Mateveza Yerba Mate IPA

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

Bottle. Hazy amber beer with a low off-white head. Citrus and floral hop aroma with a bit of tea characteristics. Floral/citrus/teas flavor. Medium bofy. OK bitterness. Tea, spice, floral, citrus lingers with more and more tea and herbal qualities. I liked the test batch better.

Bomber from the Coop in Davis, CA. Slightly hazy amber color with a large off-white head. Nice aromas of citrus and floral hop. Medium body with near creamy carbonation. The fruity/floral hop is great, and the caramel is almost overcome by what seems to be a tea/herb flavor. Rather lush at first, finishing towards astringent. Hop is great, might like the "tea" dialed down a bit. Still bitter is good.

22oz bottle from BevMo Mission Valley. Pours a lightly hazed deep golden color with a fluffy off white head that left light lacing. Nose of citrus and herbal hops with a weird kind off tree root quality. Flavor was much like the aroma of this beer. Decent overall.

"Not exactly sure what Yerba mate is but makes beer taste like tree sap. Light copper body with a thin film of foam on top that lasted three seconds. Aroma is combination of poplar branches, grass, and wild rose hips boiled together (this is something I make once a year and it has a very distinctive smell) I think ginger is also in here. Flavor is lacking and when I say lacking I mean there is no flavor. Ok I let the beer warm up to room temp and now some flavor is coming through. Poplar sap, grass, lemon, a slight hop bite, clean tasting with no lingering after taste. Very unique brew never had anything remotely like it before, it was a good one to try but I don’t see myself ever wanting to stock this in my fridge."

22 oz. bottle from BevMo (SD) - Pours a clear copper color with a one finger thick off white head. Light lacing. Aroma is herbal hops and spice. Flavor is much of the same. Palate has some lingering bitterness. Medium body. Worth a try.

What struck me first was the aroma - of course, the first thing I did was stick my nose in it. It actually reminded me of some energy drinks! But overall there is a distinct spice aroma with strong notes of pine and fruit. The flavor was interesting too. A bittersweet tea is what it tasted like. It felt overall dry, but strangely satisfying as I felt as if I was drinking a carbonated tea energy drink; and as it warms, to me, it’s as if it is medicinal - in a welcoming manner, fortunately.

Tap sampled at SF International Beer Fest. Golden-amber color with a white head. Aroma of sweet malt, light fruits, tea, and piney hops. Flavor is more of the same with caramel malt and the tea asserting itself well. Average palate for the style. Solid overall, interesting.

Amber with a thin white head. Aroma is a mix of earthy, and piney hops, light caramel, mild alcohol, dried fruit. Taste is a mild hoppiness, the yerba mate shows fairly strong in the background which causes the beer to have an interesting tea aspect to it, light caramel. If you like Yerba Mate tea, you’ll probably like this also.