Pamela Dean Send Message

Water just off the boil, 6 min, added sweetener. The orange and mint give the green maté a good flavor, as it seems almost flavorless to me by itself.

Very strange ….. This tea tastes better to me when I brew it like a black, and (I swear) it doesn’t get bitter. At a reduced time and temp, like a green tea, it develops less flavor.

The citrus and cinnamon make first impressions, while the fresh bush tastes linger. Not very sweet, so I added agave nectar.

4th steeping, I let it go 8 min this time. The astringency of the first 2 steeps has been replaced by a woodiness which is greener and sweeter than the 3rd steep. Without multiple infusions of this tea, I’d never have known how good it can be.

My first experience with yerba maté, the plain un-roasted green version. 5 min in 205 F water gave me a pale green tisane. I was pleasantly surprised at the mild taste (grassy) and the noticable energy lift. No jitters, at least not from this single cup. Each caffeine-bearing plant has its own distinct alkaloid profile.

Very hot water, 6 min brew for a cup of golden relaxation. The mint, lemon and citrus flavors mask the passiflora and hops better than chamomile would do on its own. For flavor, I almost prefer plain chamomile, but this is nice for a change and, perhaps, even more soothing.

Resteep, 5 min. Turned out okay. The new thing in this cup is raw agave nectar, which is lower on the glycemic index than most sweeteners. It’s almost as sweet as honey, drop for drop, but it doesn’t alter the flavor of the tea, except to sweeten it. The amber and dark versions of agave nectar may have more of their own flavor, I suppose.

Resteep of the lemon verbena leaves, this time for 4 min with a pinch of mint added. Good color and flavor. Delicious — and my tummy is grateful. Looks like there’s even life in these leaves for a 3rd steep!

Looking for soothing here. Boil water, heat the cup, cool water, fill it up. 2 min steep of the bagged form of this tea gives me a light green hazy liquor with thin body. It could have used a 3rd min to steep for stronger flavor. Good and smooth, though, and the ginger is definitely there.

1.5 tsp leaves in 10 oz very hot water, 4 min, milk and a dab of sugar. The blackcurrant flavor is enjoyably subtle. It doesn’t taste strictly like a black tea or a green tea, or like oolong either. It has its own profile, with more black tea in the aroma and more green in the finish. I don’t know whether to puzzle or marvel over this. ;-)