The Cowboy's Mate: Kraus Gaucho

Kraus — 3.65 of 5 palos — reviewed 2/7/2012 Type: Kraus Gaucho Region: Misiones, Argentina

Description

This is Kraus’ strong line of mate, Gaucho (Cowboy) style. Well balanced and tasty mate. Has a bit of a kick. Solid mate with excellent structure.

Cut 3.00 palos

Fluffy, fine cut. Contains fair amount of splinter palos. For a mate “sin palos” (without twigs), this is some of the best that you’re going to find on the market. Decent PPL-R, with evenly cut leaves and low polvo amount. Palos are absolutely included, so their marketing as “without stems” is a bit questionable — for those of you that absolutely don’t like palos.

Body/Texture 3.50 palos

Mid to Full Body. Has strong, coffee-like overtones. Balanced taste profile. Dark chocolate. Woody notes. Clay. Wet stone.

Nose 3.50 palos

Surprisingly subtle aroma for a mate with such strength. Clean, strong notes. Simple, sweet notes.

Finish 4.25 palos

Solid, bright, lasting finish. One of the most well-balanced and harmonious finishes I’ve ever experienced. No astringent backlash. Smooth, milk to dark chocolate finish. Coffee and cacao notes. Toasted bread.

Cycle 4 palos

Excellent cycle. Very maintainable.

Overall: 3.65 palos

Recommendation

Solid mate with strong backbone. Has the boldness of Rosamonte, Taragüí, and Cruz, but minus the harshness and punch in the face backlash. Very strong, but smooth finish for those of you that enjoy the bitterness of dark chocolate but also the smoothness of hot chocolate. This mate is a marriage of Mate Factor and Cruz de Malta. Highly recommendable to all mate drinkers. Learn more about the Kraus history >>