★★★☆☆
I love caffeine but find that mate isn't the way for me to get my caffeine kick. A refreshing tea but not worth the resulting jitters.
Argentine Yerba Mate with lively, tangy, herbaceous notes. Faint hints of tobacco and grass. Contains caffeine.
Customers use these reviews to describe their experience with Yerba Mate, 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.
I love caffeine but find that mate isn't the way for me to get my caffeine kick. A refreshing tea but not worth the resulting jitters.
Pleasantly surprised by this one today. Following proper steep times and temps this made a wonderful start to my Monday morning. I’m not usually a fan of mate but it hit the spot today. My cup was smooth and mildly green. I did not end up getting the shakes from this one like I usually do from mate. Not bad. 150° for 3 minutes.
I have yet to be convinced by a straight mate. I’ve had it in a few blends in small quantities where it’s decent. But this is not one of those times. There is nothing inherently wrong with this tea, but it is not my cuppa. And given the high caffeine content attached to it, I’m generally happy to pass along to another option.
I feel like mate is something you have to aquire the taste for. Nice to try it on its own
I wasn't sure what to think of this one at first, as I'd never tried it outside a blend. But it was rather nice! I added some cream and sugar to mine and it was delightful
A good way to get a boost of energy in the mornings. There's a slight smokiness to this tea that I didn't mind, but do note that if you plan on trying it.
YUK!!! I think I am just not a fan of mate. It tastes like diluted nasty to me. Not like tea (I love green tea and I don't get all the comparisons to green tea; it tastes nothing like it), not like coffee. Just...nasty. I'm giving it 3 stars because it's probably just my dislike of mate in general and not so much the quality of it.
I didn't know what you expect with this tea, as I've only had yerba mate in blends. I really enjoyed this! A nice, light grassy flavor with a lot of subtle nuances.
Tried this one from my CommuniTEA, and really enjoyed it. Reminds me of some sort of green tea, but with more of the kick I needed for Monday morning.
Earthy, vegetal green tea with the right amount of caffeine for a Monday morning. Not as enjoyable as it cools.
For some reason I was expecting more...it was a very subtle woodsy green taste. Not bad, but not my favorite.
Loving this Yerba mate. It really is a lot like a earthy green tea. Delicious and well done
Enjoyable. I think it would be a nice alternative to that first cup of coffee some mornings.
I enjoy yerba mate - not as sickly sweet as most herbals tend to get, but also not as bitter as some black or pu-erh teas.
It was ok but not for me (150 @3 min) it mild and grassy.
I find this to be fairly grassy, but still light in flavour.
I like the light, smooth taste of this tea. The flavor is difficult to describe. It's not quite grassy yet it's reminiscent of green tea. I enjoyed it plain as I do with most delicate teas. No jitteriness was experienced.
I wasn't sure what to expect from thus tea today. I have only had it in a blend. I do not care for toasted mate and was pleased that Yerba mate tastes much different. This had a grassy taste and some other note I can't put my finger on. A light tea with a caffeine punch. It was good but not something that I would go out of my way to drink again.
CommuniTEA Review: This is the first time I've ever had yerba mate on it's own and not in a blend. It reminds me of a mild green tea. Very light and refreshing.
This makes for an excellent cup that tastes nice and light while still packing a full punch of caffeine! The mate flavor is on full display here without any other add-ins. I find the flavor to be sort of herbaceous without being overly grassy, which is a nice change from traditional green teas. Pay attention to the steeping directions, as using water that is too hot will result in a bitter brew.
I generally like mate, although I prefer it toasted and in flavored blends.
An earthy, grassy, light tasting tea. I liked this with a little honey.
Earthy, herbal aromas draw you in as you open the packet. It brews into a clear, light yellow liquid. Mint, herbs, and earthy flavors light up your mouth. Peppery zings make my taste buds happy after the sip. Subtle smokiness comes through as it starts to cool. Just a lovely multi-layered tea that continues to change with each brew and temperature. My try my next steep iced. Before steeping I cover the leaves with a little cold water to help them get ready. 1st steep 160° for 4 mins. 2nd and beyond 150° for 3-4 mins. Cheers!
Great tea!
Earthy, a bit herby, and a hint of smoke, it has layers of flavor. No bitterness. I prefer the fuller body of toasted mate but this is good, too, just lighter. It's a nice alternative to black tea when you want a dose of caffeine but are craving a different flavor profile. (awakened with 2T cool water, then 5 mins @ 150)
This is was a good tea. While not my favorite type of tea it was smooth and easy drinking. The flavor profile came through with 1.5 tap of raw sugar. My CommuniTEA packet had a very generous portion so I was excited about that.
I was a little concerned about the 'grassy' taste so I added a little pomegranate tea and voila no grassy taste and I loved the energy.
Smoky, earthy, toasty. This mate hits all all the qualities that I tend to like without being overpowering one way or the other. Delicious with a big caffeine punch to boot!
Grass and dried leaf scents drifted out of today's packet like an autumn breeze. A quick bath in a tablespoon of 165°F water wetted the yerba maté leaves down enough to start soaking into the edges. I added the rest of the water at around 160°F to the gourd and steeped for at least 5 minutes until the metal bombilla straw was cool enough to sip from.
Straw and dry leaf flavors are prominent amidst an earthy bed of terpenes. The flavor is unique yet familiar. There are glimmers of eucalyptus, lemon, thyme, and pine all dispersing as brief hints of flavor into something completely different. A novel form of grassiness is present while remaining subtly different than green tea.
Unroasted yerba maté is still one o my favorite alternatives to coffee for that early morning boost without the jitters or stomach impacts that the roasted 'bean tea' is known to cause. The unique autumnal leaf flavors of maté keep me going back for a second and third steep.
The description nails this tea: 'Its taste has been compared to that of green tea but with a more herbaceous, grassy character.' I definitely get some herb and some grass flavors in this. A smooth, easy drinking tea.
Plain yerba mate, unflavored, was a welcome surprise. I fully expected to note a musty taste that I didn't care for, but there was no trace of that in today's brew. Instead, there were subtle herbal and grassy notes. Other reviewers have mentioned hay, and though I haven't been around hay enough to really speak to that comparison, I can see where they would make it. I did prefer this hotter - challenging since the brew temp is so low that it cools off quite rapidly. (5 minutes @ <160F)
Now that I've finally tried this plain, it is a great tea. I think I prefer it flavored or toasted or blended with just the right teas. Yerba mate will always be a unique tea to enjoy.
I recently have been getting into mate tea. Usually I blend it with a nice black, so this is the first on its own I've had. I woke it up by now soaking the leaves in cool to warm water, while the tea kettle heated. I think it's delicious, however I do prefer the flavored varieties more. Totally needed this caffeine kick on a Monday
28 Nov ‘20 communiTEA review: Wow! Two herbals in a row! I’ve had this on the shelf for quite sometime and was thrilled to have it as communiTEA selection. My previous 27 July ‘20 review, below, still applies ...
Nice earthy Pu-erh-like straw tastes were noted first off in the cup. After that, camphor/minty flavors and mildly bitter, and slightly astringent smokey pipe tobacco tastes were noted ... these hung around in my mouth for quite some time. The process repeats itself with every sip. This one is a multi-steeper, at least four! Every steep provides a different flavor, too! That’s what makes mate so interesting. Mate is an acquired taste to be sipped, not glugged. Love It!!
Steps I used to prepare a 12 oz cup of mate in my steeper: 1 - Add two teaspoons of mate. 2 - Add 2 Tablespoons of cool steeping water on top of the mate to prepare it for the forthcoming hot water. 3 - Add enough 160ºF steep water on top of the cool water, for a 12 oz total. This will bring the temperature down to the 150ºF goal. 4 - 1st steep for 5 minutes, subsequent steeps for 3 minutes. 5 - Indulge!
Updated: Not sure what I did differently, but this tastes much better than my original review stated. Light herbaceous flavor that's ok but not something I'd go out of my way to drink again.
Original review 11/28/20 This was barely drinkable until I added a hefty dose of sweetener. Even sweetened, it’s got an odd herbal taste that I don’t care for and since it’s caffeinated (and I like saving my caffeine for teas I love) I don’t think I’ll be trying this one again.
Try as I might, I just don’t like yerba mate. It has a vegetal, green pepperish note that I find off putting and its caffeine intensity doesn’t sit right with me either. I can have some caffeine but honestly whatever mate does to my body just makes me feel anxious and jittery. I know there are those out there who love mate, but I’m not among them. Happy Sipping!
CommuniTEA Sample: A nice, grassy green-ish tea when it is not roasted. There is a nice caffeine boost for the mornings that you are feeling a bit draggy, but don't want a heavy tea.
At first sip I would have given a 3 at best, but then I followed your advice and mixed it with my morning juice and voila! A great morning pick-me-up...Love it.
I’ve been attempting to drink Yerba mate and try the different adagio blends. It is a different type of taste like green wet hay with citrus flavor. Not my favorite of the Yerba mate blends available but I will keep drinking it to see if my taste preference will change.
Absolutely LOVED this tea - it was delicious, it was unique and interesting, and I'm adding it to my wishlist.
Unique and tasty!
A sipping tea with layers
Drink it daringly
Alas though, high caff
It does give me the jitters
So drink sparingly
(haiku review)
Delicious green tea, light and refreshing. Nice energy boost without any jitters and it gives me that feel good vibe similar to eating dark chocolate. Love this tea.
This is my first time trying yerba mate (not in a blend ) and I enjoyed it. It's slightly earthy taste and smooth texture made it an easy sip and I liked its non astringency. It brewed pale yellow with an aroma and appearance similar to that of a green tea. Chilled, it has a gentle smoky flavor that came forward more with the cold. I liked it best sweetened and appreciated its energetic boost after sipping several cups. It resteeps well too.
My CT packet had 3 g/ 2 ¾ tsp of sage green chopped leaves. I awakened the mate first with 2 tbsp. of cool water for 15 seconds then poured 160*F water over the cooled leaves for a 5 min. steep at 150*F. The next few resteeps didn’t need as much time to brew. This pleasant tasting tea would be a very good alternative to a morning cup of joe. with a nice boost of caffeine.
I am not a fan of Yerba mate. Tried it 10 years ago and still haven't changed my opinion. It not the taste either (the taste is earthy and veggie). My heart races whenever I drink this so I tend to stay away.
I love this tea for a good start in the mornings. Sometimes I brew it with another tea that for a different flavor.
Nice alternative to coffee or black tea in the morning.
I enjoyed it a lot and would give it 5/5, but my fiancé felt the 'herbaceous, grassy' notes were too strong.
The description states that this tea leaves you extremely energetic and perky, but honestly, the extra kick just isn’t there. Though I do recommend this tea for its herby flavor, I would still stick to coffee for those looking for their morning kick. With that said, though, Yerba Mate does deliver with its rich and smooth flavor. Overall a very solid tea.
This is a tea pantry staple for me. It is a very good quality yerba mate and i enjoy pairing it with other herbal teas when I feel like having a treat.
its interesting and i love being able to brew it at a lower temp so i can enjoy it more. I don't drink it traditionally because i don't want to buy a gourd but one day i might :)