Guayaki Lemon Elation - First canned yerba mate energy drink decent but weak

October 2, 2:37 PMCaffeine ExaminerBig Red Boots  

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This drink is very exciting for a couple reasons. First, this is the first Yerba Mate drink that has come out in an aluminum can. This means that You could enjoy your mate much easier and cheaper than Glass containers and a whole lot easier than the traditional way to drink Mate - served in a hollowed out gourd.

The second reson this was exciting is because it comes from Guayaki. This comany has taken the massive leap away from just using it's ingredients as it pleases, and instead has built an empire around creating and sustaining the life that surrounds the Ache Guayaki tribe, who are the ones who produce Yerba Mate. This company has a mission to steward and restore some 200,000 acres of rainforest and help create 1000 jobs. Every time you buy a guayaki product, you work towards helping maintain a way of life, plus you know you are getting some very healthy stuff - full of organic high quality ingredients.

So why don't Ilike this more then? It's not bad by any stretch. But if this is supposed to be inspired by the "drink of the gods", why does it taste so weak? I would just think that for something so powerful, the drink would be LOADED with flavor and energy, and it just never got quite up there enough. I found that the best way to drink this is to get it very cold, shake it all up, and slam it down. The drink easily glides down your throat, leaving a nice lemony flavor in your mouth.

Taste:6
The first thing that threw me was the lack of carbonation in the can. True, not all aluminum cans have carbonated liquid inside, but most do. So My first thought was that it was flat. Secondly, I was expecting a strong mate taste, something sharp and earthy. Instead, it was this very lightly flavored barely sweet lemonade. I dont' want to give the impression that is was a bad flavor, because it is really quite good. But is is just too light a flavor - needing more punch. I guess I was just wanting more - more flavor - more body, more special.

Packaging:9
I mean, the can is special - makes you feel important when you are holding it in your hand. It is bright and sunshine, with rainforest tendrils decorating the edges and a south American hold up a Mate and looking heavenward. This is truly a gorgeous design. They did a fantastic job of working in all the badges they have, form the organic sticker to the kosher signs. They even list the caffeine above the ingredients list and put the lid on right!
If there is anything I could recommend, I would put the part where they write "Non-Carbonated/ Shake Well" much bigger, as I did not see it until I was done drinking two cans of the stuff. Making that bigger - so people would know what to expect would be nice.

Buzz/Nutrition:8
The 150mg of caffeine from the yerba mate was very nice. Mate affects bodies differently that normal caffeine does. The body processes it wore slowly, so the effect is more gradual - without spikes and dips. Same is true for this drink,The added energy blend of Mate, ginger and elder flower took a good 20 minutes for me to feel, but I was kept alert and awake for a good 3 hours before ready for more. And you are able to slam it too, without having to deal with the carbonation or the heavy flavor.

Everything in here is all organic too. From the organic Cane Juice to the organic lemon juice and the organic flavor. There really is not much more to this drink than that either, just some citric acid and water.