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

Pours a medium orange with a small white head. Vague but unique floral aroma with berry. Smoky, meaty flavor, with the usual fruity hops. Mouthfeel is dead, watery, low carbonation. Overall, good minus.

~Aroma of resinous and citrus hops with a bit of berry and a sweet maltiness. ~Pours a cloudy orange with diminishing white head. ~Berry citrus hop flavor with hop derived astringency. ~Thin bodied, medium carbonation, bitter hop finish, ~Good aroma, small head, taste is lacking something. Very thin for an IPA. Decent, definitely drinkable.

12oz bottle. Dark, dirty honey body topped with an off-white head that lasts but doesn’t lace. Aroma is floral hops dominated by agave or some sort of cactus (prickly pear? yerba mate?...whatever that is), funky-musky-herby sweetness, floral tea. Mouth is medium with light carbonation and a watery finish with some distinct, astringent qualities (like a not-quite-ripe persimmon). Flavor is mildly hoppy, woody, touch of honey, after-taste of apple cider vinegar and the astringent substance mentioned in palate (tea-like), and pine hops. Quince comes to mind, probably for the astringency and strange sweetness. Interesting for sure. Definitely an herb-vegetable.

Bottle thanks to travita. Amber with a white head. Nose is spicy with hops fighting to be noticed. Not bad on the palate with a decent hop flavor that finishes spicy.

The look is clear, yellow color, and has a white head. The smell is weird, spiced, herbs, hops, and bitter. The taste is hops, bitter, herbs, and cardboard.

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

Bottle courtesy of travita. Clear golden pour. Smells of hops but nasty hops. Sweaty underarms. Taste is quite spicy. Some sweet but gets bowled over by the hop nasty. Bleh.