Yerba mate review: Andresito (Seleccion Especial)

#58 -- For the first time... I'm doing a LIVE yerba review of a yerba that a follower asked me to try, so you can listen to my thoughts on this yerba in real time unedited. 

Sorry for the long wait on uploading an episode :(

We've had a lot to process lately in my personal life with work and family. Thank God my family is healthy and growing, just challenges with my job, and finding a healthy balance for that with my family. I know you'll understand as family is more important than work.

I've missed uploading episodes and the creative outlet this provides me as the connection with you all! Thank you so much for listening, sharing, and subscribing! You all are making a dream come true as we share the power of yerba mate with the WORLD!

Enjoy the episode and reach out to me on IG @yerbamatepower with your feedback 

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Show Notes:

• Why I decided to sample Andresito
• How the packaging looks (check IG for pics)
• What mate gourd I used to sample the yerba
• Back story of the name Andresito and it's significance
• Where the yerba comes from
• How to prepare the mate and water temperature
•  How does it taste?
• What is my rating (live in the moment)

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Intro music by @soundslikewatr

Intro voice @yerbamatelab

Transcript

(GENERATED WITH AI, please excuse errors in spelling and/or grammar)

Greetings and welcome to the Yerba Power Podcast, where we share the power of Yerba Mate with the world. My name is Devin. I'm your host. Greetings and welcome. Thanks for joining me today. I have a special episode that I thought would be fun and hopefully informative for you all and enjoy. This would be a time to let me know on Instagram at Yerbamatepower let me know what you would like me to review. Because today I'm going to review a yerba and do it live with you guys right now on recording and talk my talk you through what it tastes like, the flavor notes, how the packaging looks the history, where it comes from. I thought it would be fun to do is live and not edited and cut, but also doing it through the podcast as a way to get it out there. Something that would be informative, something that I think I do better than I do with the video, to be honest. And that way you can hear my thoughts and opinions. You can make your own judgments about whether you like it or not. But that way you have something to base off of before you go in and try it yourself. So again, these are my thoughts and opinions. Here's might be different and I would encourage you to to try whatever you would like to try. So I just want to give you my personal thoughts, information. So what I'm going to try today is a special one that is literally special because it's a selection, a special so special selection that a follower from Instagram let me know that it was one of their favorites. And when I was asking for different reviews was what he messaged me and it's called Andresito. So it's like Little Andres or Little Andrew, I guess is a rough translation in English. So the Yerba Mate, Andresito selection especial. So a special selection. It's a gold colored bag, very nicely decorated and designed, and it's red in the middle with the lettering in white. It has like a band down the middle of it that has a more indigenous kind of northern Argentina design, I would say. And on the sides there's a outlining of Misiones, which is the area where a lot of the Yerba Mate in Argentina is cultivated. When they have a little phrase here that says Misiones is the land where the. What's the word? Nationality, I guess begins and friendship is cultivated. So I'm trying to translate this. Tierra donde Comienza La Patria, y cultiva La Amistad. So if correct me if my translation was off. So. So this it says Choosing this product helps to contribute to the growth of the original culture of the Guarani, which is the native population. Guarani that accommodated the government in the beginning and the recuperation of the mission like mission into the solar forest and the mission region. And this is where the cooperation Guarani local so local cooperation community. Kogi border. Hopefully I said that right. I'm sorry. What's my gringo exit? You can see them Yoruba madre and Recto on Instagram. I'll tag them as well and you can see the pictures. So I'm going to talk my way through this continually and I'll upload pictures and other thoughts on Instagram before I check that out as well. So you can see kind of what I'm talking about. The receipt of six in a special is a traditional flavor, using only leaves that are mature and between 18 and 24 months. So that means that they've been retired for a longer than than some. Usually somewhere between 6 to 24 months is kind of normal summer or, you know, like 12 months. 18 and 24 is kind of where you start to get into the, let's say, the, you know, special selection kind of things like this one. At least that's what I've seen in the past when it gets towards to, you know, 24 months. So two years. And so it has a it's as a product with a less intense flavor and aroma. It would see a long time for consumption. So. Well, I guess I'll be the judge of that to see if it is how the flavor, the smell and duration of it. So I'm gonna open this up and let's, let's start with the how it smells, right? Okay. While I crack this open. Scott the code top where it's it's kind of glued at the top like a lot of the euro packaging normally is. And. Didn't come without too much of a problem. They are so as Argentine cup, meaning it's thick with sticks and stems. This has a particular pretty thick cut. Very light smell. I don't really. Did a lot of earthy notes. It smells pretty fresh and clean. So I mean, that's a good sign of it being natural. But it's not like intense. So I think that would be consistent with what it said was a less a lesser intense and Roma. So I'm using a traditional gourd to try this. Meaning it's, you know, made out of the calabash gourd. I got it from best mothers. I'll take them as well. Instagram, it's it's like a a leather outside with a metal trim at the top. So the leather is black surrounding the gourd in the kind of, let's say, silver. Um, metal has designs where like the the sun. So the mason, you know, from the side. So they may also like on the Argentine flag. And it's got a few little symbols on it and some nice little decorations. I thought it would be nice to for a special java to use a special gourd. And this is kind of one of my I would say. Special. Most special goers said that they had debated me because it's it really is one of the nicest premium chords that I have, especially traditional one. So every good word I would say. Most people that drink math, they would tell you this a kind of everyone has a story with their with their gourd. And so speaking of stories. The Yerba called Andres Ito comes from the name of Commandante Andrés y su Dari. And that last name I might have butchered. But so his nickname will end Zito because he was the first indigenous, let's say, political, military leader, governor in the Misiones province. And while I don't know a whole lot about the story, I looked it up a little bit. But being from that region, being Guarani origin is obviously some pride and pride from that region. And so that's where the name comes from. It's also the region in Misiones is the name where they they cultivate the soil and restore. This. Let's see. This Java is. Let's see. What's the word for like when you. Planted, I guess you. And as I was trying to find that word and Spanish sombrero like like to seed but so I guess planted and harvested in a with a group of missy. So mission missionaries like producers in the area and the mission is it's a privilege zone for natural sort of natural rivers and the reserve of the park industry. Now to Iguazu. So that's where the waterfalls are, right up in there in the north of Argentina, south of Brazil. And then kind of the east of Paraguay. And that's in that region up there. And as visitors, I looked it up on the map is very far north in that region. So very close to the Eagles who falls. In the special ecological pureness in they preserve with each stage of elaboration and put. They put in all their products. Sorry, I'm trying to translate all this in Spanish and say it in English and sometimes things are translated also doing this live. So there's instructions on it as well as how to prepare. You know, every one is started kind of putting these more on there about how to prepare. And, you know, I've covered a lot of this and in the podcast as well. But basically putting the yerba in there and they say. You know, in climate to 45 degrees. Cover the straw. No, sorry. Cover the top of the mountain, the mighty, and then shake it, you know, get the dust out. Which, you know, I typically do in this one, I'll be honest, doesn't really have any dust, which is usually one thing that I, I note personally, because I am not a big fan of dust, although I know I understand that the dust has its own properties and nuances to the flavor of the area. But you know, I'm just not a huge fan just because I guess it seems to me like a waste of packaging. And also and this is my personal opinion, waste packaging, but also just the, you know, grittiness or whatever and that's drinking it. So it's just my personal opinions. Other people like it, so don't don't let my opinion affect yours. Of course, I'm putting in some. So warm water too to let the the your your soak and then temperature the water between 70 to 75 degrees Celsius which you know 80 I think is is the highest Celsius which would that would be like 180 Fahrenheit, which I don't typically drink that hot lines, you know, one 4150 somewhere in there, which is the water I'll be using right now. So I'm pouring some water in here for I put it in the beer. I do like that it has a natural, safe smell. To let me know. It's, you know. How would I put this, you know, ecological friendly, you know, without the pesticides and stuff? It's one thing to pay attention to nowadays. All right, now I'm gonna take my first sip, and we'll see how this goes. All right, first one. It does. It is life. So it's the first one, right? And so sometimes they can take one or two to kind of warm up and get some flavor in there. But I do. I do feel flavor. So here, let me try to describe this. So it's not strong. It is true that it is light, but it has a like a depth to it, if that makes sense. Meaning you can feel and taste a lot of different. Ranges of flavor and kind of like clean yet earthy, yet not strong on any of those notes. Meaning you can taste the flavors, but they're very, I guess, weak. Does that make sense or not strong? I guess a better way. Let's see. Let's try this one more time. Right. That was my first impression. Um. So of course, the more water in here. That's a sit for a second. But if you can hear me pouring the water or not. All right, second, second. SIP. So there's some more flavor coming through. Still it is your lighter soil. I think that's good for those that are beginning. How would I compare it to, you know, something? Plato is kind of one of the the anchors for me, for for scale of lightness. Like the light side versus the strong, intense side. So I kind of try to think in terms of beginners first time trying to yerba. It might be a little stronger, like maybe, I don't know, two and a half on a five scale as far as being light, but the depth of the different flavors there. But it's not bitter. So it's not like. In that sense of kind of where it's taste medicinal or something. Well. Do you like this clean? I do think this this you know, this is a great Yorba. Um. I'm trying to give you a better numbers scale here. I would definitely it's going to be over five. So that's kind of where I start is like halfway. Like would say just kind of a mediocre year. But right. So it's going to be more than a five. More than a six, I would say. And I would be curious to try this later and see if my opinion changes. Especially doing this live and talking through it. And later, because I've tried different areas where the first time I tried it, so it was okay and then later, you know, it was excellent or or you know what? Actually, I don't know what I was thinking the first time I tried it. Like, this is not good. You know, there's there's been times where, you know, later it flavors I guess, or change your taste buds or it could even be the verb itself. It maybe you got a different batch. You know, I am curious to know if things like that happen as far as, you know, one. Cultivation of the area that year just wasn't as good as previous. Right. I'm sure there's lots of things they do to try to keep that consistent. But I imagine with, you know, a natural leaf, it's it's only so much you can do, right? All right. So I do like it. I'm going to lean towards the somewhere between six and seven. So let's do 6.73. Just as a random number. That was my third sip. It is starting to pick up some more intensity and flavors. It's still. Somewhere between low medium on the bitterness and intensity. So. So it's a little bit smoother, which is good as far as sharing it with others or for those that are new. But to not be bland, which I do enjoy, that it has flavor instead of being just sometimes it can be so clean that it does have a different flavors involved as far as getting some more of the kind of earthy. Nuances there. I'm not skilled enough to tell you that, you know, has dark chocolate notes or, you know, acorns or whatever. I'm not that kind of guy. But I can I can tell you, for those that are new, I would say this might be something you want to check out after you get used to it and get accustomed. And then those that have tried a lot of different areas. I would definitely encourage you to check this one out. Is that not only because, you know, a cool packaging and hope sporting mission in this region. I like that mission they have there, but also something unique. And they the good flavors that you'll probably pick up there more than even me, if you've tried it, let me know. And if you you know, when you do try it or whatever, let me know what you thought. I think if you use any different, I'd be curious to hear your different opinions. What you think of the different Airbus or any other ones that you want me to try. So let me know at Instagram you can visit me there at Yerba Mate Power. Also do have stuff on YouTube that you can check out as far as other videos, I'll try to do better, but to be honest, the podcast is the best place to catch up. What's new on me? That an Instagram? Appreciate you guys for listening, and I hope this helps to bring more light to your remote and what the things that are they're doing as far as cultivating these regions, the different missions that are involved. And I would love to get more involved with the aromatic community in the sense of not just you guys in a world perspective, because that ultimately is my goal, to connect with everyone throughout the world. And it's been so cool to hear from people from, you know, Denmark and South Africa and just places I would New Zealand, you know, places that I would never expect to connect with aromatic drink or so. I appreciate you guys for reaching out, but I also want to kind of bring kind of a social justice kind of thing into this and help highlight some of the ways you at your remote for good. And so I have that in the back of my mind and was planning to release an episode about that. So stay tuned. You know, I want to do your romantic very good as well as how to call it. And also I want to do a series on different things to put in your earlier my day. So all that to say is if you're not already follow me or subscribe to the podcast, now would be a great time to do that. So you don't miss out on upcoming episodes, and I look forward to talking to you guys soon. Till then, be well and enjoy.