After reviewing over 50 brands, I’m going to share with you my top five favorite yerba mate brands of all time (so far).
In the past, I’ve created a list of the five best yerba mate brands but was tailored more for beginners. This list today is going to be for you true materos out there. The ones who put an emphasis on flavor and want to try some of the best-tasting yerbas available.
When someone randomly asks me, What’s your favorite yerba mate brand?, these are always the ones that pop up first in my head.
Starting from my most favorite to least favorite, coming in first place is…
#1. La Hoja
La Hoja was a brand I reviewed back in April 2019 and I haven’t had it again since, but it has always stuck out to me the most.
It’s a traditional Argentinian brand but featured this unique flavor profile that tasted just like black tea mixed with milk and sugar. Of all the mates I’ve tried, La Hoja is the only one I’ve come across to ever produce this type of taste. And it’s amazingly delicious. Light, creamy, and sweet, it always reminded me of drinking boba or bubble tea, offering a nice change from the intense, harsh mates you typically come across.
La Hoja paves its own lane of flavor which is why it’s coming in as my number one spot.
Unfortunately, this brand can be hard to come by as it’s not as popular as others.
#2. Selecta
Selecta was another brand I reviewed a while back in February 2019. And I remember when I had a kilo of it, I didn’t drink anything else until I finished the entire bag. It tasted that good.
Selecta is a popular Paraguayan brand which to some beginners can be a bit too strong. But for the more experienced palate, it has this nice woodsy, toasty, dried-fruit taste that just blends perfectly together. Being a Paraguayan brand, it also surprisingly doesn’t taste very smokey. The texture is smooth and creamy instead of astringent.
Overall, Selecta is a brand I can easily drink every day for the rest of my life. It’s not complex by any means, but its taste and strength provide a punch of flavor that keeps you wanting more.
#3. Rosamonte Especial
Created by one of the most popular Argentinian brands, Rosamonte Especial is no stranger to the yerba mate community.
I’ve tried and reviewed Rosamonte Tradicional, Rosamonte Suave, and Rosamonte Despalada in the past, and Rosamonte Especial is easily their magnum opus. You can taste the 2-year aging of this yerba with its earthy, floral, sweet, and nutty flavor. Along with its exceptionally mild and palate-friendly strength. Rosamonte Especial is a mate that makes you pause to take a moment and bask in how wonderful it tastes.
The first time I tried this mate was back in March 2019. And the last time I revisited it was about one month ago. So I haven’t tasted Rosamonte Especial in 2 years. But when I had it again, all I could think to myself was how much I missed this brand. It just has one of the most satisfying flavor profiles ever. And the good news is unlike the other two just mentioned, this is a lot easier to find and get your hands on.
#4. Anna Park
For this fourth spot, I had a toss-up between two great organic, unsmoked brands – La Oberena and Anna Park. But I had to stick with Anna Park here.
Anna Park was one of the first mates I’ve ever had back in January 2017. I had it again in 2019 (again, another 2 years apart) and I can remember enjoying the heck out of it. So much so that I put off drinking the brand I was reviewing each day because I wanted to have Anna Park instead. This brand was also the first one to have my girlfriend tell me, Wow, I like this one!
Being organic and unsmoked, this mate is one of the smoothest and most natural-tasting with sweet notes of fresh grass, soil, woods, and nuts.
In the past, this brand was extremely hard to get your hands on because they only produce a limited amount each year. But today, it’s sold in more online shops though it can go out of stock fairly quickly.
#5. La Merced De Campo
La Merced De Campo is a brand that I can’t forget my reaction to. When I first reviewed it back in April 2019 (I’m noticing a lot of these brands I reviewed around the same time), all I can remember thinking is how perfect this mate tasted.
La Merced De Campo isn’t anything extraordinary, but it takes the classic taste of yerba mate and transforms it into this extremely delicious brew. All the familiar notes of earth, grass, and soil are combined with a woody and honey-like sweetness that works perfectly together. This isn’t a complex mate whatsoever. It has no flavor transitions, but it makes the absolute most of what it has. I consider this another mate that makes you sink back in your seat because of how good it tastes.
La Merced is an easy-to-find brand and is sold across many stores online. They also produce other variations like De Monte and Barbacua. However, as of right now, they’re only available in 500g bags. They don’t sell by the kilo.
Honorable Mentions
So there you have it!
Out of the 50+ brands I’ve tried, these are the five brands I love the most. And let me tell you, it’s not easy to earn a spot on that list. Because I’ve tried so many brands already, it’s rare to find one now that really impresses me. But the ones I listed all do in their own way.
This isn’t to say others are bad, but they just don’t match with my taste buds as these do.
However, there are some that didn’t make the list that I still want to give an honorable mention to.
These brands are:
These brands have all impressed me in some way and tasted good enough that I want to buy another bag of each one. I can’t say this same thing with other brands I’ve had.
So if you’re looking for a new brand to try but don’t know what to pick, my five favorites (and honorable mentions) will easily knock you off your feet.
P.S. If you enjoyed this post, check out our store for new gourds, bombillas, and more that you won’t find anywhere else!
Can you make an updated version please?