Tea of the Week – Yerba Mate

Herbal Tea

Name: Yerba Mate

Type: Herbal

Region:

Bought At: Adagio.com

Price: $2 for a ten cup sample

First Impressions: Leaves are more processed/chopped up.  Smells somewhat grassy, but earthy too.

Review:

I bought the Adagio Mate Sampler on a bit of a whim.  I’ve heard the name “yerba mate” tea a lot, but don’t know a lot about it.  It turns out mate is not true ‘tea’ at all, actually a herbal brew that originates from South America.  Having said that, I started with the one I had heard mentioned the most: Yerba Mate.   Once brewed the smell takes on a strong, almost bitter scent.  The flavor is interesting, stronger than most teas, but still pleasant.  It has very earthy flavors, but sets itself apart from black tea in that it finishes with a hint of mild sweetness.  Overall I liked it, and look forward to trying the rest of the mate samples.

My Rating:

3.5 / 5

–brent
(Teageek.org Founder)

Tea of the Week – Mambo

Black Tea

Name: Mambo

Type:  Black

Region:  Yunnan and Wuyi regions of China

Bought At:  Adagio.com

Price:  $3 for a ten cup sample

First Impressions: Large leaves for Black Tea, Pleasant earthy smell

Review:

A black tea I haven’t tried before, Mambo is marketed as similar to the Mamba Dance which “originated from the fusion of Cuban and American Jazz.”  While I don’t know about being “jazz infused”, this is a decent cup of tea.  A solid black tea with a strong earthy flavor, this isn’t a tea for those who like lighter teas.  Be careful because it gets very bitter if brewed even a little too long, but when brewed correctly is a pleasant tea.  I wish I had some milk to try with it because I think it would stand up well and smooth out the flavor a little.  Overall, good but not a new favorite.

My Rating:

3 / 5

–brent
(Teageek.org Founder)

Tea of the Week – Xue Ya Ballad

Green Tea

Name: Xue Ya Ballad

Type:  Green

Region:  Keemun, China

Bought At:  Adagio.com

Price:  $2 for a ten cup sample

First Impressions: Gentle Grassy Smell, looks similar to a white monkey leaf but smaller

Review:

My first unflavored green in a while, Xue Ya Ballad was just okay.  It wasn’t as light as I was expecting, and reminded me more of a gunpowder green than a white monkey green.  Not really bad it lacked the smokiness that I like in darker greens.  It had a hint of nutiness, but also just a twinge of bitterness in the end.  It’s possible that I over steeped it, and will try it again, but all in all a little disapointing.  Given a name with the grandiose of “Xue Ya Ballad” I was expecting a little more.

My Rating: 2 / 5

–brent
(Teageek.org Founder)

Tea of the Week – Raspberry Green

Green Tea

Name: Raspberry Green

Type:  Green

Region:  China

Bought At:  Adagio.com

Price:  $2 for a ten cup sample

First Impressions: Sweet and fruity, smells good!

Review:

I was really nervous about trying this week’s tea for a couple reasons.  First, the last  fruit tea I tried (Cherry Green) was absolutely terrible, and second, I love raspberries.  When I was growing up my parents owned a raspberry stand and ever since they have been one of my favorite fruits, and I was really excited about finding a good raspberry tea.  Luckily, Adagio nailed this one.  The tea is both sweet and a little tart, just like its namesake fruit.  The fruity flavors blend well with the mellow green they used as the base.  I found it interesting that they also included the raspberry leaves in the tea.  I’m not sure why they did that (If anyone at adagio reads this feel free to fill me in), but it seems to have worked.  A solid tea that nailed my personal tastes, try some!

My Rating: 4 / 5

–brent
(Teageek.org Founder)