Last time, I reviewed Kraus Gaucho – a bold Uruguayan-like mate.

This time, we have Kraus Pionero.

Pionero is their suave blend so we can expect a much softer flavor profile with a much higher palo-to-leaf ratio. And that’s exactly what we get.

Kraus Pionero is milder than their Kraus Organica which was already pretty mild.

But if you want to take it a step further, this blend really takes things down a notch. And despite being mild in strength, it still holds up some nice flavors worth giving a try.

I actually find it a lot more enjoyable than their Gaucho version too.

While Kraus Gaucho is good for those needing a kick in the butt, Kraus Pionero is more for those looking to unwind and take things easy.

Let’s take a further look…

Nose

To the nose, Kraus Pionero leads with notes of cedarwood and fresh cut grass. It’s bright and has a slightly sweet aroma to it. Not pastry-like like most other bags, but almost like plain white sugar. And as expected, nothing smoky around here.

Taste

Compared to the other blends from Kraus, Kraus Pionero sits somewhere in-between Kraus Organica and Kraus Gaucho. Upfront, it has the rich creaminess of Gaucho. Then it finishes off with the vegetal/grassiness of Organica.

Off the bat, Pionero is underwhelming in taste as expected. It offers light notes of raw cashews, warm milk, flour, and a general woodsiness. Unlike your typical brand, this doesn’t have any strong earthiness, smokiness, or astringency to it. In fact, it tastes more like if you were to soak cashews in water overnight. It’s mild, nutty, creamy, and has a gentle tartness that weakens after every refill. No flavor transitions within this yerba. I’d say this is a perfect starter mate. Those looking for a robust mate probably won’t be too pleased with this one. But I must say, compared to some suave blends I’ve had in the past, this one is a bit stronger.

I found this mate to do well in any water temperature. The lower you go, the softer the flavors present themselves. The higher you go, the stronger, but the quicker it washes out.

Finish

On the finish, Kraus Pionero maintains the same cashew and milk note along with a light hint of cocoa powder. It’s light and airy but the flavor stays there for about 30 seconds which I love because the mate is mild, so for it to give a little more at the end is a nice bonus.

Body/Texture

Kraus Pionero surprisingly contains a light-to-medium body. For a mate that’s suave, this one has a little bit of weight and texture. The first few gourdfuls have a slight creaminess and graininess to it, but that quickly changes in the next pour where it becomes watery and mellow for the rest of the gourd. Nothing sharp or astringent here. But a very light dry-mouth sensation builds up.

Cut

Kraus Pionero features a classic Argentine cut with typical suave proportions. A lot more palos are mixed in the bag and they’re also large and white with some splinter ones floating around. This is where the mate gets most of its suave-ness from. Palos are known to soften a mate’s taste since they don’t add much flavor. As far as the leaves, they’re all jagged and of varying sizes, sporting many different shades of green while dust content is lacking.

Preparing the mate leaves no imprint of dust on your palm. And maintaining the mountain of mate can be difficult if not careful as there’s not enough dust to hold it together. The good news though is any bombilla will easily filter the yerba.

Cycle

Kraus Pionero has a medium cycle. I need at least 3/4 of a liter to finish a medium-sized gourd before there’s nothing left to taste. Which is quite impressive. Because it’s suave, I expected this mate to underperform in this category, but no, no, no… This mate can go on and on without any sharp drop in strength. Each refill tastes almost as strong as the one before.

Effect

When it comes to effect, Kraus Pionero does a good job of keeping your mind stable. Nothing’s worse than being overstimulated to the point you become anxious or jittery. And this mate does a good job preventing that.

With this mate, the effects don’t come about instantly. It’s a very gentle rise in concentration and focus that it’s actually hard to notice until you start thinking about it. But nonetheless, the effects are there and at some point remains steady. The notorious ‘floaty-head’ sensation is present here as well but to a much lesser degree. I find it to be at a perfect sweet spot where you still feel in complete control, instead of drifting off.

Kraus Pionero is a great all day mate. Of course, I’d advise not to drink it right before bed. But you can definitely get away with drinking it a little later into the day like 6pm.

Kraus Pionero Yerba Mate Review

This bag of yerba is another remarkable addition to the line of Kraus.

If you’re someone like me who enjoys mate on the milder side, but with still a good amount of flavor, this one won’t steer you wrong.

With little to no astringency, a smooth flavor profile, and a pretty long cycle, this one is perfect for those easygoing days where you just want to unwind and hang around while enjoying a comforting gourd of mate.

It’s simple, tasty, and reliable.

If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, visit one of the links below:

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 want to check out our store for some of our exclusive yerba mate gourds and bombillas!