Mateveza Organic Golden Ale

Brewed by Mendocino Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Hopland, California USA

I thought this beer was great. It’s good to have micro-brewers out there trying new things. Since I drink Mate, this is a good substitute if I want to kick it up a notch. Plus it’s organic. Can’t deny this one when I see it in stores.

Pours a very hazy amber with a thin but stubborn white head. Smells of oranges, an unusual sweet earthy scent I can’t quite place, herbal tea, I wish I could list all the sensory profile here, but I’ve never had this type of tea before. What I can say is that the beer smells wonderful. Tastes of grapefruit, chamomile tea, white pepper, some lemons, touches of soap and dry malt. There are also lots of spicy hints there. Mouthfeel is full with a finish that yields dry malt, mild bitterness and some herbal tea hints.

Dark straw color with a huge rocky head. Big nose of mate, orange peel, herbs and dry pale malts. Medium body with a smooth creamy mouthfeel. Earthy mate driven flavors here with some dusty pale malts and spices. A unique and tasty brew here. Try this for breakfast, mate has lots of caffiene.

smell of fresh lychee and empty white wine bottle .. . quite dry .. . great mouthfeel .. . well balanced .. . when i pulled this outta my fridge i forgot why i would have ordered such a beer, i don’t care now... damn fine stuff!

Butte Creek gets points from me by consistently being inventive, even when that means being weird or untraditional. At first I was skeptical of this beer infused with yerba mate, but as a fan of yerba tea, I gave it a go and was quite surprised how much I liked it. Tangy citry finish with a foundation of earthy smokiness and hoppy crispiness. I felt like I was saving the Amazon rainforest when I was partaking in this joyous organic pale ale. But I was likely just exploiting it. Great beer!

As an avid Yerba Mate drinker, this beer rules! Made with the South American stimulant that is easy on the stomach, my wife calls it the "rich man’s Sparks." An acquired taste for sure, after you struggle through the first few sips you’ll be thinking to yourself, "this ain’t so bad after all!" What’s more, you’ll have the energy to paint the house. I’d try to describe the flavor, but I’d do the beer no justice. Just imagine a mate with an IPA mixed and you’re halfway there. That’ll only work, however, if you’ve ever had a Yerba Mate beverage before.

From the Bottle at the GABF Colorado Convention Center, Denver 10/10/2008 Fruity aroma. Golden coloured fruity and a little hazy in appearance. Crisp and slightly dry refreshing tea flavoured finish.

It would be interesting to know if you have to like Mate to love this beer. At a dinner party with about nine beer afficianados tasting, the only ones who were wowed by the color, flavor and audacity were the three of us who like drinking Mate once in a while. (Even one who remembered the Mate flavor from Celestial Seasons Morning Thunder Tea blend! Talk about a good taste-memory). Another interesting plus is that a cafeinated beer is like the irish coffee or the redbull and vodka of ales. The combo has tradition in the world of cocktails, so it makes to see it here, and all organic to boot. I’m not a pale ale fan, i prefer stronger IPA and double IPA flavors, but the Mate character lifted this into a worthwhile experience, and it does blend well. Maybe the tea will remind me of hops now. That would be lovely. I wonder what an earl grey IPA would be like...