Yerba Mate Latte

Needed something with a little meat on its bones this morning (0 degrees on the thermometer, -16 wind chill). This doesn’t seem strong or stout to me, but it is thick and rich, especially with a little condensed milk.

I WILL NOT get sick. Will not.Willnotwillnot. In the interest of not allowing myself to come down with the blorgie, I am drinking a lot of tea today. And of the samples I picked up the other day, this is one of only two that I like. The almond comes through really strongly, and I have tried this one with both water and vanilla almond milk (I think I like the water better, oddly.) If I get an espresso machine for Christmas I’ll be trying again with steamed milk, because I do think this’d make a divine latte. Why Starbucks hasn’t started pushing this blend as a tea latte, I don’t know… apart from them not having a partnership with RoT, I mean.
Anyway, a nutty, rich blend. Nothing like coffee… not going to substitute for coffee. Not sure what the latte in the name refers to, other than a good rhyme.

Single cup, fresh honey

Amazing the difference fresh honey makes over store bought honey!

I made a pot of this tea and let it cool, then refrigerated it.

I like it SO MUCH BETTER cold! It really allows the chocolate to come out, and in fact has totally changed my opinion of this tea altogether. It tastes so much richer… I feel like I’m having dessert!

DRINK THIS STUFF COLD. You won’t regret it!

Amount: 3 scoops tea for 1 mug (not full teapot)
Time: a little over 5:30 minutes

Served: Hot
Smell: Almond, coco
Flavor: bitter, light
Aftertaste: none

added 1 scoop german rock sugar: took away the bitter but left the tea unremarkable

Added Almond milk – no change to the sweetened tea

next time i want to try longer brewing, maybe some honey? or maybe less brew time.

So I tried the Yerba Mate blend, which to my surprise was in tea bags, which isn’t really my style. This blend has Rooibos, cactus flowers, almonds, among other things. I waited to take a sip of the Yerba until I started driving as driving is one of the best ways to sip on some Mate. The first thing I noticed was the Vanilla flavor and its overall incredibly desserty smoothness to the drink.

I of course tried this drink in the morning and was taken aback by its nighttime smoothness and had some immediate nostalgia over last nights sleep. Republic of Tea markets this Yerba Mate blend as an all-night dance tea, but I feel like this should be a post-meal stay awake and talk near a fire drink. I enjoyed the drink immensely but will only be drinking this at night when I need to warm up and just chat.

A very nice drink, with a great look, and a great company behind it.

Having this at a local coffee shop and I must say this is quite tasty. Hints of vanilla. I would get a can of this for regular drinking.

Got this one in a tea exchange, and was pleasantly surprised by it. Mine is in looseleaf format, and brews up with more of a roasted mate flavour than any other note. When I latte it I find that it mellows out nicely, allowing the other notes to shine through. Just don’t add cinnamon to the milk, or all you’ll taste is that, the tea can’t counteract the spice for some reason.

Bought a tin of gasp tea bags at a local bagel shop (bags, because they did not have the loose leaf pf this blend). I don’t know how long these have been on the shelf, or whether I’m just way past tea bags now. I was really hoping to love this tea. Rather, it was flat, like a can of diet coke left on a hot deck midsummer (not that I drink much diet coke any more). I’m wondering if the loose leaf would be better. A girl can hope…

I adore this tea.

Do yourself a favor, though, and buy the loose version of this if given a choice. The bagged version is flat. When I first bought this, I found it in a tiny tin, loose. The flavor was WONDERFUL. Vanilla, nutty, just the right start to an early morning. (I am NOT a morning person.)

When I couldn’t find that version, I purchased the bagged version from the same store. It just doesn’t have the same dimension. I feel like I am drinking it just to finish up the tin now, and I don’t like to do that. :(

Try their Vanilla Almond if you want something vanilla, nutty, and bagged.