Ep. 59: “The Chimarrita Bros”

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1. Thanks for the podcast and for the thoughts. I have had a number of the yerbas and chimmaraos you’ve reviewed, but the latest review got my interest. I typically drink Canarias, Nativa and other Uruguayos and Barao Nativa or other chimmaraos. When I started out, 20 years ago, I drank mostly the Argentine cuts as there were what was readily available in the stores near me. Now, I rarely go for them.I just bought Titrayaju for the first time this summer. I had heard about it and seen it on offer online, but never purchased it because of the shipping costs and, ironically, because of it being described as smoked — something I don’t care for. I bought Titrayaju after reading a lot more about it in a master’s thesis that I got a hold of. After reading about their mission and business model in greater depth, I decided to take a chance. In short, my experience was very much like those you both described. The color of the yerba was beautiful when I open the bag and I could immediately tell from the smell I was probably going to like it. I really enjoy the taste and, like you both, would describe it as medium-bodied without any discernible smoke. it’s great for what it is in the only Argentine cut that I find myself drinking. I’m no expert, but what I was thinking as I listened to your episode was that the issue of smoked vs unsmoked has certainly I’ve been used as a marketing tool in the US. In the instance of this yerba, I’m guessing it’s less whether, or not, a company buses barbacua and more whether, or not, they use direct smoke. That is, I think using a wood fire as a heat source only is one thing and using a wood fire well allowing the smoke from the wood fire to circulate around the yerba is another. This is just my two cents from my own research. In conclusion, I appreciate traditional processing, I just don’t appreciate the smoke. Thanks and keep up the good work.

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