MateVana

I bought this with the intent to drink it iced at work in the morning. The leaves have a very roasty, chocolately smell. Once made, I could also smell and taste the rooibos in the tea, but the chocolate didn’t come through as much as I was expecting. It’s not a very pretty cup, sort of a muddy brown color. I sweetened it with honey but I don’t know that it really needed it, I will have to try it without sweetener next time. It seems like the sugar already present in the chocolate bits could have carried the day. I can see why this is recommended as a coffee substitute, it seems very thick for tea (or “hearty” as my boyfriend described it). Overall it went down very smooth and I think it will make a great morning cup.

Not really a coffee substitute as it is billed, but this rooibos/mate drink is very tasty with honey and cut with Teavana’s Rooibos Chai. Just like advertised – has chocolatey undertone with a very mild buzz afterwards. A delicious drink, but not a coffee substitute.

creamy, chocolately, coffee-y
this is great as an afternoon snack (takes care of the craving for sugar stuffs)

Even though it’s marketed for coffee lovers, I can’t stand straight up coffee but absolutely adore this tea; it’s like it takes the smell of coffee and actually makes it taste like that, sans the bitterness. It’s smooth, has a nice nutty/slight chocolate flavor, and very rich without a hint of bitterness.

Only brewed this once so far, and wasn’t all that impressed. It turned out a bit flat. It does have a nice nutty flavor, though.

Tried this a second time iced with some sugar. Still NOT a fan. I guess I’ll have to try blending this with other things. I just don’t care for it on its own. :(

A touch of warm milk, rock sugar, and cinnamon—yummy on a cold morning!

I have been fond of Mate Vana by itself for a while now, but I find it to be better in blends: specifically, is my favorite blend: Honeybush Vanilla and Mate Vana, brew with some sugar and you have an excellent hot or cold tea.

Update:

Drinking the Honeybush Vanilla and Mate Vana again. I find that this tea is always a good blend to come back to. It does not need sugar, but sugar definitely helps to bring it to the next level.

This is a fun tea to start your dad with. Hearty, but not nearly as hearty as coffee. I drink it with milk and sugar. Worth giving a try.

A very good mate :) Nice chocolate taste! Very good iced or hot. Blend well with Rooibos Chai (Teavana) and Peppermint tea. A great coffee replacement because it has the same caffeine content.

An amazing blend of bold flavor with nutty and sweet tendencies. Steep for a full 6 min for a much fuller cup. Its a great transition for coffee drinkers trying to kick the habit. It also give you a long sustained energy boost that coffee can’t match.