For a while now, I’ve been trying to get my hands on some La Rubia Especial. I know it’s sold by my preferred online shop here in Germany; however it seems they always run out. Finally, last week I was browsing the shop for a new bombilla and was surprised to find that 500g La Rubia Especial were actually available.
For those of you who don’t know, La Rubia is an excellent mate from Paraguay. It appears to be an extremely small family operation, run by a man called Eugen Junghanns Tischler. I’ve been trying to locate the website of the company, but came to the conclusion that there is none. Even the contact e-mail printed on the side of the package is a hotmail address, which suggests that the brand is still to acquire it’s own internet domain.
Despite of it’s small size, they are giants when it comes to quality. At the moment, there are over 90 different Yerba Mate brands circulating in Paraguay, but only La Rubia operates within the quality standards defined by the Instituto Nacional de Tecnología, Normalización y Metrología (INTN).
Before I begin writing about what this yerba tastes like, I would like to point out two other factors that really appealed to me, namely the packaging and the aroma.
Packaging la rubia yerba mate
Maybe it’s weird that I actually take the time to mention the packaging on a Mate review, but I personally think it looks freaking awesome. I am kind of a 1950s pinup fan, so the drawing of the Rubia (blonde lady) on the package really reminds me of those 1950s advertisement characters. I also really like the purple tone, which they used as background. Somehow I think the whole thing comes together really nicely in a minimalist and yet sophisticated way.
Aroma
This is definitely a very aromatic yerba. I’ve been trying to find the words to describe it all along, but I just can’t. When I smell it, it doesn’t really project an adjective in my mind, it projects a whole entire time period.
I remember being a child in Brazil and during the winter months of June and July, we would always drive out to my uncle’s restaurant in the small colonial town of Tiradentes. His restaurant had no electric or gas stove whatsoever and would rely entirely on a wood fired stove. We loved to spend the whole evening near the fire, talking and watching my uncle roll out the pizzas, which his restaurant was so famous for.
I would sometimes fall asleep on the couch besides the stove and wake up the next day with the cold morning breeze seeping through the windows. I can still remember the smell of ash mixed with spices impregnated in the morning air. And it’s exactly to this moment in time, that I am taken by the aroma of this yerba.
Taste
La Rubia has it’s very own unique taste, which really cannot be matched by other Paraguayan blends like Pajarito, but also not from the other Argentine brands such as Rosamonte. It does have that typical bitterness found in most yerbas from Paraguay, but with a light floral taste that might make it more bearable to new drinkers.
To me, the clear and intense smoky flavor is definitely a plus. It really has a touch of tobacco, cherry and dark chocolate to it. I can smell it’s woody aroma even when my gourd is on the table besides the laptop, which is also nice. Another thing worth mentioning is the huge energy boost that I got from this yerba. After drinking two gourds, I was pretty much ready to climb up the walls. I had not experienced this with any of the other yerbas.
Needless to say, that this yerba is better drunk cold in tereré style. Should you prefer to drink it hot, then make sure that the water is no higher than 75ºC, otherwise the bitterness will overshadow the light floral touch.
Conclusion
This is a nice sophisticated yerba, with a balanced amount of leaves and stems. New drinkers will appreciate the floral taste, but may be thrown off by the bitterness typical of Paraguayan yerbas. Seasoned drinkers will appreciate a new taste not found in Brazilian and Argentine blends. I myself will continue to be an everyday Rosamonte drinker, but it will be nice to have this in the cupboard for a special occasion.