If you love a mate with body and strength, but with smooth flavors, Kraus Gaucho is a good choice for you. This Argentinian mate boasts Uruguayan notes but without the smokiness.

This bag is Kraus’ sin palo/despalada blend, meaning it contains no stems.

Using their signature air-dried, smoke-free system, you’re given a balanced flavor profile but with a punch.

Compared to their Kraus Organica, Kraus Gaucho is next level. Notes are somewhat similar, but the difference is in its delivery.

If you want to know more about how this mate tastes, then keep reading to learn all about it.

Nose

Opening the bag of Kraus Gaucho, I get the classic gourmand fragrance of yerba mate. Consisting of notes of pastries, jelly donuts, sugar, and fresh bread, this mate smells good enough to eat. Very bright and pleasant. No smokiness, as it should be.

Taste

Going into this mate, it’s a very different experience from its original blend. This yerba packs a punch of flavor. Not in a harsh manner, but it has a much stronger presence.

If you’ve ever tried other unsmoked yerbas, there’s this similar vegetal, plant-like taste that’s also in Kraus Gaucho. Like stepping outside after it just stopped pouring rain, essences of wet leaves, wet wood, and wet soil make up most of this mate’s flavor. Accompanied by hints of unsweetened cocoa powder, brazil nuts, a floral sweetness, and you have this rich, earthy infusion. Nearing the end, as the flavor starts to weaken, it turns into a mild green tea for the rest of the way.

Unfortunately, there are little to no flavor transitions with this mate. Complexity isn’t its forte, rather, strength and reliability. If you want a mate you can count on tasting the same every time you drink it, this is a good one.

I personally found Kraus Gaucho to taste best in low temps of around 130-140ºF (54-60ºC). Lower temps help keep the astringency at bay and make it more palatable for me while keeping its flavor. It also brings out some grassy, fruity notes that can’t be detected in hotter temps. Hotter temps bring out more astringency and darker tones.

Finish

On the finish, Kraus Gaucho is short and easygoing. Not much is left behind except the previous wet soil and wet wood taste along with a grassy note. Nothing harsh, sharp, or astringent here. The finish lasts for about 10-20 seconds.

Body/Texture

Kraus Gaucho is a medium-to-full-bodied mate. The first couple of rounds lead with a smooth, creamy texture and instantly coats your palate. However, as you keep drinking, the mate’s astringency starts to build up. And it can really build up. If you drink this without intermittent sips of water, the inside of your mouth will become extremely dry, puckery, and even almost sticky. To tamper down the effect, use a lower water temperature as I suggested.

Cut

Kraus Gaucho is an Argentinian mate with a sin palo cut. However, there are still some splinter palos sprinkled throughout the bag. This yerba has a beautiful uniform cut and sports a nice olive green color with shades of brown and yellow. At a quick glance, if you didn’t know this was Kraus Gaucho, you’d probably think it was some kind of Uruguayan brand like Canarias or Sara, except with a much lower dust content.

Like most sin palo blends, preparing this mate can be difficult because of its dominant leaf cut. The mountain of mate is hard to maintain as there’s not enough dust to help pull it together. The slightest movement can easily collapse the mate so be careful. Filtration, however, is a breeze and any bombilla will work great.

Cycle

Kraus Gaucho features a long cycle. This mate can easily last you more than 1 liter before it gets washed out. Being a sin palo blend, it’s no surprise. The more leaves there are versus stems, the longer it lasts. While this mate can hold up pretty well in longevity, it lacks in strength of flavor. The initial 3-5 refills are strong and robust. But soon right after that, there’s a noticeable drop in strength.

Effect

Kraus Gaucho is nothing special when it comes to effect. In fact, I find it a little weak compared to most. For me, it leans more on the relaxing side of the spectrum, rather than energizing.

Effects aren’t felt instantly like other brands. This mate slowly builds up the stimulation until you randomly notice your focus and concentration enhance. Drinking this feels very meditative as your mind seems to quiet down and your senses become heightened. Overall, I feel more present and aware with a sense of calmness. The typical ‘floaty head’ sensation is there as well.

Kraus Gaucho is a good morning-afternoon mate. It’s not too stimulating but just enough to give you a little boost. Perfect for more laid-back activities like reading and writing.

Kraus Gaucho Yerba Mate Review

When I had my first sip of Kraus Gaucho, I was hooked. I thought it was going to be the best mate I’ve ever had. But unfortunately, as I kept drinking it, I was enjoying it less and less. What happened?

The astringency got to me.

It started off super smooth, but each sip just made my mouth feel tighter and tighter.

Now, if that’s not an issue for you, then you’re in for a treat.

Kraus Gaucho is a no-frills yerba mate – what you get is what you will get every time. It’s something you can count on for an everyday kick of earthiness. And if you’re a fan of Uruguayan mates but want something a little milder, this will be a great option.

If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, visit one of the links below now to get a bag!

Amazon (US | UK | CA | ES | DE | FR)
Click Here To Get A 500g / 1lb Bag

PampaDirect (Worldwide)
Click Here To Get A 500g / 1lb Bag

Un-Mate (Europe – 10% OFF Order)
Click Here To Get A 500g / 1.1lb Bag

P.S. If you enjoyed this review, you might also want to check out our store to upgrade your yerba mate gear!