MateVeza Organic Golden Ale
Woods Cervecería

MateVeza Organic Golden AleMateVeza Organic Golden Ale
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Woods Cervecería
 
California, United States
Style:
American Pale Ale
ABV:
5%
Score:
77
Avg:
3.28 | pDev: 17.68%
Reviews:
49
Ratings:
51
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 18, 2013
Added:
Jan 14, 2007
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  0
Brewed by Butte Creek Brewing Company
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.5 by pisano from Massachusetts

Nov 18, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by harpus from Alabama

Jul 22, 2012
Photo of BeerAdvocate
Reviewed by BeerAdvocate from Finland

4/5  rDev +22%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine May 2007.

An organic Pale Ale that is brewed with Cascade hops and yerba maté--a species of the holly plant that produces caffeine-like compounds.

Crackling head drops down to a thin lace with some clinging action on the glass. Nearly clear with a faint haze--most likely from a bit of sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Obvious smell of Cascade hops, with their citric and flowery aroma, then comes a unique herbal note that melds well with the malt. Moderate carbonation lends a bit of crispness. Medium-bodied. Malty and grainy with the first sip, then with each sip after, the Cascade hops extend a long-lingering citric and floral flavor; meanwhile, the yerba maté leaves an earthy tea flavor throughout. Finishes semi-sweet with an herbal flavor.

Not only is this a good Pale Ale, it's as unique in its marketing as with its employment of yerba maté. Being organic is a plus, as well. No need for a food pairing as this one seems like it wants to stand on its own.
Sep 27, 2010
Photo of TMoney2591
Reviewed by TMoney2591 from Illinois

2.6/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Served in a Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Pours a lightly hazed pale straw, with a beastly head that leaves surprisingly little lacing on the glass. The nose has an overriding scent of tea leaves, along with a strange hopped spiciness. Intriguing, if nothing else. Like most cases of intrigue, though, this tale ends in pain when the tasting gets underway. This taste is kinda hard for me to describe, but I'll give it my best shot: Starts out with a bitter tea flavor, followed immediately by a hint of herb (like pepper and basil, almost) and a rush of carbonation that erases most of the flavor from the tongue, though a faint bitterness remains. The carbonation makes the body overly light and disallows any true oral appreciation. Combine that with the strange, off-putting flavor and this brew, to me, doesn't come out as all that drinkable.
Feb 11, 2010
Photo of feloniousmonk
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota

2.72/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
MateVeza..."MateVeza Organic Golden Ale is brewed with yerba mate, source of the South American caffeinated herbal tea."

Caffeinated golden ale...herbal tea...hmmmm...

Hazy, high carbonation, smallish head.

Light hops in aroma, a little floral, light fruit, some apple and pear...nice.

Taste: hmmm, ...let's look at that neck label again..."verba mate provides a dry finish and a natural source of caffeine. Say buenos dias to Beerunch.www.beerunch.com."

Dry finish, yes. Flavor is missing. Unless I remember this is a "Tea beer"...huh.
Light bodied,and light-flavored. Very delicate. Nice citric zest feel. Just right for beerunch, I guess.
Not bad,actually, just doesn'tgrab me, with what flavor thereis....kind of a lackluster"golden ale"...golden color, but lacks any zaz,....kazork...

Pretty blase stuf.
Dec 04, 2009
Photo of scottyshades
Reviewed by scottyshades from Florida

2.33/5  rDev -29%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
A: Pours a light transparent and slight hazy golden color that produces a head of epic proportions. I took extra care with this pour and it still grew and grew amazingly. The retention is amazing as well, two inch cap remains with the beer the entire way thru.

S: There is no way this is a pale ale...Not that its bad, but it is not a pale ale...Herbed/Spiced beer would be more suiting. The nose smells exactly like Bengay. Minty/spearmint are the notes. I'm not quite sure what yerba smells like, but I'm assuming this beer resembles it. Interesting to say the least. Also, the nose resembles a rose. This is definitely the most interesting nose I've come across. Apparently cascade hops are included, but the spice of this plant really mask it.

T: So it is spicier than I assumed, cascade hops give it a nice bitterness, but its pretty overwhelming.

MF/D: High carbonation, light in body, long spicy finish.

I don't know what to think of this beer. Very interesting but I'm not sure if I will revisit this one.

Notes: I really keep an opened mind when I drink/review beer and I respect the fact that people like yerba, but A) this is not a pale ale...no way no how. B) It is extremely overwhelming for me. I had to drain it, the first drain pour ever from me!
Sep 05, 2009
Photo of htomsirveaux
Reviewed by htomsirveaux from Texas

2.1/5  rDev -36%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5
22 oz. bottle tried 1 Jun 2008.

Upon openening the head starts gushing out of the bottle and it took three pint glasses to contain it all. Huge head (of course), white. Well carbonated. Takes forever to settle down to even see any beer in the glass. Hazy maize color. Smells herbal, earthy, leafy, musty, maybe some peaches. Taste is overpowering of what I can only imagine is the yerba mate. Musty, astringent, and bitter throughout. Medium body. Alcohol completely hidden. A's gag reflex was tripped. Half the bottle was a drain pour.

Not recommended.
Mar 14, 2009
Photo of mikesgroove
Reviewed by mikesgroove from South Carolina

3.8/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Intresting beer. I recieved this one about a few months back and have had it sitting in the fridge since. Decided to bust it out tonight while I cooked. Served cold and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 12/14/2008.

The pour was all over the place on this one. A gusher at first, with a foamy head that occupied the entire glass, but then faded to nothing and left a weird orange and amber, very hazy and naked liquid, with no discernable carbonation,

The aroma was very earthy. Loaded with spices and small hints of roots and light grain. Some light peppery notes as well. The flavor though was very intresting. Hints of almost nutmeg and cinnamon like flavors, hints of ginger and other herby and root like flavors. Smooth, light and easy drinking, not terribly complex but still very nice.

Overall this one was very intresting, I am a little perked up from the yerba for sure and the flavor kind of reminded me of my vitamins at times, but I would go for this again.
Dec 14, 2008
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Interesting beer. It's organic, which is nice. The less pesticides we put on the earth, the better the earth will treat us in return. And it's also brewed with Yerba mate, a south American species of holly. Only the leaves and stems are used, not the berries. They're steeped in hot water, yielding a somewhat bitter, vegetal, herbal, and grassy flavor that's similar to green tea but stronger. It makes sense then to use it in beer (although the vegetal characteristic is definitely not desired). It also lends some caffeine, which can vary in strength from very low to just about as strong as coffee.

It pours a slightly hazy straw gold body beneath a full head of creamy white froth that holds well and leaves some nice lacing about the glass.

The aroma is different than you might expect, and yet it doesn't quite jump out at you. It's not really bold. There are next to no hops, just the Yerba mate. It's leafy, somewhat woody like wood bark, and a bit grassy.

The flavor is mild, with the maltiness kept light and very basic. I assume that's so that the Yerba mate isn't cloaked. There may be a light touch of caramel malt in use, but it's pretty much straightforward grain.

The qualities the Yerba mate lends to the flavor are the same that are found in the aroma (leafy, woody, grassy), and it's also a bit dusty, or dirt like. It is somewhat vegetal, but it's not rough at all, and softly herbal (I'm thinking like very old dried oregano or something). I also pick up some very mild Cilantro, a bit of citrus (hops?), and even a hint of smokiness. That smokiness makes itself known in the finish, which is not particularly bitter like a beer would normally be, but more "lightly bitter" like strong brewed tea. It definitely has that kind of "cling-to-the-teeth' character, but it's light.

Although I initially found it fairly unexciting cold, as it warmed and its flavors emerged I found it more and more interesting. It very much reminded me of the outdoors with its leaf and dirt and smoke flavors, and at the same time it's actually quite delicate. I certainly wouldn't drink this at a bar, it would be completely lost, but I would enjoy another one at home. Interesting beer!
Sep 30, 2008
Photo of bitterthebetter
Reviewed by bitterthebetter from Oregon

3.5/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
pours a mildly haze yellow orange with rich white head

malt, slight fruit, and slight spice notes on the aroma

apple notes, with slight malt followed by a good bitterness and tea like flavors

light, smooth, and mild fruitiness it has a nice dry hopped finish

a good ale for a hot day
Aug 08, 2008
Photo of froghop
Reviewed by froghop from Washington

3.42/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
pours a clear yellow with an orange tint, thin white head.

smell of spice, some white pepper, light orange peel, herbs.

taste is watery, spice, slight bitterness, dandelion, some citrus, mild hops, leaves the mouth dry with a slight bitter kick.

not bad for an herb brew.
Jul 28, 2008
Photo of IronDjinn
Reviewed by IronDjinn from Canada (AB)

2.78/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Tall frothy white head on the pour. Clear golden hue in appearance, with small amounts of lacing as the glass empties.

Floral, light herbal aroma. Earthy, somewhat nutty. The malt is faint with some grainy husks.

Twiggy, earthy flavour, if nothing else the yerba mate most certainly shines through. However as a result of that it comes across as pretty one-dimensional in the flavour department, just the undenable twang of yerba mate. Earthy, twiggy aftertaste, very herbal and dry.

Mouthfeel is pretty decent, smooth and medium-bodied. I do enjoy my tea, leaf or herbal, along with the occassional cup of yerba mate, but I can't say I find this cross-over blending with ale a very palatable combination, nor a really desirable one. Credit for the experiment however.
Jun 11, 2008
Photo of MuenchenerKindl
Reviewed by MuenchenerKindl from Germany

3.18/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a bomber to a pint glass, the liquid is cloudy pale yellow, with good caebonation. The head is 2 fingers white and leaves some lace.

The smell is faint and light, mild hops and an odd malty base. I bit of citrus but not like we have come to enjoy.

The taste follows, underpowered white bread malty base, with a very underdone hops that comes through but does not impress.

The mouthfeel is good, The body is nice and the carbonation is good.

The drinkability is ok just not any thing to seek out again.

MK
Apr 06, 2008
Photo of Kemmerlin
Reviewed by Kemmerlin from Colorado

3.44/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A: Golden orange in color with a quickly diminishing head.

S: Light hop aroma with some tea and mint leaves mixed in.

T: A bitter tea flavor with mint on the back and throughout the after taste. Other flavors include sweet and biter hops and slight taste of cherries.

M/D: Sticky feeling on the lips and minty feeling on the back of the throat. A decent session beer but not the easiest to drink. I like the idea the brewer had to mix tea and beer but not quite sure it worked out favorably.
Mar 25, 2008
Photo of DaPeculierDane
Reviewed by DaPeculierDane from Wisconsin

4.6/5  rDev +40.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
What a wonderful beer! Many thanks to Autumnaldave for passing the beer onto me and to Kathy for holding the beer in trust for me to drink. Consumed after a bender in the woods with some of the Madison BAs.

Appearance: Cloudy tangerine. I'm already excited. I had hoped to see little green bits of mate floating around. I love it when they stuck in my teeth providing me with something to chew on during boring lectures and what not. These little bits also continue to provide small doses of matteine, a caffeine like substance that really gets me pumped and jacked and though this beer didn't have the requisite green bits, it was really cloudy. This reminded me more of Mate Royale, a refined mate sold in hippie co-ops and cut with licorice root and stevia to improve flavor. Although I much prefer to buy my mate uncut and in bulk, mate royale does the trick too. This beer is more of a mate royale kind of beer than a regular old mate beer. A thin ivory head rested briefly on the pretty tangerine brew.

Aroma: Brilliant cascade hops, candied citrus, mostly tangerine and lots of yummy mate.

Taste: Delicious mate, which for those of you who are not a sweet guacho like myself tastes like a blend of lawn clippings, old coffee grounds, and feet, is a flavor that I find enticing. This beer only adds to that flavor by incorporating wonderful fruity yeast character that blends well with the citrus fruit nose. This beer tastes great.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly bitter and aggressively carbonated but with a silky body from all of the mate matter floating around.

Drinkability: Flawless. I could drink this all night, literally, because it gets me so pumped. Mateveza is to the beer world what ninjas are to life.

After reading several of the reviews for this beer it is clear that many of the reviewers haven't had any experiences with mate. They are trying to review this beer within some kind of style limitations. That is ridiculous. This beer should be reviewed as what it is trying to be, as what its creators intended...as a mate beer. It's an excellent example of that and I have to give props to the brewers for accomplishing a unique goal. I hope that more brewers will follow suit because I can't get enough mate beer.
Mar 11, 2008
Photo of JDV
Reviewed by JDV from Texas

1.73/5  rDev -47.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5
Terrible beer. Now to the specifics. Cloudy hefeweizen look to the beer with white head. It smelled herbal, organic, and lightly hopped. The taste is similar to the smell and is herbal, but very watery, with a lightly bitter finish. Bland, but mostly smooth, and what taste there was, was a sort of funky tea like taste. One of my least favorite beers for sure. If you're not crazy about whatever the heck, "yerba mate' " is there is not much reason to drink this.
Feb 06, 2008
Photo of Dotcubed
Reviewed by Dotcubed from Arkansas

2.2/5  rDev -32.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5
Plesant looking, dark Apricot color. Headless. Little to be excited about so far other than the yerba mate factor, a tea that I heard about way back in high school. Said to be the highest caffeen content in the tea world, seems like a weird place to start if adding odd herbs to comercial homebrew. Why not Earl Grey or Green Tea?

Smells pretty good. Very sweet, and tea like. Astringent. Un A-hop-agenic?

Wow. Tastes like some one made beer out of a strong batch of yerba mate tea. Sharp bitterness of the tea isn't translating well as an alternative to hops.

I suggest buying the tea on it's own. It's better that way.

Too much like tea, it lacks the punch of drinking a $5 beer.
Has an un appealing menthol effect on my tongue.

It's organic which is a big plus, but taste rules.
I'm not sure what I'd suggest to pair with it.
Spicy Grilled Beef? Spicy Pork Roast?
Dec 09, 2007
Photo of Metalmonk
Reviewed by Metalmonk from North Carolina

2.55/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
Can't claim to be a Yerba Mate expert...didn't even know what the hell it was before this was reviewed in BA magazine. Ignorant me.

The head froths up nicely but dies quickly, leaving small bits of splotchy lace in its wake. Color is a bronze/gold featuring tiny floating grains that look like some kind of spice...about the size of fine sand. I poured carefully and these still arrived. There's still a good bit of sediment at the bottom.

Aroma heavily recalls sweet iced tea...something I'm usually not fond of. Strike one. Also some light, perfume-y, earthy spice, a little like potpourri but not like an over-spiced winter warmer or anything. I guess all this is the Yerbe Mate? Would be nice of the brewery to put just a little information on the label other than "naturally caffeinated from yerba mate".

Flavor is like holding lighter strains of wheat grain in your mouth; really earthy, quite gentle, some natural sweetness seeping out. Also unfortunately reminds of iced tea, which I'm just not into, neither the real deal nor in a beer. A grassy bitterness flares up in the finish. Mouthfeel is thin and watery, and no matter what kind of beer it is, that's not acceptable. Drying happens almost immediately, but still, it's paper-thin.

This is probably great for some, but it's just not my thing. It reminds me of a decent homebrew attempt and little else. The herbal tea-like bitterness that sticks in the mouth is really off-putting, the watery feel is never wanted, and I wouldn't look forward to another. Thumbs up for going organic, and for trying something different, but this is still an unattractive concoction. Call me an arrogant bastard, but I shan't purchase this ag'in.
Dec 04, 2007
Photo of jettjon
Reviewed by jettjon from Florida

3.85/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
From the 22 oz capped bomber with no visible date, the cap comes off with a vigorous pop and hiss. Into the Sam Adams glass (thanks, guys!) it’s quickly evident that a careful pour is in order. Hugely carbonated, even the gentlest pour yields 90% suds to 10% liquid. After a bit of careful pouring and a bit of settling, I’m left with a hazed pale yellow-orange liquid beneath two fingers of pillow white foam. Good retention and lots of clumpy lacing along the glass. Nose is soapy and bready with a hint of spicy hops. Also there’s an underlying fruity scent, something exotic and citric, like perhaps kiwi or mango. In the mouth, it’s a whole different story. Distinctly smoky dry notes up front mellowing and sweetening into a sweet-sour fruit flavor with notes of tea. Smooth in the mouth, surprisingly not overcarbonated, but well balanced. Drinkability is actually pretty good. The sour-sweet flavor is ultimately tasty and refreshing.

Overall: Now this is the kind of “specialty” beer I like. It’s got a very distinct flavor and character without going overboard. Balanced and enjoyable. Well recommended.
Dec 02, 2007
Photo of Patrick999
Reviewed by Patrick999 from Florida

3.85/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a large wine glass a nice pale ale gold. Head was OK.

Smell let me know this is not your ordinary pale ale - instead of a hoppy bouquet, I was met with a just a little floral hop, and some tea-like wet earth notes.

Taste - you all are underrating this one. Yes, mate is very noticeable in this beer. That dull, slightly bitter earth taste you get? Yup, that's mate. I would at least try some yerba mate "tea" before you buy this beer, so you know what you're getting into. It seems wrong to denigrate this beer for being exactly what it purports to be. Pale ale malts are there, providing a solid counterpoint to the mate...and I don't think hops are completely absent here, as I do detect a little hop twang up front and a touch of smoke. When I think yerba mate, I think "earthy," and this is definitely a gritty, earthy beer.

Carbonation was nice and sharp like a good pale ale. Plus, I think the mate does a very good job of drying this out. I like it.

Drinkability - no problems finishing the bomber, but it helps to be a fan of yerba mate. I can't stress enough - before you buy this beer, try some yerba mate on its own to see if you even like it....many don't. It's very different. To me, mate comes across as a hybrid of bitter roasted coffee and fragrant tea. If you don't like it, I see no point in beating this beer down.

This should pair well with a wide variety of foods. As for the supposed caffeine kick others have noted, I wouldn't look for a Red Bull-type caffeine hit here. Yerba mate is a natural stimulant, but after finishing this bomber, I'm feeling the alcohol more than I feel any kind of stimulant...make no mistake, this is a real beer, not some B-to-the-E type gimmick. Overall, while I realize this may not be everyone's thing, I think the brewers have done a really good job with this.
Dec 01, 2007
MateVeza Organic Golden Ale from Woods Cervecería
Beer rating: 77 out of 100 with 51 ratings