A few weeks ago, I received an unexpected package in front of my house.

I had no idea what it was.

But like a little boy on Christmas day, it felt like Santa came and payed me a visit.

I quickly took it in to unbox it and lo and behold, I find this beautiful palo santo gourd along with three boxes of Mbaeteko. I didn’t have a clue who sent this in at the time, but I was extremely grateful.

Although each box is the same, each one contained a different bag of mate. One was Mbaeteko’s traditional blend, another their organic blend, and lastly, their unique flavored blend which you don’t want to miss out on.

Now I’ll admit, I’ve never heard of this brand before. In fact, I don’t think most people have.

But it tastes better than many of the popular brands I’ve tried.

Let’s take a look first at the cut…

Cut

Left To Right – Flavored, Traditional, Organic

The flavored blend looks like most Paraguayan brands. Lots of finely chopped leaves, long and short white stems of varying thicknesses, and lots of dust. Although this mate is mixed with mint, plum flavoring, and horsetail, it doesn’t visibly appear in the yerba. It looks like any other mate.

The traditional blend also has a Paraguayan cut. Again, plenty of finely cut leaves and stems. Some stems are as long as one centimeter while others are barely visible. Dust content is moderate. Overall, the cut holds a nice dark olive green color.

The organic blend is filled with super large leaves and stems and almost no dust whatsoever. Definitely the coarsest cut I’ve ever seen. I actually discovered that this yerba is considered canchada, which is a step in the processing stage where the leaves are broadly crushed before aging. Canchada yerba mate doesn’t go through the typical milling process, hence it’s larger size. How this plays out in taste, you’ll see in a second…

Nose

Opening the flavored blend, I’m immediately welcomed with a refreshing mint note and hint of sour plums. Very pleasant and not too overbearing. The traditional blend is weak in smell but I do get some smokiness and woods. With the organic blend, my nostrils were flooded with a pungent herbal aroma and prune note which I was not expecting.

Taste

The flavored blend featured the classic earthiness we’ve all come to love, but it also contained these subtle notes of cream and mint. A plum note also gets stronger and stronger with every sip. It tastes like if you were to bite into a real plum – tangy with a slight puckering sourness. Excellent.

Gourd Of The Flavored Blend

With the traditional blend, you can expect a mild-to-medium strength in taste. Notes of earth and soil dominant the palate, and hidden underneath is a delectable cacao and coffee-like flavor mixed with a subtle grassiness. The taste is rich and dark. They’re bold yet tamed. Nothing smoky or astringent, but strong in flavor.

With the organic blend, however, it’s its own monster. This mate tastes very similar to how it smells. It has this prominent earthy note and herbal sweetness to it that’s not typical of most mates. Slight hints of honey and fresh cut grass also seduce the palate. Its taste and strength is very much like a black or green tea – mild, smooth yet flavorful. It reminds me of the brand Playadito.

Finish

The finish of the mixed blend is nutty and creamy as well as very mild. It also creeps up on you. The finish doesn’t become apparent until a few seconds after swallowing. After a few more refills, however, the finish builds up and the plum stays during the aftertaste. The finish lasts about 1 minute.

For the traditional blend, its finish drags on the chocolaty note from earlier. It’s light, smooth, crisp, and leaves your palate feeling refreshed. I also get a little hint of raisins on the aftertaste, but it quickly disappears. This finish lasts about 30 seconds.

With the organic blend, the finish is almost nonexistent. The herbal taste from before is present as well as a light nuttiness, but all of this vanishes within a few seconds. Its finish is also very light and crisp.

Body/Texture

The flavored blend features a light-to-medium body and coats your mouth with a light film, but quickly goes away and becomes watery and silky smooth.

The traditional blend also features a light-to-medium body. It starts off rich and smooth, but then gets a bit bubbly and airy. I get a light creamy texture within the first few gourdfuls, then after that, it goes back to being watery.

The organic blend features a light body. From start to finish, the mate is weightless, watery, and smooth all throughout. It has a bit of astringency to it but nothing to write off about.

Cycle

Unfortunately, the flavored blend has a short cycle which is common among most flavored/mixed mates so I’m not surprised. But the traditional blend also didn’t last very long either. For both, I only got to finish a little more than 1/2 a liter before they were completely washed of flavor. The organic blend on the other hand, had a medium cycle. Expect to drink 3/4 to a full liter.

Effect

When it comes to effect, there’s no clear difference between the three blends. They’re all similar and typical.

Each blend, I experience a gradual increase in focus, concentration, and relaxation. I’d say its caffeine content is moderate. It’s not too much to the point you’re jittery, but it’s also not too little to the point you don’t feel anything. Mbaeteko finds the perfect medium.

I would drink it any time of the day except during the evening as it does have a good amount of caffeine.

Yerba Mate Mbaeteko Review

(Gourd Available Here and Bombilla Here)

I don’t know much about this brand itself, but I can tell you this much…

Mbaeteko has some of the finest yerba mates I’ve come across.

Despite being a pretty unknown brand, it delivers new flavors for even experienced materos to enjoy.

Each one I received has a flavor profile unlike any brand I’ve ever tried.

Unfortunately, Mbaeteko isn’t readily available online yet.

But you can get your hands on this mate, if you reach out to Carlos on Instagram (@olinsta84) or via Whatsapp (+5493764600424). He’s the one who sent me this package in the first place (thank you!) and is a great help overall. You can also visit Mbaeteko on Instagram (@yerbamatembaeteko) for more info.

You won’t regret it…

P.S. If you enjoyed this review, you might also want to check out our store to find exclusive gourds and bombillas you’ll fall in love with!