Sara — 3.85 of 5 palos — reviewed 4/10/2012
Type: Traditional
Region: Brazil. Carrau & CIA
Description:
“100% Organic” Brazilian grown yerba, similar to nature as Del Cebador and Canarias, but is much flatter and smoother than both. Think of Sara as the soda that’s been left open for a few hours, less poppy and snappy, but still tasty. Smooth as butter; sort of a Nobleza Gaucha, Traditional Guayakí, and Canarias mixology. A bit uninteresting and shallow for a Brazilian yerba. Somewhat lacking the sort of robustness and boldness you’d expect from Brazil. Still, a nice, rich, tasty yerba that you can rely on.
Cut 4.00 palos
Nice fine Brazilian cut. Typical “Gaucho” blend of evenly cut leaves and a healthy amount of polvo. Nice lime green hue, as with many aged yerba from that region. Good PPL-R for a Gaucho blend.
Body/Texture/Taste 3.75 palos
Rich and smooth profile. Typical Brazilian character and full body, but smoother than, say, a Canarias; less edgy than MF (Mate Factor); not as delicious as Del Cebador. Some rubber notes. Slightly astringent. Cacao. Dark chocolate. Light on the palate. Significantly less ovaltine and malt than DelC.
Nose 3.75 palos
Sweet and clean. Slight coffee bean hints. Some ovaltine. Bright spring freshness.
Finish 3.75 palos
Consistent finish. Smooth: almost too smooth for pleasure. You don’t the same kaleidoscope of flavor profiles as DelC or Canarias, such as: cinnamon, tiramisu cake, nutmeg, etc.. It’s a much more docile and obedient mid-palate to finish.
Cycle 4.10 palos
Excellent long cycle. Stable, lasting taste. Even green-tead, this yerba is pretty tasty.
Overall: 3.90 palos
Recommendation
With heavyweights like Canarias and DelC out there, it’s hard to go out of your way to start drinking Sara; not easy to justify it! However, if you’re looking for a very smooth and less “Gaucho-esque” sort of Brazilian yerba, then Sara is a great direction. With an excellent long cycle, this yerba won’t disappoint any lover of Gaucho mate.
