81

I was pretty nervous about this tea because it is a black/mate blend and the directions say to steep it for 5-7 minutes. I never steep my black teas for more than 3-4 minutes. I went ahead and followed the package directions, praying that it wouldn’t come out bitter. It actually didn’t. The bags smell very much like a black tea and the smell after steeping reminds me of my old English Breakfast. There is a natural sweetness from the mate that makes the tea feel a bit delicate, but still is substantial enough for a breakfast tea. I love mate in general because of its caffeine kick without the jitters and without the crash later in the day. I think this would be a great tea for someone who wanted to try mate, but didn’t want to commit to buying loose leaf. The mate is definitely the starring player in this one.

Preparation
5 min, 0 sec

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Bio

Formally known as mrawlins2

I am a former coffee drinker turned tea lover.

Black tea is probably my favorite type of tea, but I rather enjoy most types… I’m even developing a taste for pu-erh.

Rating Scale:
0-10: This tea is either flavorless or just plain undrinkable. I will avoid these teas in the future.

11-20: I was only able to make it through a few sips before pouring the tea out.

21-30: I may have been able to make it through the first cup but the thought of having another has me cringing.

31-40: Teas in this range are not horrible, but nothing I would seek out in the future.

41-60: Would drink if offered, but would not purchase for myself.

61-70: Okay, nothing special

71-80: Enjoyable, but I have to be in the mood for these. Probably would purchase if I found a really great price.

81-90: Pretty good tea, will probably be one of my favorites.

91-95: These teas are really excellent. I wouldn’t necessarily run out and buy more of these (just because there are so many teas out there that I haven’t tried), but I would miss this tea.

96-99: Terrific, very impressive.

100: This special rating is reserved for teas that are absolutely perfect in my opinion. I will only give out a rating of 100 to one tea per category (Earl Grey, unflavored black, dessert tea, Irish Breakfast, etc). These are teas that I really want to have around.

Perfect Teas so Far:

Earl Grey: Saint Isaac’s Blend (Russian Earl Grey) from Upton

Dessert Tea: Marco Polo from Mariage Freres

Unflavored Black: Emperor’s Red from Premium Steap

Location

Texas

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