Nobleza Gaucha Mate Review (blue bag)

Nobleza Gaucha — 3.10 of 5 palos — reviewed 1/16/2012 Type: Blue Bag, Aged 18 months Region: Misiones, Argentina. Molinos Río de la Plata

Description:

Nobleza Gaucha is a true traditional mate of Argentina. Tastes similar to Guayakí Traditional Mate, but with more body and zest. Extremely smooth mate, like butter. Nothing really stands out with this mate. It’s a very safe choice to go with. Ideal for beginner drinkers. Not too mellow, yet not too strong. Well balanced flavor.

Cut: 3.5 palos

Contains a good amount of palos and polvo. Uniform cut, without splinter palos. Darkish green, with blue hue. Good PPL-R (Palo-to-Polvo-to-Leaf Ratio).

Body/Texture: 3.5 palos

Medium body. Syrupy consistency. Smooth, silky, buttery.

Nose: 3 palos

Very typical notes. Clean. Refreshing. Lemon hints. Woody.

Finish: 2 palos

I’m not the biggest fan of the tarty finish. It’s a bit acidic and astringent; lemon zest citrus. It has a way of downgrading the smoothness of the palate.

Cycle: 3.5 palos

Good mid-cycle, with lasting flavors. The mate mellows out nicely after a few cycles, and becomes smoother; more butter, lemon pie, pumpkin notes.

Overall: 3.10 palos

Recommendation

Good, solid mate. Can’t go wrong here. But it’s a very safe mate. For something with more boldness, go with Rosamonte or Cruz del Malta.