The Maté Factor Fresh Green

Some of you may be asking "what is maté?" Well it's a south american infused drink like tea with far more caffeine than tea, so it's also a common coffee alternative. Others drink it for its health benefits such as; antioxidants, vitamins, weight-loss, and a hunger suppresant. If you'd like more info on this check out Wikipedia's article on it, but I'm here today to review The Maté Factor's product for it's taste.

I chose their green maté because it's suppose to be prepared differently and fresher unlike most that're roasted. "Green" is easily detected right from the start, with my first whiff detecting a planty green that's hard to describe. Something like grass but more enjoyable. A nuttyness is also easy to precieve. I find it tastes green as well, but less of a fresh plant and more earthy. The aftertaste returns as the almond nuttness that could be smelled before. there's also a slight bitterness to the drink that can easily be countered with a sweetner if not enjoyed, (I typically serve it with a toch of honey).

I'm sorry about my lack of a more defined portrayal of the taste, but it's a rather unique drink. I reccomend it to any who want less caffiene in their morning cup and a healthy drink that'll keep them from wanting a snack untill lunch. I give it a B (good).

TAZO Zen

TAZO's Zen green tea has been a favorite of mine since before I got into loose teas and other more exotic drinks, and you can still find a box of it in my cupboard. The reason behind this is that it's good and easy to find!

Zen is a green tea with spearmint and lemongrass but that's not what makes it satisfying to me. The few components to this tea somehow create an equilibrium that can be a simple drink to enjoy while surfing the web or every once in awhile be the focus of your attention so you can relax and explore the harmonies of it. My approach today will be the latter of the two.

Before steeping the tea it the lemongrass is far more apparent than the spearmint but it doesn't overpower it. Once steeped the 3-4 recommended minutes the smell from your cup shows more symmetry between lemongrass and spearmint. On your palate you'll notice the body of the tea is very full and the green tea shines through for the first time and the lemongrass and spearmint are harder to distinguish. The finishing tone is a hint of lemon, and not the lemongrass something different.

I noticed when reading the box and visiting TAZO's website that they list spearmint not peppermint or just mint. The less sharp mint makes this tea work far better. TAZO Zen is a very good tea B (good).

maine root Ginger Brew

Ever heard of ginger beer? I know many have not. It's not like ginger ale, it's far more potent and lets you know that there's ginger in it. Most who've heard of and had ginger beer have had Reed's, but maine root's ginger brew leaves that in the dust for intensity.

A hint to this is concentration can be seen because of its opaque appearance like a greenish orange juice. For those not prepared your first smell might repulse you, and the first sip will as well. But the experienced of this is unique with ginger on the palate (duh), but it's a crisp-spicy somehow that's not like the raw root. Once past your tongue there is no aftertaste but a retaining tingle on it that lingers for quite some time. Besides the taste, I've found this to be a nice tonic to settle your stomach.

Despite being somewhat simple I give this an A (excellent) because it's been a favorite of mine that I've returned to many times. I warn you though, I'm sure people's opinions on this will be polarized.

McNeill's Oatmeal Stout

Does oatmeal and a stout have anything in common? They're both thick, and don't they sound like a no-brainer to mix? I'd never tried an oatmeal stout before so while picking up a favorite of mine at the store, I decided to try something new as well and bought this.

After pouring my bottle I got the standard thick and retaining stout head along with an opaque dark brown body. I found the smell faint but suggesting a cup of coffee next to a sweet malt. Upon tasting things get more vivid though. Making your way through the fluffy head the liquid in your mouth is full and leaves a taste of chocolate-malt on your tongue, but the aftertaste is more blunt with roasted malts and an incomparable taste of "bread". What I mean by this is the wheat-dryness that makes you need water while eating a piece of dry bread.

This beer is a B (good) in my book due to the roasted malts of this beer. It's everywhere but there are other interesting things going on underneath it as well that could be enjoyed more. A warning to those who might try this beer; it's as bold as Guinness Extra Stout.

Capt'n Eli's Blueberry Pop

Here's another Maine made product, a fine soda. (Capt'n Eli's is actually just Shipyard's soda.) Now you've probably noticed that I don't do many soda reviews, but here's a new brand that I found with a most unique flavor. Have you ever heard of blueberry soda before? I hadn't.

Pouring my bottle into a glass didn't give the poping carbonation of products like Coca-Cola or Sprite. It had a light head that remained for a minute like a beer, go figure. It tasted true to it's name like blueberry with a sweetness that wasn't cane sugar or the like, it was your standard processed sugar found in many other products. In it's defense it wasn't overdone and I think it complimented the blueberry taste more than cane sugar would've.

With little comtemplation I gave the capt'n's product a B (good) and reccomend it to anyone who wants to try something different or have a sitdown "beer" experience with their 12 year old son.

Golden Moon Tea Sinharaja

Unlike my first review of Golden Moon's Vanilla Mint tea, their Sinharaja has a name that makes it's taste more elusive. But that's why I'm here! The name is actually a reference to where this tea is grown, the Sinharaja Rain Forest. I'm a fan of this tea though, and the cup I made to sip white I write this review will be one of my last from the tin.

Upon your first whiff over your cup you'll notice that this tea is bold like breakfast teas and... sweet? Once tasted you'll notice these same qualities, but to define the sweetness of this tea it parallels roasted caramel. Besides those two traits, it's also one of the fullest bodied teas I've tasted and the most prominent element of it's palate is rich, dark tea. After adding some natural cane sugar to my cup, (as Golden Moon suggests), I found my experience far more balanced. The particular sweetness was brought out to meet the "teaness" and the aftertaste left at the back of my mouth was the caramel.

My score of this tea is a B (good). I don't find it anything exotic but it's an excellent breakfast tea to wake up to, and my rate of return to it shows it's a common choice of mine when I don't want something peculiar to analyze.

Allagash White

Allagash is probably my favorite brewery in Maine and White is their classic, award winning brew. It's also their core product like Guinness's Draught or Samuel Adam's Boston Lager, but neither of these far larger companies have a staple example like Allagash White.

To give you a basic idea of this beer, Allagash is a Belgian white like Blue Moon. Even the nose of Allagash White shows how it's unlike Blue Moon though, with spice in addition to the orange peel palate. There is also a crisp element and yeast on the palate but it doesn't interfere with being smooth in aftertaste. There is a slight malty bitterness with the aftertaste as well, but I find it enjoyable.

Allagash's creation is a solid A (excellent) with unique and leveled qualities. I recommend it to anyone who wants to try something that any large beer brand cannot produce. This is also Allagash's least alcoholic beer, but I'll be trying their others because I find their products highly enjoyable.