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“I think with perhaps the exception of tea-sipper, I may be the only person on the site not doing an advent. I’d rather sipdown the gobs of old-and-getting-older tea in my cupboard… many of which...” Read full tasting note
“ Samurai TTB #12 Though I’m not the biggest fan of yerba mate, I do love eggnog! So I couldn’t resist trying this one, especially considering the time of year. Unfortunately, I’m not really...” Read full tasting note
“DIY Advent Calendar – Day 9 Sipdown (257)…sort of I tried to like this one and for a split second I thought I even got something creamy. That passed and it was all petrichor and that typical mate...” Read full tasting note
“The flavor here is quite grassy and herbaceous at first. Really what you’d expect from mate, I suppose. Once it cools, the flavor is more complex. I wouldn’t say the flavor is eggnog at all, though...” Read full tasting note
Tea of the Week for December 23, 2019!
I’ve been doing this Mad Tea Artist thing for 52Teas since June 2015 – and for the last 4+ years (almost 5 years!), I’ve been promising myself (and others) that I would eventually create some Yerba Mate blends. Well, it has been over four years, so I think it’s about time that I actually make good on my promise and craft a Yerba Mate blend!
I taste tested some various brands of unflavored mate to find the one that I liked best so that I knew I had the right base when I started. I found mate that I really enjoyed, but I wasn’t sure if I liked the green mate or the roasted mate best. So I tried the two blended together – and I loved it! It really is the best of both worlds: you get a nice roasty-toasty flavor that is similar to coffee. A slight caramel-y taste. A little earthy.
But what kind of flavor should I add to this blend of green & roasted yerba mate? I looked over my various holiday flavors I have been working with and realized that the one flavor that I haven’t really focused on (except with my Amoda Tea Blends for December) was Eggnog. I knew I wanted an Eggnog flavor for our 12 Teas of Christmas box (as well as my December tea menu) so why not make my 12th Tea of Christmas (which would also be our Tea of the Week for December 23rd) an Eggnog Mate?
So here it is! A blend of green & dark roasted Yerba Mate leaves (both are organic!) blended with Eggnog essence and some freshly shaved nutmeg. The blend is so good! VERY INVIGORATING! It’s also VEGAN, gluten-free & allergen free!
organic ingredients: yerba mate, freshly shaved nutmeg, calendula petals & natural flavors
At 52teas.com, you will find unique, hand-blended artisan loose leaf teas: a new limited edition creation every week of the year. We pride ourselves on offering truly unique, one-of-a-kind tea blends that you won’t find anywhere else.
I think with perhaps the exception of tea-sipper, I may be the only person on the site not doing an advent. I’d rather sipdown the gobs of old-and-getting-older tea in my cupboard… many of which are old holiday teas. Likely from advents past.
So this is the first packet I’ve pulled out. Only had enough time to steep for about 3 minutes rather than the recommended 5 as I was running late for work and needed to get it in the thermos and out the door.
Sipping on it now, as its been a few hours and cool enough in my thermos for easy drinking. I have never had eggnog, and thus don’t know what it should taste like (this year, I’m going to get some and finally scratch that itch). So maybe it is my lack of flavor experience, but all I’m really tasting is mate. Very good mate, less on the hay/herbaceous side and coming out more nutty/coffee-like. It has a sort of spicy scent on the nose, but it isn’t coming out that strongly on the tongue… perhaps slightly nutmegish?
It’s warming and the roasty/nutty flavor is hitting the spot on a cold, under-slept morning.
Flavors: Coffee, Hot Hay, Nutmeg, Nutty, Spices
Samurai TTB #12
Though I’m not the biggest fan of yerba mate, I do love eggnog! So I couldn’t resist trying this one, especially considering the time of year. Unfortunately, I’m not really getting “eggnog” from this. I mostly taste that earthy yerba mate flavor with a hint of creaminess and just the lightest dusting of nutmeg. A splash of milk made it more enjoyable, but I’m still wishing for more flavor!
Flavors: Creamy, Earth, Nutmeg
DIY Advent Calendar – Day 9
Sipdown (257)…sort of
I tried to like this one and for a split second I thought I even got something creamy. That passed and it was all petrichor and that typical mate earthiness. It’s a nope from me but that’s just due to my immense dislike of mate. Into the swap box it goes.
The flavor here is quite grassy and herbaceous at first. Really what you’d expect from mate, I suppose. Once it cools, the flavor is more complex. I wouldn’t say the flavor is eggnog at all, though it is decent. I just realized what it tastes like. Thai tea! I don’t know how or why, but that’s what it tastes like.
Aroma of the dry leaf is of vanilla and nutmeg – yum! But I think the mate overpowers the flavouring when brewed – or, I overleafed/oversteeped. Actually, I’m willing to bet I did that, because I didn’t consider that this is quite chopped up. I’ll have to be more careful next time, because this was definitely promising to start!
This tasted like a really dark cup of coffee to me. Perhaps I used to much dry leaf? I didn’t get any of the spices or custard notes I would expect from an eggnog tea.
Flavors: Coffee, Smoke
Unfortunately this just wasn’t enough eggnog flavour for me to feel satisfied, but I also have hit that time of the year where I’m almost in peak “eggnog latte” craving mode so I kind of feel like in general my expectations were just sooooo much higher than they normally would be. Plus, it was still a pleasant cuppa.
No advents — my cupboards, baskets, shelves, tea chests, and various other receptacles are running over. Before you know it, I’ll be hiding bags in my car.
Here, here! Do I ever know that feeling.
So I am a bit embarrassed to ask after all this time, but exactly where is this tea challenge posted? I see tasting notes all the time saying it was part of the challenge and kept thinking I would bump into it somewhere but so far, nope. Ha ha!
It’s the “Sipdown Progress Thread” in the Discussion/Forums of this site.
https://steepster.com/discuss/42494-2021-sipdown-progress-thread
Thank you, Mastress Alita!
Yeah, the No Advents club! Mastress Alita, Gmathis and Tea-sipper! haha.
Now we just need some matching t-shirts!