Runa

I slept poorly last night, and this morning I need to be spry, as I’m taking both cats to the vet – a place they hate. It seemed like something caffeine-heavy would be the smart way to go.

I got two teabags of this in my swap package from kaylee – thanks! I’ve never had guayusa before, but judging from this teabag, it’s an….acquired taste. Not quite bitter, not quite herbal, slightly medicinal. I added some lemon-infused honey to this to kick up the citrus notes, but I’m not tasting much citrus or ginger here.

Ah well. I really just need the caffeine bump, so this will suffice.

Nom nom nom. I had the teabag of this for breakfast a few days ago and it was lovely. The smell is all citrus, sweet and a tad tart. The flavor itself is a very natural citrus and ginger balance, supported by the slight bitterness of the guayusa. I am going to have to get a box of either this or the Cinnamon Lemongrass to keep at the office.

Aww, sipdown! This is honestly probably too caffeinated for me right now, and at 2 years old it has gotten a bit stale, but this is still a tasty cuppa. The cinnamon and lemongrass are very nicely balanced and make for a very enlivening sip. Highly recommended.

Runa guayusa helped get me through grad school, but I’ve never had any of the flavored versions before. I got a sample teabag of this and the Ginger Citrus flavor at the Coffee & Tea Festival. I’ve been saving them for a particularly tired morning. Of course, I ended up drinking both this week.

This is so perfect. The cinnamon is prominent, natural-tasting, and brisk. Hints of lemongrass come through in just the right balance. The base is lovely. Overall, a nice, round, satisfying morning cuppa.

This was a gift…from me to my husband, but extreme fatigue had me reaching for it in desperation today. Delicious earthy flavor, mild, slightly sweet; the mint is fresh tasting. I added a squeeze of lemon, and a few drops of NuNaturals stevia (for some reason, I love when mint teas are just a little sweet and lemony.) Really tasty! And, I got no jittery, unpleasant feeling, the way I do from coffee. Hmmm, might be reaching into my husband’s guayusa again soon!

I do not think this Guayusa thing is for me. It has a sweet, grassy taste that, while not altogether unpleasant… just isn’t something I strive for in a drink.

The smell and taste are very reminiscent of a fresh cut grass clippings, from that first cut in the spring where you’ve never really had enough days in a row for the grass to get dry. So you kind of struggle through the clumping, wet grass, so that you can get a handle on the lawn. That’s what this reminds me of, wet clumpy grass.

The second batch of this sample that we brewed, we included some Ssssspicy from SerendipiTea, and it did improve the flavor some (which means to say that the spices drowned out some of the grassy flavor).

So yeah. Not my cup of tea-like-herbal-beverage, but I kind of guessed that going in, so I don’t think it’s quite fair to give it a lower rating. If I did rate it though, it would probably be… 60s or so. Like I said, it isn’t offensive, it just is far from desirable.

Tea of experimentation….

I picked up a box of this when I was in Baltimore early this week. (Man, I love Wegman’s.) So far, I really only get the lemongrass. Not much in the way of spice, and the base is kind of a leafy taste with a subtle edge of spearmint…like if the minty part was missing and you just got the spear-. Anyway…… We will see if it does anything for my mental clarity at this point. I sure could use some of that!

8 oz mug, 1 bag, freshly boiled water, 4 minutes.

I confess that this is about two years old. I bought a pound of it as a study aid back in grad school, hoping that it would work better than coffee or soda. Turns out I’m too distractable to actually finish an entire pound of tea in any reasonable amount of time.

That said, this is still quite tasty. I’ve had it as my morning travel mug tea for the past three days. The first time, I added a touch of honey, which made it fantastic. Since then, I haven’t added honey, but have (re)discovered that the guayusa flavor profile already includes a touch of honey. While the dry leaves don’t have much of a scent anymore, the brewed tea smells like honey water.

It’s possible that time has reduced the potency of the energizing effect. I just can’t tell if that’s the case – it’s hard to compare to a distant memory. Of course the solution is to buy some new guayusa for the sake of comparison…

What a wonderful easy to prepare morning tea. This was the first tea i drank this morning as i was running out the door to class. i was surprised of its wonderful earthy and somewhat buttery taste and texture. i made a mug to go since i was late for class and it was the perfect amount of caffeine for the morning. i did three full steepings of the tea and each steeping brought out a new twist to its simple earthy taste.
if you drink mate in the morning and either like or dislike the taste i recommend this as an alternative because it is not as finicky since you do use boil water.
++ in my book for a morning tea boost

Love this tea. The energy it gives me is wonderful while trying to start my day. Love it mixed with Teavana teas.

I drank some this morning.
I paired this with Andy Capp’s Hot fries, a banana, and a Ess-A-Bagel.

From the Runa Box: Amazon Kichwa people "They come together during these morning hours to share dreams, music and myths in a tradition that is essential to what makes them “Runa” – fully living human beings.

So, I did my part.
I went to see the Micki Minaj concert at Rockefeller Plaza before work.
I saw screaming teenage girls.
I heard the song Beez in the Trap.
Then it was time to go to work.

Sharing, is caring, especially loud music.
.

8/15/12 – I’m drinking this at work. I love the caffeine buzz. However, I’m added: 1 Pack of sugar, Maca Powder and Yerba Mate to make this have a super kick.

I think I like it. Let’s say I don’t hate it but I generally like most teas and herbs. There was a touch of bitterness so I added half a tsp agave syrup but I would prefer to enjoy guayusa unsweetened. I used three “real” (equivalent of 1.5 tsp) scoops for 500ml water in my Breville. I have read it can be flavorful for up to six steepings so that is what I am aiming to do. Steeped twice at 3 min each but my bladder is already full. Think this will take me all day. Anyone know if this cold steeps well? I have never directly cold steeped anything. The brew has always had at least one hot steep before I add tap water and leave in the fridge.

This was a real surprise! This is quite tasty! The Ginger AND the Citrus play well with each other and work in harmony with the Guayusa! I was expecting more Guayusa flavor and a harsh ginger but this is all great! The ginger isn’t overpowering and the citrus is juicy but modest.

I am going to be honest I didn’t know what think when I first smelled the steeped tea. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it I couldn’t quite place it. However, the teas is quite tasty. There is a light grassy flavor that pairs well with the natural sweetness in the tea. I am not sure if it is placebo, but as I sit here I can feel a usual caffeine related feeling.