★★★★★
This is one of my favorite Mate blends. I drink mate almost every day because of the positive energy it gives me. This blend really wakes up your palate with all of the strong yet complimentary spices.
Named to honor the rugged cattlemen of the South American pampas, our Gaucho Mate Chai is sure to become a fireside favorite.
Customers use these reviews to describe their experience with Gaucho Mate Chai, including flavor, aroma, preparation preferences, strength, and how the tea fits into daily routines. Browse the full review history page by page to compare tasting notes, steeping tips, and favorite ways to enjoy this tea.
This is one of my favorite Mate blends. I drink mate almost every day because of the positive energy it gives me. This blend really wakes up your palate with all of the strong yet complimentary spices.
This is one of my favorites. If you love Chai you will love this!
Excellent chai blend. It's a little less bitter than true black chais can be.
we always have mate in our house = tho it s not my own fave. this one is a game-changer with the chai flavors
This tea made an amazing chai! It had a toasty mate flavor, which I love, along with the perfect mix of spices to make it explode with flavor without being too much. I added some white sugar and oat milk to make the perfect treat.
This has a strong anise flavor to it, and if you don't like that, you might want to steer clear.
The smell of this blend prior to brewing really excited my taste buds so much that I was practically drooling. I have never tried mate before so am not sure what it is supposed to taste like.
After brewing the flavors are bold and intrigue my tongue. I taste the cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamon and the lovely almost sweet bite of aniseed. MMMMM. Licorice. Talk about a wake up call! This is a keeper.
Amazing. From the time you open the tea tin to the time you finish the cup. Wonderful.
This was way too bitter for my taste, it doesn't have a lovely smell like the other teas either. Normally when I open up a new pouch of loose leaf the aromas are absolutely splendid, this one did not bring that same appeal but I still went forward to try the flavor out. I like to try new tastes from time to time and this one completely disappointed.
This such a wonderful chai and is low in caffeine so I drink it at any time! It is one of my favorite chai teas from Adagio now! I got a smaller size that I have used up so I will definitely be getting more!
Early in my Adagio journey, I received a packet of this tea in the mixed variety sampler. I tried it and thought 'eh', not my style. Fast forward a year and change, and I know a lot more than I did then about steeping different kinds of tea! There's a slight numbing quality to this blend because of the high clove and aniseed content, underwritten by camphor-esque cardamom. It's the perfect spice blend to complement the camphor-tobacco notes in the toasted mate. I had my tea partner steep her tea at 165 F, while I steeped mine at 190 F; we both ended up with good cups of tea. She described hers as 'pumpkin spice', likely due to the clove and cinnamon! (4 mins @ 165 F, 2 drops EZ-Sweetz, 1 tsp half-and-half)
Very strong chai flavor, tasted very chai to me 🥰if we get to ten upvotes, I will buy (purchase) more
This tea is a nice, bracing chai but I find the mate gets drowned out in the overall chai flavor. It's a energizing chai nonetheless but falls short on having it's own distinct flavors.
Admittedly I wound up getting stuck drinking this CommuniTEA cup in a rush, but I drank the whole cup and would've tried a second steep if I'd been able to! So to me that says I liked it. Though I didn't get to savor it, I enjoyed this tea! I steeped per Jim R.'s instructions (in his review-- sort by likes and you'll find it!). The cardamom-y chai spice blend worked well with the toasted mate notes (black pepper, camphor, a light tobacco note, and a soft mouthfeel), and I do feel that mate does create a smoother caffeine energy (as people say it does). I think this is a rare case for me of a chai where I didn't feel that it absolutely required sweetener. Very nice without, but adding a touch of honey did accentuate the spices. I didn't try adding creamer this time. (6 mins @180º)
I tried this through the CommuniTEA. I don't like chai, but this was okay for what it was. It tastes pretty much exactly like all the other chai teas I have had - the spices in the mix are always very distinctly overpowering. I didn't find it any spicier than others I've tried. I won't be ordering this, but I will admit that I don't loathe chai as much as I did as when I started with the CommuniTEA. It's kind of growing on me. :)
I just love chai - and this one has quite the kick!
I love chai and this is a really good one. Tastes a little like rooibos vanilla chai.
The tea was a rare 'meh' for me. I picked out all but one clove bud, since I am not a fan of spicy chai. So that may have impacted my taste experience. I awakened the mate with 2 Tbsp of cold water, then steeped at 190°F x 5 minutes. I found the tea to be light in color and very weak. Sweetener didn't improve it. My second steep used boiling water and was untimed because I was distracted. That cup was too spicy. This gringa felt like Goldilocks while sampling this tea! Unfortunately, I never got it 'just right,' and won't likely purchase.
Part of the March 2021 CommuniTEA Box. So spicy! It stays true to the chai creed but marches to its own drum.
This was an okay Chai. I can not say it is my favorite. My communitea packet seemed to be strong in the cardamon and ginger. Leaving a bit of a spicy after-taste.
This is my favorite toasted mate ever. I steeped it at 190 for 5 minutes. The flavor was smooth and inviting. Loved it.
Very enjoyable chai flavor with a kick of caffeine!
I received this tea as part of the CommuniTEA box. As such, the blend may be unbalanced compared to larger portions than this individual small portion. On with the review.
This tea is highly spiced immediately out of the pouch, spicy and gingery and wonderful. I'm not always fond of the toasted mate, but I'm looking forward to the spicy nature of it. I steeped it for the recommended five minutes at 212 degrees, creating a somewhat cloudy amber tea with detritus at the bottom of my cup, more than usual. Still, it smells wonderful. The ginger is particularly noticeable, with the other spices settling in beside it. Without sugar, it tastes like a spicy tea, with a slight undertone of something unusual, likely the toasty mate. Adding sugar helps to settle everything into a bit of a better blend, and adding milk allows it to blend even more.
In the end, it's a wonderfully spicy tea. While I usually prefer a masala chai, this is certainly one that I enjoy sipping as much as that. The spicy nature is enjoyable and highly flavorful, and is well-balanced.
Medium chai. Very cinnamon & clove forward. Couldn’t really pick out the mate flavor amongst the spices, but that’s alright with me since I’m not a huge fan of mate.
Pairs well with milk and sugar.
Steeped 190F 8min
While I love chai teas I’m not a fan of mate based teas. I wasn’t sure which would win and for me it’s just an ok tea. The chai doesn’t adequately hide the mate for me.
The tea smelled like Christmas and was delicious. I love the cinnamon and will definitely put this on my list to buy.
I like it, but the clove is very strong. I like the spicy kick in the back of my throat. Wrong for the Spring season though, definitely a Fall/Winter tea.
It was good I just wish the ginger was a bit stronger. All I tasted was cinnamon and clove.
Very tasty chai treat enjoyed it with honey and a bit of vegan creamer, the toasty note of the mate went very well with the chai flavors.
My experience with mate is limited to the offerings from the communitea- and up to now I was not overly thrilled with mate teas.
I made sure to awaken the mate before adding 200 degree water, then letting it steep for 4.5 minutes. The tea was a nice version of a chai, rich and well balanced with respect to spices. I did not taste the tobacco/camphor flavours that I have previously had with the mate teas, and this was a very good thing! I liked the overall taste and found this a lovely, drinkable chai.
No strong opinions about this one. It tasted like chai and was fine but didn't really stand out to me.
Yum this is so good! I love how it tastes like chai!
I’m not sure my CommuniTEA packet had the designated proportion of mate compared to chai, but it is SO GOOD. I’ve got some intense spice, but warm earthy mate still comes through. This would be perfect with a touch of honey.
I found this chai to be good, but very mild and with a bit too much clove.
If you're craving chai spices but dont have milk to mellow it out, this is perfect for that.
This blend brews up to a mild chai flavor, heavy on the cloves. The mate comes through a little, but isn't too strong. No bitterness. Not as rich of a chai as I prefer, but nice for a lighter one.
This one smells really good in the CommuniTEA packet, I LOVE cinnamon. Even though I steeped with less water than usual, this was still weaker than I'd hoped. It's not for me because of the high caffeine, but it seems like it would be good if brewed strong enough. It's warmly spiced and tastes good without anything added.
This is a flavorful chai. When awakened and steeped for the recommended time with no additional ingredients, it has a very heavy clove flavor; the other spices are not easily detected. With some sweetener (I used honey) and cream, the clove flavor is turned down and it becomes a surprisingly spicy chai. I couldn't detect the mate flavor underneath the spices, maybe I should have brewed it at a lower temp as per other reviewers. This isn't my favorite chai, but with cream and honey it's a good wake-up drink with plenty of caffeine and spice to get you going in the morning!
I absolutely love chai, so this was a great tea for me! The higher levels of caffeine were a nice way to start my day!
I m in love with Chai, and well even more its yummy frothy latte. Plus since joining adagio loving the introductions to Mate blends too. So was rather excited to try this blend. Upon opening my communiTea packet, the aroma was incredible. (inhaled repeatedly) Each sip, a bit off yet still delicious. Had to double checked what I was sipping? Masala sweet heat along with any toasty notes from mate were rather hidden. Kinda confused, It was a nice tasty cup of tea, and Heck ya, full of energy but I don’t know? Hmmm “chai” & mate I excepted a strong, full body spicy, bitting tea in my cup. ok happy the mate was singing in the background, but not the tea I expected today. Loved it for the taste, and left me with an empty teacup but not a true masala chai blend for me. (Only 1 1/2tsp so steeped in less liquid 7mins @185F)
This was not my favorite chai. I love the spice and flavors of chai, but the mate just muddled them. Perhaps my CommuniTEA packet was unbalanced, but my cup was very light and borderline weak. No one flavor was clear, and the mate left an odd aftertaste after each sip.
I'm not that familiar with mate, so like many people, I prepared the tea mainly following Jim's suggestions (180°F for five minutes). The aroma is good both dry and brewed, and the taste is smooth. I like chai, so I was predisposed to like this. I would certainly drink it again given the opportunity, but I'm not so certain I'd seek it out as there are many chais that I like. As I sit here enjoying the fragrance of the spices, I think it would make a great simmering potpourri. I could definitely see filling my house with the scent.
This tea had a great chai flavor. All the spices were strongly present. I was a little worried because my communitea packet seemed a little light today, but the spices were strong enough to come through.
I steeped mine a little longer than recommended (7 min at 212F) because I was using a large travel mug. The extended time didn't seem to have any negative effect on the tea. I sweetened my tea with cardamom syrup to make it extra delicious.
A nice, spicy chai. What's not to love? The only negative I have to comment on is it coming in an herbal package which I assume is caffeine-free but isn't. I'd love caffeine amounts labeled.
So nice and spicy! The smell from the packet is wonderfully filled with cinnamon and clove, and it follows through well in the steep. Second steep is a little weaker, but still good.
5m @ 195*
(CommuniTEA)
The aroma from the Communitea packet was so strong, but the tea brewed to a smooth spicy kick of a chai which needed no sweetener or cream. As it cooled, the clove and ginger were more present but not overpowering. The cinnamon stayed in the background. Not sure if I'd like it cold, but it is tasty when hot.
Too assertive spicy. This is loaded with 'fall spices' that i save for my autumn tea drinking. I sampled this Tea as part of the CommuniTEA March box.
A chai blend with a large amount of spiciness and fortunately no peppercorns
Today's CommuniTEA packet smelled of chai spices. Brewing for the full 5 minutes at 212ºF produced a medium light brown maté.
The clove, cinnamon and ginger are prominent and spicy. There is a slight cardamom flavor to this one, which is much appreciated. The maté is toasty and mild, but provides a nice light base for the spices to bloom.
Overall this one's a nice yet mild chai where the spices take center stage. The yerba maté has a toasty mild flavor, which doesn't require cream to balance the tannins or any bitterness like black tea might. This one is a nice light yet spicy alternative to a masala chai made with black tea.
This is a wonderfully complex and delicious chai! Cinnamon, cardamon, and clove flavors work well to provide a gentle and warm cup of tea. The ginger adds a little zing as well, creating a nice spicy finish. This chai is less-in-your face than some others, but it offers an amazing flavor combination.