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Cameron B. drank Apple Yerba Maté Blend by Soulmaté Yerba Co.

3986 tasting notes

The first one from my December Sips by box! This is both the one I was most excited about and the most festive with the apple and cinnamon flavors. The dry leaf was quite dusty and fine, so I only steeped it for 2 minutes. I’m never sure what temperature to go with for green maté, and their website was not helpful, so I used a green tea temperature.

I really like this! This might be the closest to a straight yerba maté that I’ve ever had – the maté itself is front and center. It has such lovely soft and sweet hay and dry grass notes to it, and a mellow earthy herbal-ness that I find really comforting. It’s like somewhere between a white tea and a linden or verbena tisane. The apple is mild but fresh and crisp – it complements the base well. It tastes like a tart apple to me. There’s also just a whisper of sweet cinnamon adding some warmth.

I noticed “coconut sweetener” in the ingredients, but happily I’m not getting a lot of sweetness here. We’ll see how that changes as I get to bottom of the little bag… XD

Flavors: Apple, Cinnamon, Dry Grass, Earth, Grain, Green Apple, Hay, Herbaceous, Oats, Smooth, Sweet, Tart

Preparation

175 °F / 79 °C 2 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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7 comments

Mastress Alita
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This really interests me! I usually find yerba mate tasting very “gunpowder green” like, smokey/ashy or even cannabis-esque and I hate that note. But grass/hay with apple cinnamon sounds very nice.

Cameron B.
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I’d be happy to send you some! With your Jaffa Cakes, ha ha!

Mastress Alita
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Haha! I wouldn’t turn it down, but at least wait until shipping isn’t crazy. No rush. :-) I appreciate the offer, though! (I’m drinking from that Mulled Wine Magic stash you sent me tonight, many thanks for that! It continues to hit the spot.)

Cameron B.
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I’ll be sure to save it for you then!

Nichole/CuppaGeek
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You seem to get awesome picks from Sipsby. I’ve tried them a few different times for pretty long spans and always end up disappointed by what they send me. Maybe I’m too picky :)

Cameron B.
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Alita, I saw Mulled Wine Magic on clearance on T2’s site if you need a restock!

Cameron B.
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Nichole, this is my second month of subscription since I came back, and I’ve been fairly pleased. Although I wonder if I should take chai out of my preferences, because they sent me a plain masala chai in both boxes…

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Comments

Mastress Alita
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Cameron B.
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I’d be happy to send you some! With your Jaffa Cakes, ha ha!

Mastress Alita
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Cameron B.
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I’ll be sure to save it for you then!

Nichole/CuppaGeek
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You seem to get awesome picks from Sipsby. I’ve tried them a few different times for pretty long spans and always end up disappointed by what they send me. Maybe I’m too picky :)

Cameron B.
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Alita, I saw Mulled Wine Magic on clearance on T2’s site if you need a restock!

Cameron B.
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Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron! I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, KBeauty, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January Sipdowns: 6
- Total 2024 Sipdowns: 6

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season. Occasionally I’ll brew Gongfu style when I’m in the mood. I’ll also often use a kyusu for Japanese teas.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however. I also enjoy maté, rooibos, and honeybush. I love matcha and drink it often! Fruit tisanes are not a favorite, but I’m always willing to try them.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

Fruit: All of them! My ‘go-to’s tend to be in the red fruits, stonefruit, or citrus spectra. I also really love apple, banana, berry, fig, lychee, melon, pear, and rhubarb flavors. Tropical fruits aren’t among my favorites, but I still enjoy them once in a while – especially passionfruit, mango, and pineapple. I am not generally a fan of coconut in tea, though there are some exceptions.

Dessert: I love creamy vanilla and marshmallow flavors, along with anything in the caramel family such as butterscotch, toffee, or maple. Chocolate is also a favorite, though I’m often disappointed by it in tea. And don’t forget anything buttery, cakey, or cookie-y!

Floral: I’m a little bit more particular in this category. I very much enjoy jasmine, even strong jasmine, along with sakura, chamomile, and elderflower. Osmanthus is also a favorite of mine. But I’m not crazy about rose or lavender flavors, and I prefer hibiscus in moderation only.

Spices: I don’t generally find myself drawn to masala chai, but I do enjoy spices combined with other flavors. My favorite spices are the warm ones, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, and cardamom. A bit of heat from black pepper or chili is okay too, as long as it’s not overwhelming! Ginger can be a lovely accent, but I find it difficult to drink as a starring flavor.

Aromatics: I’m obsessed with Earl Grey! I also love cooling flavors such as mint (especially spearmint), pine, juniper, and eucalyptus. I am not a fan of strong rosemary or sage in tea.

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing