Runa

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.

Another tea I got “free” by paying shipping only on this and many other items.
Ya know … this was darn good!
I was expecting that typical hibiscus TART – nope – masterfully blended with the sweet berries for the perfect balance. I may have to make this a stash iced tea for summer!
Oops actually this was a Fab.com purchase not the free just pay shipping place.

I had this tea this morning, so I guess it’s a backlog? Maybe?

I got this one in the Steepster Select package that I won (the April box) and I’ve had it once before this but for some reason I haven’t reviewed it yet…….. Blame it on the laziness. Anyways, I really like this one a lot. I definitely like the stimulation effects of guayusa more than mate. I like mate a lot but it’s more comparable to coffee than guayusa, which gives more of a subtle energy rush than an energy hit. It’s slightly vegetal and grassy in flavor, with a little bit of a lemon taste in the background. It’s smooth and yet bold, and very enjoyable.

I really liked this but I feel like I will like flavored guayusas more (I’ve had the Earl Grey Guayusa from 52teas and it was just okay) and I look forward to trying more from Runa.

Thought I would try this since I slept really well last night. I’m not really feeling groggy. I think Guayusa is supposed to be a bit more stimulating than my typical black breakfast blend. I’ve been eyeballing the package since it came it and I just don’t want to wait any longer.
It seems like there is a definite green category of tea with diverse flavors. For example some of the green teas are a fresh, crisp green flavor. The oolong I tried was a sweet, heavy green taste. This is green like grass that just been cut. Yet it is still sweet. A funny toasty like taste has shown up. It’s very faint. Ghost toasted tea. Who ya gonna call?!
I like it but I think I’d like a flavored guayusa just as well.

I’ve been experimenting with this tea a lot today, with a lot of my focus on it’s psychoactive effects and I have found it to be very useful. I’ve found that the stimulation it produces is indeed different than that of what coffee produces. The effect I receive from this is less panicky and heart-pounding and more intellectually stimulating. Alertness and focus seem to be increased, as well as memory retention and productivity. And the best part about it is that despite the mental stimulation, there is also quite a profound calming and mood-enhancing effect that complements it. Normally school DRAGS on for me for what feels like forever, and I am a bit lazy and almost always low on motivation. But today I was focused, productive, and had a positive outlook on my situation. I am still being affected by this beverage as I sit here during a late night reading session. The book I am currently reading is easily one of the most dense and difficult to read books I have ever taken on and I am breezing through it compared to my normal slow and steady pace (the book is “Infinite Jest” by David Foster Wallace in case you’re wondering, up next is some Aldous Huxley and John Muir). In summary, I am finding this tea to be both a tasty treat and a useful tool for a few different purposes. I now feel that I understand “the night watchman”.

I’ve gotta be honest, I was mostly interested in guayusa as a substitute for coffee, purely for stimulation. But this blend also happens to be very tasty. It is minty of course, but with a smooth earthiness to it. To me, it tasted a lot like a catnip or skullcap tea (both of which I love). As for the stimulation, I’m a little let down. I brewed up a very potent cup (three and a half tablespoons of leaf for 12 ounces of water) and I’m just not feeling much. To be fair though, I have a pretty high caffeine tolerance. Anyhow, this is very tasty, and I got a pound for around $13 through subscribe and save on Amazon so I’m happy. Soon I’ll have to try straight guayusa and see how I like that.

this is a wonderful minty way to wake yourself up! I’m a huge fan of peppermint and i found it very difficult to find a mint mate’. I was very upset about it until i found Guayusa.
I find this gives me a lovely, uplifted buzz in the morning, and tastes very clean and refreshing.

Backlogging;

This is another tea that I received in the Steepster Select (http://member.ly/steepster-select) box that I won. Thank you Steepster Select, again providing me with a totally new experience! This is my first Guayusa tea! It also looks like Yerbra Mate it its dry form.

First smell: I thought to myself Yummmm, I was surprised although I am not sure what I was expecting as I have never had a Guayusa before. Fruity, creamy, bright, eye opening, delightful aromas.

First sip: The flavor is bright, and cherry, with a slight tartness yet with such sweetness, like that of fresh berries. If I had to compare it to another tea it would be a good quality black tea, one without any astringency or bitterness!

The liquor is light brown.

I have absolutely loved my Steepster Select box – and I have more to come, – because it takes me on this amazing journey! I am learning so much about tea! This Traditional Guayusa is farmed by a native tribe in the upper Amazon regions of Ecuador, Peru and Columbia. The tried is called the Kichwa Tribe. This info was provided by Steepster Select on the card they include with all of their tea shipments.

I just think it is so wonderful to have such a fresh tea resting on my palate! To sit back and imagine this small tribe farming, and picking tea leaves that will be consumed by people like me, it is humbling and also I am slightly jealous of what I imagine their lifestyle to be. I also respect Runa Tea for working with the Kichwa tribe in regards to sustainability and socially responsible farming and procuring of teas. This tea is Certified Fair Trade, Certified Organic, and Certified Kosher. It is 5.99 for 1.5 ounces or
17.99 for one full pound! Wow! Talk about a steal for an amazing tea! According to the Runa Tea facebook page – Runa means “fully living human being” in the Kichwa language.

Second cup which is cooler than my first and I am picking out a very caramelized flavor now. Its quite nice and different from my piping hot cup before. I am intrigued by the way this tea seems to evolve right on the palate. I think if I listed all of the different flavor components it would be a very long list. Berry, sweet, bright, cherry, sugary, malty, toasty, smooth, rich, I could go on and on.

I was having such a good time with this tea, trying it iced as suggested on the website it was wonderful. Then I got adventurous and added a touch of Japanese spearmint essential oil to my cup, just a tiny drop, and it made the best tasting sensation with a toasty maple like flavor with a kick of mint. So delicious! I did not try it with any sugar in the raw or milk but I am going to assume it would be excellent as it seems to be a very versatile tea! I also noticed when the tea is colder, either cooled from a hot tea, or iced it has a more malty note to it and a wonderful bread like after taste! This was before adding the mint though.

I also wanted to note that I love their website – www.runa.org
They talk about tea origins, ways to enjoy tea, the tea farmers, and they even have a mission statement! It is also a very eye appealing site that is easy to navigate.

Re-steep on this tea was a huge success! Although I only did one re-steep I feel assured I could have went for another, maybe more. The liquor was even a bit darker on the second steep – releasing more of the complex flavors with some extra sweetness coming through!

I feel honored to be introduced to such a wonderful tea company and tea! Not to mention to feel closer to our global community and the wonderful diverse people of this planet!

LOVIN IT! Thank you Jason and Steepster Select for my free box of tea!

I bought a pound of this from Amazon since it was so cheap, but when I opened the bag I was worried – it just smelled like grass. And when I had steeped it it still smelled only of grass. Still, it ended up being a very tasty tea. I find it’s best if I throw a few pods of star anise in there, but that’s just personal preference.

My local Fresh Market was offering samples, so I gave it a try. I wasn’t impressed. It was extremely weak, with the most prominent (but still not particularly strong) flavor being cinnamon. I’ve never tried guayusa before, so perhaps it is normally weak? Hopefully not.

Drinking this now..LOVE it! Very smooth and clean tasting. I asked for this as my sample from New Mexico Tea company. I decided to go with just the plain guayusa, I figured I can always add spices to it to make it like the others. I had the first cup plain, the second cup I added 1 teaspoon of Verdant Tea’s Thai Fire blend for a little kick. NICE! I will diffidently be buying this, sucks I can’t buy it locally but this will be on my list.

Another sample tasted during the Coffee & Tea Festival & that led to the purchase of this amazing tea.

First off, I love cinnamon. And I love when it burns your mouth & sets a fire in your throat. Oh yes….I must have that burning sensation from my cinnamon otherwise, it’s boring. The cinnamon in this tea doesn’t quite burn, but it lets you know it’s there.

I knew from the first sip I was going to end up buying it at the expo. Great stuff. Definitely another new favorite to always have on hand.

I tried this at the Coffee & Tea Festival in NYC & from the first sip I knew I’d become a guayusa addict.

First off, the ginger is perfect. It goes really well with the citrus in this blend. I tried a full cup this morning thanks to my purchase yesterday. Love it! Definitely keeping this one on hand for normal stash.

I love this tea! It tastes great, plus the company is promoting sustainable development and fair trade in Ecuador. Anyone who likes Mate will like Guayusa!

I have been biting the same darned spot in the back of my mouth for a few days and now I have a snore there…DRAT!~I thought I would try some Cinnamon on it and maybe some peppermint or spearmint later. ZAP! Make the pain go away! And the swelling come down…Grrrr!

Anyways…This is nice! It’s not a crazy strong spice but it sure does help with the stereotypical Guayusa as a nice change-up! This is find indeed!

My FAVE Guayusa so far! You know I LOVE Mint! This is magnified! And Magnificent!

Check out our video-tasting here: http://blip.tv/the-tea-show/episode-27-runa-s-ginger-citrus-guayusa-5487101

I really like this blend. The ginger is a gentler ginger taste, still zesty but not overwhelmingly peppery. Not hot or spicy. The orange tastes bright and juicy, with beautiful sweet and tangy tones. The guayusa is a little lighter here – it doesn’t taste quite as rich as in other guayusa blends I’ve tasted. But I still like it. It’s a little more vegetative and a little less earthy.

Very nice.

I’m having this Guayusa blend again, I need to wake up because I’m up way too early and I can’t go back to bed because there’s too much to do today. So I need some fuel!

The mint seems a bit more crisp and fresh tasting today. Perhaps it’s because I’m so sleepy and I’m looking for anything to revitalize and the mint seems particularly zesty. Whatever the reason, it is certainly a welcome flavor. The Guayusa is there too, obviously, but I seem to be tasting it less at the moment. Let’s hope that the caffeinated effects are not affected.

My full-length review of this tea should be publishing in just a few days.

I’m really liking this. The peppermint is strong, but the Guayusa curbs it just enough so that this isn’t all about the peppermint. It is smooth, rich, and stimulating. The more I drink Guayusa, the more I like it.

One of my fave guayusas so far! NICE! The minty-goodness is strong enough to coat that green pea type guayusa taste. Delightful!

Check out our video-review here: http://healthyprofessionals.blog.com/2011/07/07/the-tea-show-episode-19-runas-guayusa-spice/