I’m all for the harsh and muscular mates only experienced drinkers can enjoy. But lately, I’ve been wishing for a mate with a more soft-spoken and gentle taste. And by the luck of the draw, I’ve finally stumbled upon that brand – Flor De Jardin.
And this is not one you want to miss…
This brand comes out of the Misiones region of Argentina where yerba mate is heavily produced. And like many other brands from there, this one does not disappoint.
Flor De Jardin is naturally aged and unsmoked, producing a smooth and flavorful mate beginners and experienced materos can appreciate.
And in today’s review, you’re about to find out how this brand smells, tastes, looks, and more.
Let’s get started.
Nose
After carefully opening up the packaging and giving it a good shake, I’m greeted with a very familiar yet pleasantly sweet bouquet of fresh grass, hay, graham crackers, and rich caramel. Overall, very bright and sugary enough to eat.
Taste
My first-ever sip of Flor De Jardin was not what I expected but when is it ever. If I had to compare this to another brand, I’d have to say this is like a combination of Pipore with Canarias. Very unique. And if you’ve ever wondered what it means for a mate to have roundness to it, this is a perfect example. The aging of this mate really expresses itself.
Flor De Jardin kicks things off with a superb cream note that is luxuriously smooth on the palate. Probably one of the creamiest mates I’ve had in a while, which is surprising for a mate coming out of Argentina. Following this richness, notes of caramel, dark chocolate, and espresso take the front seat while subtle hints of dried fruits and florals hide in the background. Dark and bitter, yet sweet and decadent at the same time, this mate falls somewhere in between an Argentinian and Uruguayan mate.
However, it doesn’t stay like this forever. After a few more refills, the chocolate/coffee taste slowly fades away while letting in a bright citrus note of lemon/orange peels. Overall, nothing harsh or sharp. This mate is silky smooth from start to finish.
I found temperatures of around 150ºF (66ºC) to taste best. Although, any temperature – higher or lower – will taste about the same.
Finish
On the finish, Flor De Jardin continues to bring that espresso note but is short-lived. And unfortunately, any time after about the halfway point, it leaves nothing on the palate except a very light bitterness. I wasn’t too impressed by this, but it does keep with the mate’s theme of being mellow and easygoing.
Body/Texture
Flor De Jardin is a medium-bodied mate. Like I said before, this brand is creamy both in taste and in texture. With each sip, you can instantly feel how rich and velvety the mate is as it coats the entire inside of your mouth and tongue. It’s almost oily to a degree. But once you get halfway into the mate, it does become watery. The good news, however, is there’s no astringency. And as some of you may know from reading my reviews, that’s a huge plus in my book. My palate never feels dry no matter how much I drink.
Cut
Flor De Jardin features a classic Argentine cut with a few large leaves here and there, but most are small to medium in size with a boxy shape. Palos are bone white and range from short to long and from thick to splinter-like. The dust content is typical for an Argentinian brand. There may appear to be a lot, but it’s just the abundance of fine-cut leaves and stems giving off that illusion.
What’s interesting about this yerba though is I can find a good handful of leaves that still have their veins attached to them, instead of it being only the smooth part of the leaf. This gives it a nice natural appearance like it was processed by hand rather than by machine. Overall though, the yerba is uniform in both size and color.
Preparation of the mate is easy and any bombilla will serve you well. The fine particles also hold up the mountain of mate well so you don’t need to worry about that either.
Cycle
Nothing good lasts forever and I sadly have to admit that Flor De Jardin has a short-to-medium cycle. With a medium-sized gourd, you can expect to only get around 1/2-2/3 of a liter before it starts tasting like grass water. The body of the mate dwindles down pretty quickly, but the strength of the flavor holds up a majority of the time. If I had one complaint about this mate, this would be it.
Effect
When it comes to effect, Flor De Jardin does a job well done. Somehow for me, it strikes a perfect balance of intense focus and deep calm. I can do the things I need to do with no problem all the while feeling relaxed and composed. The effects come on instantly and work their way up with each sip. You can expect a ‘floaty head‘ sensation and almost tunnel vision. But don’t worry, it’s never over the top, and at some point, it caps out to which I’m then gently released back down.
I’d recommend this mate only for the mornings and early afternoon. Even though it relaxes you, it does have enough of a kick to keep you alert and awake for several hours. Drink this whenever you want to be productive.
Flor De Jardin Yerba Mate Review
If you ever wanted a brand that you just know you can’t go wrong with, Flor De Jardin is one of them.
Over the course of reviewing this brand, I’m truly blown away by both its simplicity and enjoyableness. I wish someone would’ve told me about this mate earlier because it’s that good.
Creamy, smooth, with sweet, sugary-like notes and absolutely no sharp or rough edges, this has quickly become an everyday mate for me. And I look forward to drinking it every morning I wake up.
Unfortunately though, this brand is hard to come by so if you see it in stock, you better be quick to grab it.
If you want to try this mate out for yourself, visit one of the links below now:
PampaDirect (Worldwide)
Click Here To Get A 500g / 1lb Bag
Click Here To Get A 1000g / 1kg Bag
P.S. If you enjoyed this review, you might want to check out our store for some gourds you’ve never seen before.