my boyfriend really likes maté. so basically in my mind i designate all maté as his. if i open a new bag and put it in a canister, i point out “your maté is here” so i can feel sure he will enjoy it.
the result is that all of my maté is tasted from his cup. haha (can i have a sip?) (can i have another sip?) (could i have one more sip?)
but it also means he uses and enjoys all my tea accessories, which i think would be lost on him otherwise.
this is a nice maté! i’ve never had a plain one before. so i feel extra glad that TastyBrew sent me some. honestly i like it much more than i thought i would. it’s a unique flavor. definitely the toasted-ness makes it extra warming.
and not that he’s a tough sell, but the boy seems to like it too!
4 Tasting Notes
This is my first mate. (I was a mate virgin!) Honestly, I’m not impressed. Mate is very fine in its loose form. I use tea filter bags over an infuser and I’m glad I do because using an infuser with mate would be a big ol’ mess.
On to the taste. Weird. (Wow, so descriptive.) Nutty, toasted. But smooth. A good basic tea base. It reminds me of something and I can’t put my finger on what, but the taste is very familiar. Hearty and woodsy. The aftertaste is nutty, almost like coffee. Maybe it reminds me of weak coffee? There is a sweet smell to it as well…weak but sweet coffee, that’s what I bid. Kind of like free coffee you get while waiting for a service: car repair, real estate, insurance.
I got this as a sample and I don’t think I’d buy it again. No offense, maybe it’s my mate ignorance, but I don’t drink tea just to drink tea. I enjoy the flavors, the aroma, the experience. This one just didn’t thrill me.
Funny story; I swapped a few teas with Meghann M for some of Adagio’s new mate samples. The next day, I received an order from Adagio (a tasting set) and suddenly remembered that I’d been promised the mate sampler with my next order, after making a comment on Facebook about missing out on that deal. (Tea companies are truly awesome sometimes, don’t you think?)
Well, maybe not so much funny as boring. Anyway. I now have far more mate than anyone should.
This is definitely a new experience for me. I’ve been curious about mate for some time, but I hadn’t any idea what it would taste like. I’m having trouble putting it into words at the moment. Just… toasty. And earthy. And good, but not mind-blowing.
It has a strong, almost pungent smell when brewed, just short of making it unpleasant. I liked it, although it would probably be easier for a coffee drinker to enjoy than a white or green tea lover. Had a hint of a nutty taste as well, and no bitter aftertaste.
See this and all my reviews at http://www.teageek.org
