Mateveza Yerba Mate IPA

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

Date: September 21, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Belmont Station, Portland
Appearance: clear amber, fine beige head, bits of drippy lace
Aroma: sweet caramel and crystal malt aroma, lots of floral hops, touch of citrus
Flavor: sweet malt flavor, drying earthyness, berry like herbal character (yerba mate?), plenty of balancing bitterness
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 2.9/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: ** /4

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.

Bottle thanks to travita. Pours with a white head and a clear golden body. Aroma of tea and hops, very herbal. Taste is odd...let me rephrase...horrible. Exotic tea leaf (yerba) and bitterness with some vegetable notes. Why put Yerba Mate in a beer?

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.

Well, it is organic. 22. Pours a crystal clear medium gold. Towering, fluffy platinum blond head. Grassy, earthy, slightly piney nose. Creamy medium body. Slight carb. Pretty much wretched mid-palate...fusel, vegetal, scorched, toasty, nutty mess. Long scorchy ultra-bitter tannic finish. Evidently the mate is only for the early mornings and needs to be managed carefully. Not working as a beer ingredient. Might be fun to get wired on.

22 ounce bottle purchased at the Davis Food Co-Op. Aroma is very herbal, floral, with some ethanol properties present. There is almost a honey-like presence, too. Transparent dark golden body present with a small off-white head. Not much in the way of lacing. Very tart, astringent, floral, herbal spiciness is present to start. Tastes like pimento olives and olive juice. This is followed by some metallic hop flavors. Finishes pretty dry. Unenjoyable. Bad concept.

bottle, thanks to travita, golden color with a woody oine aroma, flavor of sour pines and malty caramel

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.