If the brands you’ve been drinking lately have been extremely bold, bitter, and earthy, Aguantadora Tradicional is about to open up your palate to an entirely different side of mate.

And in my opinion, a better side.

Aguantadora looks nothing special upfront.

But once I brewed myself a gourd, I couldn’t stop drinking it.

This is yet another brand whose taste I’ve been longing for to satisfy my tastebuds. And in today’s review, you’re going to find out why…

Below, we’re going to go over how this yerba smells, tastes, looks, feels, and more.

Nose

To the nose, Aguantadora Tradicional instantly releases fumes of sugary sweets. Think cereal, jelly-filled donuts and pancake batter. Very pleasant and delicious. It makes me want to eat it even though I know it won’t taste like that.

Taste

From my first sip, Aguantadora surprised me. It takes a huge turn away from the more traditional Argentine brands like Cruz De Malta, Rosamonte, and Taragui, and paves its own flavor profile that materos of every kind will be eager to try.

Right off the bat, Aguantadora delivers this decadent sweetness that stays strong throughout the entire mate. If you thought Playadito or Liebig was the crown of sweetness, think again. This is next level. In the beginning, its sweetness brings to mind the taste of honey and white sugar. But as I continue to sip, it slowly transforms into this lovely blend of peaches, pears, and toasted coconut.

Balancing this saccharine medley of notes is a solid base of wet grass, vegetal soil, and pine. It’s not as earthy or bitter as you’d expect from other brands. It leans more on the fresh and soothing side. At times, I also get this woodiness coupled with salted cashews every now and then.

Overall, this complex and flavorful brand has me addicted.

I found Aguantadora to do well in almost any temperature, but 145ºF (63ºC) seems to be the sweet spot for me. Lower temps bring out more of this mate’s sweetness, and higher temps bring out more earthy, nutty notes.

Finish

On the finish, this yerba leaves behind a bit of the grassiness and nuttiness from before. It’s light and hardly noticeable. A hint of sunflower seeds also comes through, but vanishes within seconds. And I kind of like it like this. It keeps my palate refreshed and ready to experience the next sip on a blank slate.

Body/Texture

Aguantadora Tradicional is a light-to-medium-bodied mate. It’s not super creamy, but it has some creaminess to it. It’s not too watery either until after several refills. Overall, it’s smooth with no sharp or harsh characteristics. It does become a little astringent the more you drink it though, but a quick rinse of water should do the trick.

Cut

Aguantadora features a traditional Argentine cut. The leaves are mostly a medium-to-large size with and a nice jagged geometric shape. They boast varying shades of brown and green, serving as a nice backdrop for the bright white palos to stand out. There are plenty of stems within this blend to balance out the mate.

Dust content is also above average and protects the mountain of mate from falling. When preparing, you’ll be left with a thick powdery imprint on your palm.

Cycle

Aguantadora is a warrior when it comes to duration. I can constantly refill it over and over and it just seems to never die down. With a medium-sized gourd, I can easily drink up to 1 liter or more which is rare for most brands.

The strength and taste also hold up well. There’s no sudden drop in flavor. Instead, it slowly weakens with every refill and is so subtle you don’t even notice it.

Effect

Keeping the theme of this mate’s sweetness and smoothness, its effects are no different.

When drinking Aguantadora, I’ve never become too jittery or energetic. It keeps you at the perfect medium of stimulation. You feel focused but calm at the same time. It’s hard to get distracted with this in your system. You’ll feel lighter, more relaxed, and perfectly in flow with everything around you. Your mind takes a backseat and creativity sparks. Effects can be felt immediately. And Aguantadora gives you that signature floaty head feeling that makes yerba mate so different.

Although not too strong in effect, I’d still recommend this only in the morning only because the effects last for many hours – just like its cycle.

Aguantadora Yerba Mate Review

Aguantadora is an absolutely solid mate.

I enjoy its taste every morning that I prepare it. The smoothness and sweeter notes it contains are hard to beat. There’s nothing bad I can say about this mate. I can drink it every day with no problem. And I can’t say the same about most other brands.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a beginner or seasoned drinker, this yerba delivers on all ends for anyone to appreciate.

If you ever wanted a mate on the sweeter side while also lasting a damn long time, this is it.

Playadito fans, especially, will revel in this distant cousin.

If you want to grab a bag of Aguantadora now, visit one of the links below:

Amazon (US | UK | CA | ES | DE | FR)
Click Here To Get A 1000g / 1kg Bag

PampaDirect (Worldwide)
Click Here To Get A 1000g / 1kg Bag

Un-Mate (Europe – 10% OFF Order)
Click Here To Get A 250g, 500g, or 1000g Bag

P.S. If you enjoyed this review, you might want to check out our store for exclusive yerba mate equipment.