Pedernales - Green Yaupon

Pedernales. CatSpring Yaupon.
Lot no. 062125. BB: 07/01/2027.
1.5g leaf, western style, 8 oz 200°F spring water, steeped serially. Take a deep breath, because my opinion varies dramatically from those of others!

1st (6 min) resulted in a greenish-golden infusion with the typical yaupon aroma. The flavor was neutral and sweet, non-astringent, vegetal and woody. There was an interesting and subtle aftertaste. Inoffensive, but not to my liking.
2nd (8 min) infusion was deeper in color, yet softer in flavor, with only a hint of bitterness. Watery and unsatisfying. The weak aftertaste is insufficient to make me want to continue steeping, let alone sipping even this cup. I’m done with yaupon. If Cat Springs Yaupon finds a way to process the herb that substantially changes the flavor profile, I might be persuaded to try their changed product. Not recommended, rating 15.

The last of the US-grown teas for the library presentation I did earlier in the month. The one featured at the program was the medium roast, but they put a single teabag of their green and dark roast yaupon into the package, so I’m happy I get to try all three.

I’m surprised how much I like this unroasted variety, as plain yerba mate has never been a favorite for me do to the somewhat tobacco smoke flavor note I get. But I’m not tasting that smoky note in the yaupon. Even unroasted, this has a slight roasted nuts flavor profile to it that I quite like, mixed with a dry hay/green grass and mellow woody notes. Very smooth… It’s hard to say for sure without a mate handy to compare to, but based on my (admittedly faulty) memory, I think I like the yaupon more.

Sipdown! (40 | 120)

Really like this one. It has such a nice combination of soft hay, a bit of herbaceousness, sweet honey, and light dried fruit notes. Nice natural sweetness too. There’s a touch of musty minerality as well.

Just yummy, and I’ll definitely have to order a full size of this eventually. :)

Pleasant, with some holly taste and a definite ‘green’ taste as well. More reminiscent of yerba mate than the darker roasts, but still very definitely its own distinct thing.

Received a single tea bag from derk, but mazbe on behalf of White Antlers?
Anyway, this tea is apparently from Yaupon. Never had it before, so I was quite confused what is it. But as it contains a lot of caffeine, I have decided to give it a try!

There weren’t any instructions on the bag, so I searched for the company and found out that it doesn’t matter , so I have used my standard set up, 300 ml / 4-5 minutes.

The flavour is quite hard to describe as it is nothing I had before. It is tasty, teaqueen said pleasantly sour and I have to agree. It was bit aloe sap like, green tea; overall quite common.

But caffeine boost is certainly there, as I was falling asleep during lecture I was taking (Economics of transport companies), but now, hour later I feel filled with energy, which is great while I am going to another night shift this night. Recommended for caffeine boost.

Thank you, no matter who is if originally from — I love trying new things!

Catspring sent me a free single teabag of this blend to try with the rest of my order.

It’s very smooth. At first, it tastes very similar to any nondescript bagged green tea, with a tiny little twinge of pleasant sourness in the aftertaste. The longer I let it steep though, the more it started to remind me of raspberry leaf. It has the same sort of mouthfeel.

What makes this blend special though is the soothing experience of drinking it. There’s something about yaupon that just feels healthy and right. Maybe it’s the way the liquor holds the water temp— yaupon infusions seem to stay warmer longer than regular tea— or maybe it’s the mildness of the flavor.

Unflavored green teas are not my thing personally, so I much prefer Catspring’s Marfa Dark Roast and Lost Maples Medium Roast yaupon options, but this was definitely not bad.