Caribbean Calypso

I have never ever tried any Mate type teas before…
1st smell steeped. Truthfully the smell was a bit off putting. It smelled really grassy. And not even a sweet grassy smell.
1st taste: Not bad really. It almost tastes like it has mint in it….might be the lemongrass. I know that might sound weird, but lemongrass has some of the fresh, reviving taste to it that mint does to me, so that is probably why I am associating the two. Note: Because I have never had a Mate tea before, I decided to go lower then the recommended temp (Teavana’s recommended temp is 208.) I went with the ‘French Press’ setting on my kettle, 200. I think next time I will try it at Boiling, see how it handles. I suspect I might like it better.

This is my go-to morning tea; just purchased a pound of it for myself while it was on sale. This tea is really stellar when brewed in a traditional gourd. Leaving it in the gourd really brings out the ginger flavour which can get a bit… I dunno it’s just not quite there when steeping it like tea (as maté is not technically tea). It also has a wonderful natural sweetness, and the lemongrass is refreshing. Makes a fantastic iced tea. Couple of cups of this keeps me going all day.