MateVana

I have turned more people on to tea by offering this tea than any other. The spicy chocolate tones in it give it a richness that surprises many people who have never tried anything but Lipton. It’s great for those trying to switch from coffee as well. It’s my morning “get it going” tea

I tried this cocoa-y Mate a few years ago after I became hooked on The Tea Emporium’s version, which is very similar (and less expensive).

While I do enjoy this one’s smooth creamy, chocolate-y taste (with or without the addition of milk and honey), I find the cocoa flavour to be a tad overpowering and gasp artificial tasting. I do however, still enjoy this Mate and the energy it gives!

It smells stronger dry then it does once brewed, but it still has a good flavor. It’s smooth and I can definitely taste the chocolate. There is a vegetal underlying taste which I assume is the mate (I’ve never had just straight mate so I’m not certain what it tastes like on its own). When I want something that feels darker and richer than black tea it’s a good fix. I add just a little bit of the German rock sugar…keep thinking about putting some almond milk or creamer in it but it feels like that might make it too rich for me. I use 1.5 tsp to 8 oz of water and brew for 5 minutes. For a resteep I go 6 or 7 minutes.

I’m the type that likes a good, natural caffeine kick to help stimulate the senses and push the creative side of my brain in motion. In the local mall, I stopped into Teavana and asked, no demanded, for something with a high caffeine content. My search was for a tea that would get me bouncing around the room with energy. I was presented with MateVana, an interestingly scented, soulless creature.

I will preface this by saying, I usually don’t care for chocolate-flavored teas, but decided to give this one a shot. This ‘tea’ does not taste quite like tea. It’s a thick and rich, coffee-like brew. The heavy nutty-chocolate flavor is overwhelming, almost too overwhelming at times. One sip tastes like a nutty hot chocolate and the next tastes like a mocha coffee with a dash of vanilla. Where is the tea I ask!?

This supposed ‘tea’ did nothing for me. It neither awoken my creative side nor stimulated my taste buds. MateVana lies in some wasteland between hot chocolate and mocha coffee without any real reason for being. If you’re a chocolate lover, this tea may be acceptable to you. But, caffeine with no soul does not leave much to be energetic about.

I said I was going to just enjoy the loose leaf teas I have now and not buy more until I finish what I have. But…I was at the local mall last night and passed a store that I hadn’t noticed before…TEAVANA!!!

TEAVANA became NIRVANA for me! The incredible aromas that filled the store, as well as the many free tea tasting samples, were just too much for me to resist. I didn’t want to go crazy (yet) so I only bought two types during this stop. I know I will be back…soon.

I was very excited to try the purchased MateVana tea this morning. The odor that arose from the cannister contained the only thing that I like about coffee, its great aroma. I hate the taste of coffee and have always wished that coffee tasted like it smelled. This tea does just that and more!

The sweet, almost chocolaty, aroma that wafted from the tea maker while brewing, again screamed out the qualities that I always envied in coffee. This divine smell was not even slightly diminished in the cup that followed. And, the bold, sweet, and polished flavor of the tea is beyond adequate accolades. It TASTES exactly like fine coffee SMELLS without the harsh and often bitter flavor of coffee. It is tremendously rich, vibrant, and smooth. I drank three cups of this wonderful nectar this morning. I can’t wait to pop open the cannister again soon, just to sniff it, if I don’t have time to brew it.

Now I know why they give you so many free tasting samples at Teavana. It’s to get you hooked on the fine stuff! In my case, stay tuned. I’ll let you know how things go at my TA (Te-a-holics Anonymous) meetings.

This is one of my favorite wake up teas. I rotate it with the My Morning Mate. I’ve also tried it mixed equal parts with MMM. Very smooth….

Love the decadence of this tea. So rich and nutty. Surpresses my appetite enough to keep me from stuffing myself in the middle of the day.

Just like they said, great for coffee lovers. Not only for coffee lovers, but also chocolate lovers. If you like all those different dark chocolate flavors, this is just like that. It even has cocoa nibs. It’s a bit sweeter than coffee, and doesn’t really have that bitter bite like coffee. I just leave my unbleached hemp tea bag in there while I drink it. It never gets too strong.

This is my favorite tea so far. It is very earthy and chocolately. I love to blend it with other teas to change it up a bit. I’ve tried with Almond Biscotti, Honeybush Vanilla, and Golden Monkey, all those have been great. I usually steep 2 times and it still tastes great the second time. It’s heavy but I like it for all times of the day.

Love this tea. It’s a delicious way to wake up in the morning. Coffee doesn’t agree with me and I don’t like the bitter taste. This wakes me up just as well and tastes wonderful besides, and doesn’t upset my stomach or give me the jitters. I usually drink it with a little milk and sugar. This time, I added more tea than I usually do (2 teaspoons per 8oz instead of 1.5) and the flavor was much more full. I recommend this to everyone, coffee drinkers and non-coffee drinkers alike.

Just tried this one this morning — REALLY good! It’s chocolately and nutty, with a little smokiness in there, and it gives a nice energy kick to boot. I could easily see myself kicking the coffee habit as long as I have this tea around.

This is probably the best tea blend available at Teavana. It has a nice, chocolaty sweetness that could convert even the most hardcore yerba-hater. Unfortunately, it is pretty pricey, too. I’ll be trying to make a home-spun version in the coming weeks.

Finally tried this tea yesterday! It was good, but a little too close to coffee for my taste. To be honest, when I tasted it straight up it reminded me of Celestial Seasonings Morning Thunder. I had the guy add sugar and milk and that helped. Wasn’t sure what to expect as far as the effect of mate, but this left me feeling like I needed some good strong black tea, LOL! Got home, had some earl grey and felt much better :) Oh well, glad I got to try it- it’s all about the experience!

It’s smooth and strangely comforting.

really good,smooth when brewed long enough

Taste like a roasted coffee chocolate tea.

I hated this tea. I am not a coffee lover but I do love dark chocolate. I tried really hard to like this tea. I added sugar, I added Soy milk, almond milk and I just couldn’t stand it. It smells awesome but the taste did nothing for me. I gave it away to my cousin’s husband.

This is one of my go-to teas when I get to work in the morning. I like it a little better than My Morning Mate (it doesn’t have that citrus note that reminds me of Earl Grey), and with a splash of milk and a little bit of German rock sugar, it’s fantastic.

For 14-16 oz of water, I use 3 teaspoons of tea + 1 teaspoon of rock sugar. I’m not exactly sure if the hot water dispenser at work is exactly boiling, but it’s up there. Steep for 5 minutes, add a little bit of milk, and my morning is good to go!

So it turns out I have been under steeping mate based teas. I went 3 minutes previously.

That being said, I think MateVane is a killer app for blended sweetish teas mate.

Nice rich dark tincture topped off by a visible oil greeted me after pouring my cuppa.

The flavor notes of cocoa and a nutty note were predominant, and almost had a lactose sweetness to it. (sorta like a Milk Stout beer)

Over all delightful. I could drink a lot of this.

Love this tea, one of my favorites from Teavana. I like it a little stronger than usual, but this tea is so good that even steeping a little longer doesn’t result in bitterness. Has a kind of chocolate hint to it with a little coffee taste when steeped longer too.