Rainforest Mate

Thanks, CupofTree!

Made this before heading to meet up for a group project this morning.

It doesn’t really taste like much of anything than herbal tea mixed with mate…maybe a tad sweet. Not bad but there are plenty of other mates I like better. There’s nothing really remarkable about it for me.

It did its job though, I’ve got 2 hours on campus left and I’m not even sure when I last yawned!

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me some of this!

I really am enjoying this blend. It is one that I overlooked while shopping the other day at the Spice and Tea Exchange. It has a lot going on, and one might think that its too much for one tisane, but, they all work together very well. The cloves start out warm, and then I notice the licorice-y tones, and by the end of the sip, I notice a crisp mint tone. The pineapple comes through with a sweet, juicy note that really refreshes the spice melange.

The yerba mate is not a strong flavor here, I notice hints of earthiness that seem to unify with the earthiness of the clove and anise, but it never becomes a strong earthy flavor.

Very lovely, I enjoyed this quite a bit.

Unique is RIGHT!
This is a nice surprise!

My parents picked this (and two others) up for me while their were in Annapolis last week…I have tried very few of their offerings but remember liking the ones I have tried so far! I can add this one to my LIKE list!

This has lovely citrus notes throughout and the citrus flavors are most memorable for me in this blend of flavors. I’m thinking this flavor is because of the grapefruit and apple combo! Paired with the Mate – this works well in itself. BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE! The fruity notes and spices work well too! And they aren’t over done. I like that. There are hints of floral here and there, too! And I really like the tiny bits of mint that are more into the aftertaste than anything. The mint is barely there but when all together it all works here!

One thing I noticed is they pointed out this is GREEN Anise they are using. I don’t see that too often. Usually it’s just “regular anise”. I will have to google how GREEN differs but I will say…I like what I am sipping on that is for sure!

This is a great flavored mate!

I can’t believe I haven’t rated this one yet! I could have sworn that I had… hmm.
Anyhow, this was at one point a fave of mine, but not as much now that I am here in TO. See, I bought this in Florida, and the water must be different there because this tea in particular is not what I remember! The coconut oolong, which I also bought at the same shop, tastes better here, but not the rainforest mate. Odd huh?
Here, I taste more of the licorice, and the mate, whereas in Florida, it was all about the fruitiness. Can hard/soft water make that much of a difference?
Who knows. Oh and I am definitely getting the mint here, where I never noticed it prior. That said, it’s still very smooth, and I quite enjoy my yerbas.
So, my rating is based on these factors then:
1. This tea is useful, keeping me energized for the moment but it won’t cause me trouble later in the evening when I try to get some sleep. I also enjoy the yerba taste, as mentioned above. and again, it’s super smooth, also a good thing
2. I’m not a huge licorice or mint fan except in very particular circumstances (icecream for instance. I love mint chocolate chip!)
3. The fruity part, which initially drew me in is gone.
Thus, this tea would have previous received a score of 90, but is now relegated to 84. Oh well. C’est la vie!

One of my favorite teas from one of my favorite shops. I try to keep this one on hand, and particularly enjoy drinking a cup right before bed to finish my night. (Yes, I know this is a mate – caffeine does nothing for me..!)

It’s great right from the first step: big chunks of dried fruit (licorice and pineapple), gorgeous blue cornflower petals, and a fresh-looking bright green mate base exude a pleasantly spicy cinnamon apple scent. I definitely recommend putting this in a tin; the ingredients are very different sizes and you want a balanced scoop.

The steep releases more cinnamon apple scent, this time emphasizing the fruit. I love watching this tea steep, as the liquor very slowly and very gradually becomes its ready-to-drink pale gold.

Generally, I like my teas to have a very bold flavor. Rainforest Mate is unique because the sip initially tastes very watery, a notable tart sweetness creeping around the edges of your tongue and throat as it sits and finishing up with slight anise notes. It’s confusingly weak and bold at the same time, the latter definitely aided by heat; I’ve never iced this tea but having tried it nearly cooled I don’t particularly want to.

Writing this overdue tasting note, I’m realizing that I have plenty of flavored mates (nearly all of which I love) but have never tried the stuff plain. Any brand recommendations?
-Cash