Del Cebador Clásica

First look

Nose

Dusty and somewhat smoky smell of Del Cebador Clásica is very close to Canarias Tradicional. I can also sense a lot of subtle inherent notes to yerba mate, like dry fruits, hay and wood. Very strong smell of a green tea makes the overall nose of Del Cebador Clásica more green and fresh, and slightly grassy. Slight scent of sweet vanilla dough is also present in this yerba mate.

Cut

You can say with confidence that Del Cebador Clásica is Uruguayan yerba just by looking at its cut, that is very typical for this country — dusty, fine and very fluffy. It is a bit greener than almost gray Canarias Tradicional, but not even close to saturated and bright Brazilian erva mate. As I already pointed out, Del Cebador Clásica has a fine cut, but not flour-like — stems and leaves are still distinguishable under a closer look. Still, for the most part the cut of this yerba mate consists of powder.

Preparation

I found that a bit coarser cut of Del Cebador Clásica really helps with the preparation of this mate. It is still a lot finer than the average Argentine yerba mate, so spoon bombilla or bomba is a must for better filtering and molding the mountain of yerba. But if you use the proper accessories and techniques of molding the mountain, drinking Del Cebador Clásica becomes effortless and fun.

With this mate I like to use 70°C / 160°F water. However, Del Cebador Clásica proved to be very forgiving when it comes to the temperature, so don’t spend too much time with thermometer — anywhere between 60°C and 80°C / 140°F and 175°F should be absolutely fine.

Most convenient way to get ideal water temperature is to use an electric kettle or a stovetop kettle with temperature control. If you prefer traditional kettle you can use a infrared thermometer or a food thermometer .

Taste

This mate has a very unique and surprisingly well-matching array of flavors — imagine that green tea and hot chocolate had a baby, and you’ll have an idea of how Del Cebador Clásica tastes like. Leafy, grassy and a bit bitter like a long-steeped green tea; naturally sweet and milky — if I want to be more specific, I would go as far as saying that it really reminds me of an oolong tea. Creamy, syrupy, doughy and malty, with a little hint of chocolate, like Nesquik or even a latte. Overall, Del Cebador Clásica has a very rich and thick taste that is yet to become boring for me even after drinking 1 kilo bag daily for a month — this mate is a definition of a full body.

Finish

The finish of Del Cebador Clásica is slightly more bitter and tart, like after a good cup of green tea. It is long, pronounced and sweet — perhaps it’s too similar to the main taste, because I can feel the same variety of flavors for quite some time after swallowing the last sip of this mate.

Durability

Del Cebador Clásica has one of the longest duration of all the yerba mate brands on the market — I always managed to get more than 30 refills every time I was drinking this mate.

The last thing you want while drinking mate is to constantly re-heat your water or add more ice to it. No matter if it's hot mate or cold tereré, use a vacuum bottle or a very popular in South America mate thermos with spout.

Effect

I never noticed strong effects after finishing this mate — you will be able to enjoy Del Cebador Clásica in the afternoon or in the evening, but don’t expect it to wake you up if you feel groggy in the morning.

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What are your thoughts on Del Cebador Clásica? Comment below!