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….

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.

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.

Drinking this today with rock sugar and a bit of skim milk. After today I will only have about one more infusion series left….sigh, I will be so sad to see it go. It will be nice to be able to justify ordering a new tea…or a few.

I must have gotten the steep time and temperature just right….tastes better today than last time. I’ve raised the rating slightly to reflect.