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Sol Maté – Original Review

March 29th, 2009
sol-mate-original

Yay for media kits!

There is a growing genre of drinks that I am coming across more often, that of the ‘organic/healthy energy drink/soda.’  Drinks like EVO and Jones GABA have been our most recent encounters.  Although the consensus so far has been positive, someone is bound to come along and screw it up.  In the meantime, I have found another company that hasn’t yet.  Sol Maté, created by a collection of three small Canadian companies, has harnessed the local popularity of the South American yerba maté plant, which, similar to tea, has been brewed into a similarly slightly bitter herbal beverage for centuries.

Sol Maté comes in an interesting ribbed bottle, with a simple, cool design.  It is certified USDA organic, has 60 mg of caffeine and 21 g of sugar per 10 oz bottle.  There is a sweet, herby smell emanating from the ribbed neck, something like-but also quite different from-tea.  The taste is altogether original, at least for the (American) palette not familiar with maté.  This is much smoother and not as strong as other drinks based on yerba maté, which can be a turn off.  The sweetness mingles with the natural bitterness and distinct taste of the maté, creating an experience both new and enjoyable.

I have reviewed maté before, but never carbonated. It added a different edge to the drink, and joins my list of South American flavorings like guarana, sangria and tamarind that are a welcome departure from kola and citrus flavors.  If you want to find this to try, look in your local Whole Foods store or check their website for additional locations.

Score: 4.5 out of 5. An entirely new soda experience for many.

– WiseGuise

User Ratings: 1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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4-Star Reviews, Sol Maté , ,

Sol Maté – Lemon Lime Review

March 29th, 2009
Yay for media kits!

Yay for media kits!

There is a growing genre of drinks that I am coming across more often, that of the ‘organic/healthy energy drink/soda.’  Drinks like EVO and Jones GABA have been our most recent encounters.  Although the consensus so far has been positive, someone is bound to come along and screw it up.  In the meantime, I have found another company that hasn’t yet.  Sol Maté, created by a collection of three small Canadian companies, has harnessed the local popularity of the South American yerba maté plant, which, similar to tea, has been brewed into a similarly slightly bitter herbal beverage for centuries.

Sol Maté comes in an interesting ribbed bottle, with a simple, cool design.  It is certified USDA organic, has 60 mg of caffeine and 21 g of sugar per 10 oz bottle.  The lemon-lime flavor serves as more of a backdrop to the maté, the sweetness wrestles with the sour for dominance, and in the end leaves a tea-like dryness on your tongue.  The beverage has a very distinct maté scent, with a hint of the lemon and lime.  This drink does pep me right up, natural caffeine seems to work much better for me than when it’s added.

Overall, in my opinion the unique flavor of the yerba maté doesn’t quite mix with the familiar citrus duo, which is why I enjoy the original flavor a bit more, it stands alone just fine.  If you want to find this to try, look in your local Whole Foods store or check their website for additional locations.

Score: 4 out or 5. Interesting combo, but the mixture falls short of the original.

– WiseGuise

User Ratings: 1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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4-Star Reviews, Sol Maté , , ,