A little over three years ago, I had my first sip of mate. I ordered a set that came with two small calabash gourds and two sample bags of yerba. One was CBSé Honey which came in a plastic package, and the other I couldn’t tell the brand but it was a traditional mate that came in a small burlap bag.

Wanting to get the most traditional experience, I naturally reached for that first.

After preparing it like an amateur, I took my first ever sip and hated it. I can remember its taste and smell so vividly.

Now fast forward to today as I’m about to review the brand La Obereña, I realized this was what I had my first sip of years ago.

But now that my palate has evolved, I’ve grown a newfound love for this brand.

Part of it may be because of the nostalgia. But with that aside, this mate is still a solid brand with a flavor that’s hard to beat.

If you want to find out more, keep reading…

Nose

After carefully untieing the string from the burlap bag, I opened the plastic bag to expose the yerba and it smelled great. Notes of fresh hay and wood shavings flew in the air and translate to its taste. Overall, it’s bright and pleasant.

Taste

La Obereña is an unsmoked, organic brand and I can taste the difference. Unlike the more popular Argentine brands, this has a unique flavor profile to offer.

Starting with its most prominent note of fresh soil and grass, La Obereña takes you on a nice trip through the native South American regions where yerba mate plants flourish. Soft hints of pine nuts and grape skin then come along giving the mate a slightly earthy, sour kick. Notes of sweet tobacco and figs are also present, along with undertones of lemon that appear at the end of the mate. You won’t find anything harsh, smoky, or in-your-face with this brand. It’s smooth, hearty, and easy on the palate. If you like other organic unsmoked brands like Kraus and Anna Park, this is perfect for you.

After experimenting with different water temperatures, I found La Obereña to taste best at around 160-170ºF (71-77ºC). Surprisingly, going lower made the mate taste more astringent, but it does bring out more nuanced flavors. I suggest playing around with the temperature to see what you like most.

Finish

La Obereña gives me mixed signals when it comes to the finish. Sometimes, I get nothing. Once the mate goes down, my palate is empty. But then there are times when it gives me notes of hay and wood, which quickly turns into an astringent taste that dries out my mouth. To compensate, I either go for another sip or drink a quick glass of water.

Body/Texture

La Obereña is a light-to-medium bodied mate. Its weight sits somewhere between water and skim milk. The texture can get a bit sandy/grainy in the beginning but it’s nothing to worry about. I personally like it. It gives me something to chew on. Other than that though, overall, this brand is soft and smooth.

Cut

La Obereña is an Argentine mate with a Paraguayan-like cut. It features plenty of medium-sized leaves coupled with a few larger ones and some very fine ones. Stems are white and mostly short with varying thickness. And an above-average dust content fills the rest of the bag. It looks like most Paraguayan yerba mate brands.

When preparing, the dust leaves a strong imprint on your palm. Although most beginners are scared of dusty brands, it actually makes preparing the mate much easier as it glues the mountain of mate together. Just make sure you have a nice spoon bombilla.

Cycle

Fortunately, La Obereña has a long cycle. I don’t know what it is, but I can keep refilling this mate over and over and over. Somehow, it just never loses all of its flavors. Every time I’ve drunk this mate, I can easily finish up to 1 liter. So if you’re only in need of a quick pick-me-up, keep this in mind. It’s going to last longer than you’d expect.

Effect

This brand produces the same stimulating effects as any other brand – intense focus, concentration, and a calm mind. One thing that stands out though is that like its cycle, its effects also stick around for a long time. Making this the perfect companion for long study sessions or long conversations with friends and family.

After drinking more than half a kilo of La Obereña, I noticed that it never produced too strong of a kick. Rather, it gets you going instantly and at just the right intensity. Never too much or too little.

This brand is a good morning-afternoon mate. I don’t recommend drinking this in the evening or you will stay up. Trust me…

La Oberena Yerba Mate Review

From the burlap packaging to the crushed leaves, La Obereña is one fine mate that ticks off all the boxes.

Put simply, this is one high-quality brand.

It does lack the punch in flavor that most popular Argentine brands have, but I don’t mind it. La Obereña makes up for it with its own unique rich smooth taste.

This is the type of brand that whenever I drink it, I think, Ahh, that’s the stuff.

Flavorful, nutritious, complex, and long-lasting, I wouldn’t pass up on this if I were you. Being organic and unsmoked too is a bonus.

If you want to experience the quality taste of this brand, visit one of the links below now:

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

PampaDirect (Worldwide)
Click Here To Get A 500g / 1.1lb Bag
Click Here To Get A 1000g / 1kg Bag

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