeg to me on the tongue (still very pleasant!) I also like that the base is a combination of roasted yerba mate and black tea, doubling down on the caffeinated potential.

I’ve mostly been drinking this tea plain, but this morning opted for a sweetened vanilla almond milk latte since I’m trying to use up the carton. Adding the sweetened vanilla almond milk really brings out the cocoa notes that were hiding otherwise. Very delicious! A very good coffee alternative for those that like the taste but may have other issues preventing a morning cup o’ joe (for me, the acidity of coffee beans really does a number on my GI!)

Happy New Year, everyone!