Brazil Aged Yerba Mate São João – Organic Yerba Maté

Brew & Taste

The aroma of Organic Brasil Aged Yerba Maté São João is slightly herbal and woody, with subtle notes of unripe nuts and dried hay. It’s not some outburst of smokiness, but rather a sleek, cultured maté. The flavor presents a smooth, rounded line, less bitter than the usual, fresh verde maté. There’s only enough herbal and floral notes to feel natural, but not astringent. In the background, you’ll notice a touch of wood, a light, honey-like aftertaste, and an incredibly subtle, pleasant bite which will make you crave another sip until the day is over. Organic Brazil Aged Yerba Maté São João is perfect for traditional maté gourds with bombilla straws as well as french press brewing or as a mild, delicate base for tereré.

Origins

Before we take a look at the Brazilian forests where we sourced our Organic Brazil Aged Yerba Maté São João, let's talk about the actual beverage and its base. Our yerba maté is a great natural cocktail of the following:
phenolic compounds and chlorogenic acids,
caffeine and theobromine,
minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium),
fiber,
B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6).
So, now to the landscape… Organic Brazil Aged Yerba Mate São João grows in southern Brazil, in the São João do Triunfo region of Paraná state, at an altitude of 500-700 m. The Atlantic Forest stretches across the region, home to araucaria trees – the natural habitat of the Paraguayan holly (Ilex paraguariensis). The hollies here don’t grow on bare, uncovered farms, but rather in the natural shade of tall araucaria trees. This protects their leaves from the scorching sun, keeping them vibrantly green, milder in taste, and richer in antioxidants and chlorophyll.
This particular yerba maté is cultivated by a family business with more than 80 years of experience. All yerba maté comes from their own farms, so the family controls every step, from planting the seeds to bagging the finished product. Harvesting is done by hand and the trees are pruned so that they constantly produce new, healthy shoots.
When it comes to the details of production, it’s good to know that the leaves are first briefly heated (a process called ‘sapeco’) to deactivate the working enzymes while preserving their fresh green color. They then spend several hours in a slow belt drying system, but without coming into contact with smoke or fire. This is followed by separating the leaves from the twigs, cutting, and sifting to achieve the perfect texture. And then comes the most interesting part: 6-12 months of quiet maturation under controlled conditions. During this phase, the sharpness of its natural green notes subside and the taste becomes rounder; delicately sweet and woody tones emerge and the aroma becomes richer.
It's a bit like the maturation of white tea or pu-erh, only in a greener, fresher version. The result? Yerba maté that combines strength and energy with a gentle, refined flavor that you can rely on every day.

Traditional maté preparation:

1. Maté is prepared in a maté gourd (hollowed-out and dried gourd) and drunk hot or chilled using a bombilla (a special metal straw).

2. Add 2-3 teaspoons of yerba maté into the gourd and cover with slightly warm water to give the leaves a firm consistency.

3. After a few minutes, pour hot water over the re-hydrated leaves and let it infuse for 3 minutes.

4. Drink with a bombilla straw. There is a small strainer at the bottom to prevent any leaves from getting into the straw. Do not make the infusion too strong to avoid clogging the bombilla.

5. You can repeat this process up to 5 times from one batch of yerba maté. However, always infuse for a maximum of 3 minutes. Optionally, add sugar, lemon, orange, rum, cognac or milk to flavor.

Tea packaging preview

We pack our teas in a strong, zip-lock aluminum packet which allows you to easily re-seal its contents. This container protects the quality of the tea against humidity, light or foreign odors, all of which could noticeably affect the quality of the brew.