Amanda Premium — 3.20 of 5 palos — reviewed 4/13/2012
Type: Premium (con palo)
Region: Misiones, Argentina.
Company: La Cachuera S.A.
Description:
This soft, pasty, and buttery yerba has never been a big winner with me. Its weak character and structure easily allows the astringency to cut through your palate like a razor—fast and sharply, leaving almost no play of taste and texture. Flat. I’ve noticed the same occurrence with other broad cut and low polvo yerbas. With the smoothness of
Nobleza Gaucha and the sourness of
La Tranquera, this mate is confusing on the palate; it’s hard to find the harmony here. Very green-teay yerba; lacking viscosity and foam, indicators of high saponin and nutrition levels.
Cut 3.75 palos
Broad cut leaves with low polvo. Chunky. Light green composition. Some long stems. Good PPL-R.
Body/Texture/Taste 3.00 palos
Light/Medium body. Rubbery. Smooth and buttery. Sharp cutting astringency. Confusing taste profile. Disharmonious.
Nose 3.50 palos
Pleasant notes of bread. Clean. Fresh. Some rubber. Simple. Faint banana peel.
Finish 2.85 palos
Astringent and sharp finish. Sour. Rubber. Plastic. A bit of a bite here. Punch-in-the-jaw bitter. Not very versatile and playful.
Cycle 3.00 palos
Short/Mid cycle. An already mild yerba, this mate declines to lavado quite rapidly.
Overall: 3.20 palos
Recommendation
This isn’t a bad yerba at all, but isn’t very versatile and flexible. After spending some time with the Gaucho Mates (
Canarias,
Del Cebador,
Sara,
Mate Factor, etc..), it’s hard to “downgrade” to such a soft and sharp yerba. A traditional Argentinian yerba, with over 90 years of production in Misiones, this mate has be tried and tested and supported by the local palate, but it’s not the only thing out there. Some love that “ashy” tasting kick of Amanda; others find it too abrupt and clumsily harsh. This mate tastes good to me on some days and “decent,” to downright horrible to me on others. Which may be to say, that the actual drinker affects the taste as well! If you haven’t already tried
Nobleza Gaucha,
Taragüí, Mate Factor,
Cruz de Malta, etc… then I advise you do so first and leave Amanda on the back-burner (until you get around to it). Personally, I just don’t “get” this mate as so many others seem to.
