Taragüi Vitality

First look

Nose

When I open the bag of Taragüi Vitality I am greeted by familiar smell that I learned to like and appreciate — after exploring a diverse world of yerba mate and trying dozens of different brands and blends, opening new bag of Taragüi is like returning back home. Aroma is strong and bold. Tobaccoey sweetness is very prominent and makes nose of Taragüi Vitality very pleasant and distinctive.

Cut

The looks of the cut of Taragüi Vitality instantly reminds me of Taragüi Sin Palo, to the point that it almost looks identical to it — same despalada cut with medium-grind leaves, no stems and absolutely no powder. Color is very uniform and has a pleasant olive green shade. Due to the absence of powder Taragüi Vitality feels very loose, again, similar to Taragüi Sin Palo.

Such conformity between these two yerba mates made me very curious, so I reached out to Taragüi on their Facebook page, in order to find out what are the differences between Taragüi Vitality and Taragüi Sin Palo, or is it the same yerba mate but just under different branding. Taragüi were very quick to respond and told me that Taragüi Vitality has the same formula as Taragüi Sin Palo, meaning that drying and aging of these two yerba mates are identical, as well as the composition of the cut, but the raw material for Taragüi Vitality is harvested exclusively during summer, which ensures a higher natural concentration of caffeine of at least 30% more in Taragüi Vitality, compared to regular Taragüi Sin Palo.

Preparation

After learning that Taragüi Vitality has the same cut as Taragüi Sin Palo, I already knew what to expect from this yerba mate and how it will behave in the gourd.

The spoon bombilla is a must when it comes to that kind of cut. Other types of bombillas will get easily clogged and you’ll need a flat surface of it to constantly mold the mountain of yerba — as I pointed out earlier, the lack of powder in Taragüi Vitality significantly lowers the grip of this yerba mate, and without continuous scraping and tamping it is really easy to create a swampy mess and ruin your experience.

During my review of Taragüi Sin Palo I found that temperature of the water is pretty much irrelevant, and Taragüi Vitality is the same in that regard. It seems that this yerba mate was created to be more accessible for beginners that may not have proper equipment to prepare mate traditionally, and who may use overly hot water while preparing it in a french press or even a coffee machine. If preparing Taragüi Vitality traditionally, it is safer to use a standard 70°C / 160°F water and not worry about burning yourself.

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

It is hard to expect a rich array of flavors when manufacturer tries to make yerba mate more forgiving to temperatures and preparation methods — Taragüi Vitality lacks some depth in the taste department and it is obvious from the first sip. Earthy notes of tobacco and wood play dominant role, along with some sourness and a very faint coffee note, but without any other flavors they just feels flat and unfinished. Taste of Taragüi Vitality is strikingly different from its nose and not in a good way — some sweetness and fruitiness in my opinion would balance the earthiness of this mate and would make it more interesting. Same as Taragüi Sin Palo, this mate is bitter and strong, yet light-bodied and watery — Taragüi Vitality is easy on the mouth, despite being somewhat astringent and heavy at first.

Finish

There is not much I can write about the finish of Taragüi Vitality — it is pretty simple and not pronounced, yet a bit bitter with dominating tobacco note. Aftertaste doesn’t last long and pretty much replicates uninteresting taste of this mate.

Durability

Despite containing more potent leaves, Taragüi Vitality has the same moderate durability as the regular Taragüi Sin Palo — you can expect a solid 20 refills from this mate before it becomes lavado.

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

Taragüi Sin Palo impressed me with its strong energizing effect, so I was expecting at least the same from Taragüi Vitality, knowing that it contains 30% more caffeine. I was not disappointed — Taragüi Vitality reminded me how invigorating this drink can be. Long lasting and well-distributed energy made me noticeably more productive and focused without the crash afterwards. I cannot say if I felt exactly 30% more energized, as Taragüi claims, but it definitely is one of, if not the most energy-boosting yerba mate on the market.

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What are your thoughts on Taragüi Vitality? Comment below!