Where to find good Yerba Mate? Online or in-store

For those of us in the US, it can be an expensive venture to find good yerba mate, especially if you order online.  Here are some options:
Online-

• Amigofoods.com - has a good selection of many Hispanic food items, as well as yerba, but can be quite pricey.  I have ordered from them and found them to be quite fast
• ma-tea.com - not a huge selection of yerba but much more reasonable price for the selection they do have.  I have also ordered from here and found them to deliver on the faster side.
• mymateworld.com - a decent selection but also pricey- their website is very confusing.
• "Homemade" yerba from sites such as circleofdrink.com, republicoftea.com, theteaspot.com are some choices that sell their own yerba.  I have never purchased from any of these but could be worth a try.

Offline

• Whole Foods - carries Guayaki and Eco Teas.  If I am in a pinch, then I will go and get Eco Teas as a substitute.
• Local Hispanic Markets - have had decent luck finding Cruz de Malta sometimes and at very cheap prices
• If you are in Chicago - Buenos Aires Deli has a great selection of all things Argentina!

I do not endorse nor am associated with any of these companies or shopping sites, this is just meant to help guide you in the right direction if you are looking for yerba online.

La Merced Organic

I am a big fan of La Merced as a yerba provider and also love incorporating organic products when possible - so right off the start, I am a big fan.  Now when it comes to the actual taste, while overall this is a solid mate, it does have some off notes particularly in the after taste. The yerba looks like a fine quality, without any sticks or by-products of the plant and minimal dust.  The initial taste is actually very smooth, without any bitter qualities or strong notes.  While drinking, it also follows a smooth taste.  However, there is a bit of an after taste which dimishes my overall review.  IF you do not mind the after taste, then this is a wonderful, smooth mate and you can feel good about it being organic as well.  Comparing it to Guayaki (also an organic mate), La Merced wins hands down, it is no competition.

Common mistakes when preparing a mate (it is not just the yerba that makes a great mate!)

Although I am writing predominately about types of yerba so that you have an idea on taste profiles so that you can narrow down your selections to yerba's that will be worth the money, I do want to touch on briefly common mistakes when preparing a mate.

• Water is too hot!  When preparing the water, be sure that it is at the right temperature which is just before boiling.  If the water is boiling let it cool down, otherwise it can cause the yerba to get bitter. Likewise, if the water is too cold, it will taste "washed" or lavado.  
• Putting too much or little yerba in the gourd.  The gourd should be filled up roughly between 1/3 and 1/2 of the size of the gourd.  It is similiar to too hot/cold water, if you put too much you risk clogging the bombilla, if you put too little then the mate can taste a bit washed.
• Not adding anything to the mate.  In Argentina, we add honey, sugar, coffee, lemon or orange peel among other things.  Don't get stuck just drinking plain mate, even though I mostly drink it plain or with honey, it is always good to try different combinations as everyone has different preferences.
• Pouring incorrectly.  In a traditional sense, the water should not just be dumped into the mate.  Rather it should be poured either to one of the sides.  Gauchos are particularly sensitive to this. 
• Drinking it too slowly.  Do not leave water in the mate for too long as this will create a bitter taste. So what does that mean too long?  Really if you are not ready to drink the mate right away, do not pour water into it.  After you poured the water into the mate, then try to drink it within 10-15 seconds (this is rough timing).
• Buying poor yerba.  If you are reading this then you have seen the reviews for a number of yerba's on the market, with more to come soon.  You can use this to guide the selection process, but in general, be careful of yerba's that contain a lot of dust as this will cause a poor mate experience by either clogging the bombilla, not offering the right taste as too much dust and not enough of leaves will limit the true flavor.

Hope this helps you have a better mateada!

Que lo disfruten!

El Nacho

La Tranquera

A good, all-around yerba is La Tranquera.  It is lesser known, rather inexpensive yerba but with a very nice earthy flavor - what a true yerba should taste like.  There is no bitter after taste, it is smooth and lasts for many mates which is a nice bonus.  The one thing I particularly like is there are not a lot of palos and the yerba pours smooth from the package without a lot of dust.  Next to Amanda, which I consider to be the best, this is a great substitute. There is nothing overwhelmingly special about this yerba but if you are looking to feel like a gaucho for a little bit - then fill your mate with Tranquera, head outside and drink away.  This particular yerba reminds me of being in Bariloche, enjoying a mate by Lake Guiterrez (see picture below). Try it for yourself, you will not be disappointed.

Un abrazo,

El Nacho

Union Naranja Yerba (Orange Flavor)

While my wife will completely disagree with this, I find the Union Naranja to be very artificial in taste from beginning to end.  I would agree that the initial taste is not bad, it is actually quite good until the orange notes hit your tongue and then it falls apart from there.  The artificial orange taste lasts not only after the first sip but well after drinking, which to me is a bad indication for a yerba blend.  The yerba should be have a nice taste from beginning to end without leaving a nasty after taste, which is not what I can say for Union.  Overall, disappointing as their Union Sauve is my preferred choice when drinking a mate.