What does yerba mate taste like? To the beginner, disgusting. To the experienced, a rainbow of flavors. Now, this isn’t always the case. But that’s the nature of yerba mate.

Yerba mate is an acquired taste with a big flavor profile.

And it’s going to take some time before you develop your mate palate, so to speak.

Like a fine red wine, expensive cigar, dark rich coffee, and other things of the sort, yerba mate falls in the same category – acquired tastes.

At first, they all taste terrible or at least unpleasant.

Wine will taste like a burning sour grape. Cigars will taste like hot smoke. Coffee will taste like a bitter cup of nothing. And what about yerba mate? Yerba mate will taste like dirt, soil, grass, and sometimes, an ashtray.

What? That’s horrible! I hear you yell.

Don’t worry.

There’s more to it than just that.

Let me explain.

The Beginner’s Taste Of Yerba Mate

Again, yerba mate is an acquired taste. This means the more you drink it, the more likely you’ll come to love it. Because as you develop your palate, you’ll be able to experience delectable flavors like lemon, chocolate, honey, and more.

This might sound strange to someone who’s new to things that require an improved sense of taste. But it’s true.

Let’s take cigars for example.

I took up the hobby of smoking cigars as well as pipe tobacco years ago. And I can confidently say that the need to develop your palate is similar in both tobacco and yerba.

When I smoked my first cigar, it was terrible. Nothing but bitter, harsh ash. I didn’t taste any of the notes people were claiming there was. Chocolate? Leather? Vanilla? Yeah right… And to make matters worse, I went for a big-bodied stick foolishly thinking I could handle it despite everyone recommending otherwise. And as it turned out, they were right. Bad decision.

This experience applies to yerba mate too.

Chances are, your first sip will make you grimace. It’s typically too bitter for the inexperienced to handle. More bitter than coffee and other teas. But some can handle the bitterness upfront. If you happen to be the former, there are ways to work around this as I’ll show you later.

But all in all, yerba mate probably won’t be enjoyable when you first start. Especially if you pick a strong overwhelming brand like Canarias for example.

Luckily, it won’t be like this forever…

The Intermediate’s Taste Of Yerba Mate

This is where things start to get interesting.

After several weeks and months of drinking mate consistently, you’ll quickly come to love the way it tastes.

Now, you won’t be at that level yet where you can detect nuanced notes. Maybe a little. But what does happen at this stage is you begin to have this newfound appreciation for the tea’s bitterness and earthiness.

What once made you disgusted, now puts a smile on your face.

It’s still bitter, but the bitterness doesn’t scare you anymore. Instead, you welcome it. You embrace it. You even look forward to it. The taste of dirt, grass, and hay becomes soothing and refreshing. And the bitterness takes more of a backseat while a gentle sweetness starts to emerge out of nowhere.

It’s truly a strange transition.

But it happens to almost every mate drinker.

They hate it. Then they love it. This is exactly why I urge everyone who gives mate a try to keep going even if you don’t like it at first. You need to push past the bitterness to finally get to the sweetness.

With cigars, the same is true. As you continue to smoke more and more, you start to admire the natural taste of tobacco. Not so complex yet, but the taste itself becomes enjoyable.

The Expert’s Taste Of Yerba Mate

And here’s where the fun begins…

You reach this level after about a year’s worth of drinking mate. It’s a long road, but definitely a rewarding one.

At this stage, your palate is fully developed and accustomed to the tea to the point you can start tasting a variety of notes and flavors, both strong and subtle.

So now, when someone asks What does yerba mate taste like?, you can list a bunch of notes.

What Does Yerba Mate Taste Like?

Some common notes include:

• Earth
• Grass
• Dirt/Soil
• Butter
• Wood
• Chocolate
• Peanut Butter
• Bread
• Oats
• Lemon
• Florals
• Smoke
• Nuts
• Dried fruits

And more.

Now to be clear, you’re not going to get an overwhelming taste of the above. That’s a common misconception. You will still taste the grassy, hay-like, naturalness of the herb. But along with it, are distinguishable undertones (of the above) that make the mate more enjoyable.

With your newly developed palate, you’ll be able to pinpoint what notes you taste in each brand.

Again, it’s the same with tobacco.

Smoke tens of cigars, and soon enough, it becomes more than just a rolled-up tobacco leaf. Your trained palate will allow you to detect notes of leather, wood, vanilla, pepper, coffee, florals, nuts, and more. As you can see, these notes overlap with yerba mate like with most gourmet foods, drinks, and smokes.

Texture Of Yerba Mate

We’ve now walked through the entire evolution of what yerba mate tastes like from beginning to end. But we haven’t covered texture yet.

Texture is an important part of the overall experience. It’s how the mate itself feels in your mouth. It has nothing to do with taste, but with the richness, viscosity, and thickness of the liquid.

Different brands have different textures and bodies.

Some are light-bodied and feel watery on the palate. While others are full-bodied and feel chalky, sandy, or creamy.

These characteristics are applicable to cigars as well.

The smoke can feel light and airy, barely leaving a feeling on the palate. While other full-bodied cigars can leave behind a rich creamy sensation that coats your entire mouth.

Depending on your personal preference, you may find light-bodied mates to be more enjoyable than full-bodied ones. Personally, I lean toward the fuller side. It gives me something to chew on.

Final Words

Yerba mate is a complex, intricate, and sophisticated drink.

It’s one I didn’t like at first either.

I can remember it clearly.

After my first sip, I couldn’t believe anyone drank this. What’s worse, it was a sweet honey-flavored mate (this one in particular). And even then, I couldn’t withstand the bitterness. Fast-forward a year later, I reordered the same mate, tried it again, and guess what?

It was too sweet!

As you can see, your palate changes as you keep drinking. So don’t put it off after your first gourd. I guarantee you’ll grow onto it. Then soon enough, you’ll be able to taste all the different sweet, sour, bitter, and even salty notes.

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