CatSpring Yaupon

This one is a bit greener than the dark roast, and it has more of a wet wood feel to it. The sweetness is alike cane sugar, and it comes with a bit of astringency; however, it is still quite smooth and easy to drink. I enjoy the buzz yaupon gives me.

Smooth and mild, our medium roast yaupon is inspired by Lost Maples, a forest unlike any other in Texas. In the fall, the bigtooth maples along the Sabinal river, left over from the last Ice Age, don a magnificent array of colors echoed by the caramel notes in every cup.

Available in 2 ounce loose leaf and individually wrapped yaupon pouches (our take on the tea bag).

I rarely use teabags. In fact, I can’t remember the last time that I did, but this was good. It tastes like roasted yerba mate, but it has slight undertones of dark cocoa and a stevia sweetness. I can’t be super specific or drawn out on this note, but I liked this tea. It gave me a nice buzz as well. :)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSWMfu-gcmO/?taken-by=haveteawilltravel&hl=en

I’m based out of Austin, so trying a native tea (the only caffeinated plant native to North America!) made by a local brand was fun from the onset. I loved the mild flavor of this green yaupon tea – and the caffeine kick was nice. Noted hints of ginger and citrus. Truly a wonderful aroma and taste.

Yaupon, as a tea varietal, is entirely new to me, At first glance, it looks a lot more like a mate or a guayusa; flakes of greenish-brown leaf that put me in mind (albeit fleetingly) of fish food. Closer inspection reveals that they’re actually quite sizable chunks of (very shiny) tea leaves, although not as oxidized as I expected given that they’re referring to this as a “black” tea. Generously scattered among the leaves are cubes of dried apple, almond slivers, small pieces of beetroot, and cinnamon chips. Even dry, the scent is pretty amazing – spot-on apple pie spices!

Read my full review here: http://sororiteasisters.com/2016/09/29/american-apple-pie-catspring-tea/

So according to this company, yaupon is the only caffeinated plant native to North America. I got this tea as a gift from a friend who knows my love of chais.

The first sip, I get a subtle, unsweetened coconut backed by spices, giving this ba lovely sweet and spicy flavor. I think the rooibos adds to the sweetness as well. That flavoring persists through the rest of the cup – coconut soft and center stage, backed up with the tiniest bite of ginger and chili. None of it overtakes the tea itself – I’m still not sure what the flavor of yaupon it, but there is a slight tartness along with the sweetness of the rooibos.