Zappyo

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85
drank Vanilla Sunrise by Zappyo
3986 tasting notes

Yay, I finally got my hands on a Zappyo tea! I’ve been wanting to try them since their launch last year, but just never got around to ordering for whatever reason, shipping cost maybe? They do have a free shipping threshold, but I would need to buy 4-5 bags to reach it, and at 70g each that’s quite a commitment ha ha. So I was excited to find this flavor on Amazon, being sold directly from Zappyo.

I couldn’t recall whether green maté prefers cooler water, so I kept it to a conservative 185°F and steeped for 5 minutes. I will say I’m surprised by how subtle the flavoring is here. The orange is definitely there, getting some tartness from the added hibiscus. The vanilla pokes its head out a little at the end of the sip, adding a nice creamy aspect. But really the strongest note is the yerba maté itself, which has a lovely soft earthy flavor that reminds me of freshly fallen leaves and sweet dry grass, perhaps with a touch of hay. It tastes healthy, but in a good way.

Overall it’s more soft and subtle than I was expecting! But I do find yerba maté delicious so I’m happy that it gets to shine here. The orange and vanilla do give just a touch of a creamsicle vibe, and make it taste slightly sweet without the addition of sugar. The hibiscus is very well restrained, which I appreciate. The more I sip, the more I like it.

Definitely interested in trying more flavors in the future, namely the lemon and mint versions! But first, sipdowns! :P

Oh, I almost forgot, I thought I would try participating in Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge! So this is my “tea from a Canadian company”!

Flavors: Creamy, Dry Grass, Dry Leaves, Earthy, Hay, Herbaceous, Hibiscus, Orange, Smooth, Sweet, Tart, Vanilla

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 5 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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drank Piña Elektra by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Iced!

Much more heavily weighted towards the coconut than the pineapple, but still so light and refreshing with that lovely pina colada/tropical getaway sort of vibe. I adore how buttery and creamy this coconut is while still feeling so light and playful on the palate. Not heavy and cloying at all. I could probably sip a pitcher of this one easily!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cgz_vIQueYz/ (The 3rd Photo)

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lUUZJHCu_w

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drank Piña Elektra by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Started my morning with a mug of this tea yesterday – it was a good pick because I got to enjoy something energizing and fruity but it was also pretty mellow and soft. Kind of a creamy coconut crossed with coconut water type of flavour, with the fresher green yerba mate and some hints of sweet pineapple. Light to medium flavour and round, coating body. Yummy!

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90
drank Turmeric Rocket by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Still adore this blend.

I had a mug of it while working from home earlier in the week and it just made me super nostalgic for DT’s long since discontinued Turmeric Glow blend. They have a few similarities in that they have the perfect balance of ginger heat, earthy (but not unpleasantly bitter/muddy) turmeric, and sweet jammy pineapple to balance out those spices. However, I think this blend takes it a step further by introducing the lush mineral sweet grass notes of the mate itself to the mix.

I definitely stretched out this mug, and enjoyed it up until the very last drop.

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90
drank Turmeric Rocket by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Iced!

This was less fruity than I’ve gotten from past cups so it was definitely a little bit weirder tasting it iced than I’d expected, but I loved it regardless! There’s a very strong earthy quality to this blend, but in a super natural, sweet and clean kind of way. Really raw carrot heavy, but in the best sort of way where you get that satisfying crunch and the sweetness mixed with that hint of resinous pine. The turmeric adds mild spice, but again mostly contributes to the unique fresh earthiness. I feel like that general “crispness” of flavour with this root veggies does have a sort of invigorating quality and it was kind of a welcome change of pace from the teas I normally would make iced or cold brewed.

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90
drank Turmeric Rocket by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Geek Steep S2E18 – Danganronpa

Though I have drank many, many different teas while playing the Danganronpa video games, this is the one that I selected to drink for the three episodes of the anime that we covered as part of this week’s fandom. It was my way of paying homage to the weird and, without context, confusing opening sequence shared by both the anime and video game that prominently features a rocket. If you know, you know and if you don’t know then you should listen to our podcast episode!

I think this is my favourite mate from Zappyo, so perhaps I was secretly just looking for another excuse to steep it up. So rarely am I excited by a tea with turmeric in the name, but this blend is actually very well balanced and has a lovely tropical sweetness to go alongside the balance of earthy spices and fresh, rainforest-like yerba mate. Could I have picked a better pairing tea? I definitely think so – in fact, I think Marika just absolutely killed it (pun intended?) with the one that she chose. However, something campy, flavourful and just bombastic just feels correct for this zany murder mystery anime so I don’t think I chose poorly either.

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90
drank Turmeric Rocket by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Cold Brew!

Of the teas from Zappyo, this is the one that I fully expected to like the least. However, sometimes the universe surprises you because,in actuality, this is probably my favourite blend from Zappyo’s assortment (I have one left to try, though)! It’s funny how that works sometimes. It’s a huge part of the reason I still like to try things that don’t seem up my alley, though…

What I expected was that this would be far too much turmeric and it would either taste spicy or earthy in a way that was unpleasant to me. Instead, it has aspect which remind me of my favourite parts of DT’s Turmeric Glow! It’s mild, and very natural tasting with just a tiny bit of spiciness – but mostly it’s sweet and earthy. Earthy from the turmeric, but more so the mate itself and the additions of beet and carrot. I actually personally like both beets and carrots in blends. It can be a fine line between too much of them though – we’re not drinking stock after all! However, when you get it right that sweetness is so particular and mixed with the earthy notes it really make you feel fresh, like you’re standing in a vegetable garden on a pleasant summer afternoon after a brief drizzle!

Best part for last though… pineapple!

It’s a light touch of pineapple – I don’t think anyone is going to be drinking this tea and thinking of Hawaiian cocktails. However, that little bit of fruity sweetness mixed with those fresh earthy notes is just perfection on a level I struggle to describe. It worked terrifically in Turmeric Glow, and it works terrifically here!

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Took a personal day on Wednesday and this was just a random cuppa I steeped up early in the morning as I kind of lounged around my apartment, sort of doing off and on chores and vibing to some new music. It was nice because the flavour is sweet but not cloying, and the gentler notes of caramelized almonds and toffee with the fresher green elements of the mate were neither bland nor very intense – so it worked as a more neutral and gentle cuppa that still had all of those focus oriented mate benefits. I enjoyed it a lot!

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Cold Brew!

This is still by far the hardest tea to describe out of all the different Zappyo blends. It’s got a little bit of everything going on, and also kind of nothing? Not nothing in the sense that it’s weak or bland, but sort of just not really what it’s named for. I taste butter, grassy yerba mate, the clean sweet earthiness of beets, apple, and maybe even a little bit of a smoky undertone. But toffee? Ehhh… I mean, it has sweetness! I think I’d probably call it toffee adjacent at best though. The density of that flavour and the coating quality of a good toffee tea are missing. This sweetness is too thin and a little too bright. Tinged with the fruitiness of the apple. I’ll give them nutty, though. The almond flavour is here – it’s just maybe not as strong as one would think given the name.

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Steeped this one up yesterday and as I was drinking it I kept feeling like it was reminding me of a cookie or shortbread of some type? However, that’s kind of weird/wrong because everytime I stopped for more than a second to really think about it I also realized that it doesn’t really taste like that at all and I was just struggling to name what I was actually tasting. I think it’s maybe because it’s so buttery? But buttery with the combination of pleasantly caramelized mixed nuts and that grassier, fresh yerba mate note. It’s unique and delicious, and maybe someday I’ll figure out the perfect “catch all” flavour descriptor.

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N is for… Nutty Toffee Roller Coaster!

Gonna need to have this again and monitor the steep time better because I left my teabag in while sipping (was in a meeting and it was easier than fussing with stuff mid meeting) and after a while this got weird tasting from over steeping – however it started off on a really good foot! Very buttery/nutty sweet flavour, like almond brittle/candied almonds with a sweetness and a freshness from the grassier yerba mate. Some smokier undertones as well, which I felt added to the sweet and nutty profile.

When it began oversteeping, it was just too concentrated and the grassiness took on a more sour edge – so if I can watch for that in the future I think I’ll really enjoy this blend.

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drank Lemon Royale by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Cold Brew!

Drank this at work on Monday, and it was alright. I did really like the bright and eveerrrr so slightly sour fresh squeezed lemon top notes – that was the best part. Immediately after I got hit with a wave of very grassy yerba mate, and I wouldn’t typically mind a more mate forward blend but the finish was just a bit too bitter and medicinal. Mainly more from the gynostemna than the mate itself, though. A tiny touch of sweetener probably would have produced a cold brew I was personally more happy with in the moment.

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drank Lemon Royale by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Cold Brew!

Brewed this method, I found this just a litttlleee bit too herbaceous and grassy tasting for me. That gynostemna really came out more than I wanted it to. The lemon notes were nice, crisp and clean and I liked how the lemongrass clicked into place to lend a more natural feel to the taste. Not overly minty either – just right. Sadly the combo of green mate and gynostemna was just not what I was in the mood for.

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drank Lemon Royale by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Steeped this as an iced tea today. It was a nice light cuppa with a crisp grassy undertone and a clean and well balanced mix of lemon/lemongrass and mint. Not anything heavy, which was appreciated – just mellow and refreshing.

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drank Lemon Royale by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Cold Brew!

Just finishing off the last of this brew and thinking that it was pretty nice! A part of me does wish it was a little bit more lemon-y and bright, but I also wouldn’t want more flavour to mask the really lovely taste of the mate that comes through. It’s herbaceous and a little bit smoky on the backend of the sip, with some grassier body flavours. There’s a hint of cooling mint in this party as well, which is nice alongside those more natural greener notes and the medium-ish citrus. Refreshing! Summery!

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drank Lemon Royale by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Had this one a little over a week ago and realized just now that I’d forgotten to write a tasting note for it – oops!

I made a hot mug of it and I remember liking it quite a bit but being surprised at how much of the mint came through in the cup. It’s a very clean, bright tasting lemon without much acidity/sourness or pithyness but it’s not overly sweet either. Mixed with the mint in the blend and the very natural tasting, grassier yerba mate it’s just a really refreshing cuppa!

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85
drank Mint Sprint by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Geek Steep S3E8 – The Flash

Iced Tea!

This is the tea that I drank while watching the episodes for this week’s episode. If you listened to the full episode then you know we almost did Green Lantern instead and this was actually what I’d picked for that fandom – mostly because of the green connection (in visual/taste). For the reasons we discussed on the pod, we switched it up though to The Flash and it turns out this was actually an EVEN BETTER pairing for The Flash. I mean… the name connection alone. Low hanging fruit? Yes, but I didn’t care.

I mean, this is for sure one of those fandoms that’s casual enough that you just curl up on the couch with a convenient and refreshing cold drink and this is that. Slam dunk.

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85
drank Mint Sprint by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Of all the blends from Zappyo, I think this is the one I probably think about the least. However, it’s actually really pleasant. Like all the other mint teas I gravitated towards this week, a huge part of my decision process in brewing it was knowing that it would feel really pleasant on my raw throat. However, I loved the energy bump from the yerba mate plus this is actually more of a spearmint blend than a peppermint blend so it was sweeter and almost had like a coating sensation on the throat too instead of just soothing menthol.

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85
drank Mint Sprint by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Cold Brew!

Enjoyed this cold brew while listening to both the sound of the heavy rainfall this past Sunday as well as the new album (Tako Tsubo) from L’Imperatrice. The original plan for the day was to enjoy some outdoor tea sessions; but this was a pretty good Plan B too. I’ve been really impressed with the Yerba Maté blends I’ve tried from Zappyo so far – this is one that they gifted to me to review, but I bought the rest of the line up and all have been enjoyable! This one is simply delightfully minty and refreshing!! Naturally sweet and crisp spearmint and the rainforest-like flavours of the green yerba mate – with a cooling finish. Cannot think of a better descriptor than “fresh”!

Really interesting ingredients list on this one as well (as well as a bunch of their other blends) – among the ingredient desk is pumpkin and jiaogulan!!

Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/CM-buNLByTU/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IncBEZujELc&ab_channel=L%27Imp%C3%A9ratrice

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81
drank Vanilla Sunrise by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Steeped this up Saturday morning because I just woke up with a super strong craving for a mug of sweet, bright orange flavoured tea. With a stash of over 2000 different teas you would think it would be quick to find a caffeinated orange tea, but you would be wrong. It took an embarrassingly long amount of time to find something to fit this craving and the added cherry on top is that the tea I found has vanilla in the name and not orange.

On the flipside, I’ve always wondered why this has vanilla in the name when it is so clearly a citrus blend and I finally made what is (I assume) the connection that it’s a “Vanilla Sunrise” as in a play on a “Tequila Sunrise” which is a citrusy drink. Sooo if that’s correct then I feel a little personally satisfied in connecting those dots.

The mug was perfect, though! Bright and juicy orange without being tart or hibiscus heavy with a soft, creamy finish. Any more decadent than that subtle vanilla note and it wouldn’t have been the type of citrus I was craving.

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81
drank Vanilla Sunrise by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Super over steeped this while working from home on Wednesday and it obliterated any notes of vanilla I may have gotten from the cup. However, the juicy orange and hibiscus were still really pleasant – especially early in the morning.

Still looking for some yerba mate blend recommendations, for what it’s worth!

Kaylee

Mariage Freres’ Polo Club made a strong impression when I had it years ago, and apparently it’s still available!

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81
drank Vanilla Sunrise by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Cold Brew!

This was the first time I’ve drank this tea and really felt like it was a vanilla tea first and foremost instead of an orange tea with vanilla. I’m not sure what I did differently in my prep to cause that shift in flavour, but I liked it a lot. The orange note was still present but it was a much softer backdrop to a silky smooth French Vanilla flavour that was as delicious as it was out of nowhere. So, like, a lot.

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81
drank Vanilla Sunrise by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Sorta feel like this blend needs a new name because, while it does taste creamy, I’d absolutely describe it as an orange tea first and foremost. That said, this was sort of like a Creamsicle meeting some really pleasantly smooth green mate. Fresh and rich and bright all in one steeped up mug. Yummy!

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81
drank Vanilla Sunrise by Zappyo
15575 tasting notes

Thank you to Zappyo for gifting this tea for me to review!

Truth be told, I would have ordered all of the flavours regardless – it’s so rare to see a company carrying so many fun and pretty unique sounding yerba mate blends that I would have been too curious not to. Watching Jann’s interview would have DEFINITELY pushed me even further over that edge. However, I’ll happily take free tea that I would have purchased regardless.

Jann’s Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MunC-T4pI-M&ab_channel=TeawithJann

This and Pina Elektra were the two blends I was most curious about, but honestly all of them sounded really good. I was thrilled to see this in the package of two teas that I received from the company. Steeped up this was fresh & lively maté, bright orange, a hint of creamy vanilla and just a pinch of hibiscus – like the maté equivalent of a Creamsicle! Like I said above, over the last few years it’s become increasingly hard to find unique and fun yerba mate flavours to explore, which is why I was excited for Zappyo’s launch. Really looking forward to exploring the rest of their line up, and crossing my fingers for some fun roasted maté flavours in the future!

…and, admittedly, I did end up ordering a bag of each of their remaining teas after trying this one. So the free tea worked its magic at least on me!

Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMZo1MeAIZX/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=796h8z2SgEg&ab_channel=PenguinPrison

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