Expired Yerba Mate?

Some customers are very concerned about the date on the yerba mate package. The first point we need to make here is that yerba mate does not expire, it ages.

After the yerba mate is harvested and dried it is stationed from anywhere from a few weeks to a few years. If it is done in a few weeks heat is added to the storage building to make the yerba age faster. The aging process affects the taste of the yerba, the older the softer, and considered by most to be better. It is just a matter of taste.

After stationing the yerba is packaged, it is then that the date is determined. In the past the governments of Argentina and Paraguay required the VIN (expiration) date to be two years after packaging. It is now three years. For example Rosamonte Especial is aged for 24 months and has a three year date on the package, this means that the yerba was harvested 5 years before the VIN (expiration) date on the package. The harvest date is much more informative than the expiration date.

The flavor of the yerba will vary slightly from year to year, but not from month to month. It is all just a matter of personal preference. If you think your yerba has a stale taste that most likely is because it got too damp in storage not because it got too old.

If the dates are an issue for you just let us know and we will be happy to let you know what they are before we ship your order.

Here is a video that where we talk about the effect of time on the taste of yerba mate.