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“5th day of the Sara Advent Tea Calendar! As soon as the hot water touched the leaf, the kitchen smelled like… is that the guayusa? It smells like tulsi! It doesn’t taste that much like tulsi. But...” Read full tasting note
“First tasting note for this blend! Such a shame, since it’s a good one. This was a free sample with my Fusion order for Black Friday! I kind of expected this to be chai with a guayusa base for...” Read full tasting note
Take a trip into the unknown with Guayusa, a naturally caffeine-rich herb from the jungles of the Amazon.
This blend is a study in contrast. Bright, citrusy, organic lemongrass is foiled with rich, enticing, organic cinnamon and earthy, green, organic Guayusa. Dry, Amazon Spice’s colors are like muted fall leaves, yet brewed its color is a honeyed, bright, golden-orange hue. The lingering aftertaste is both sweet and spiced. Lemongrass refreshes, cinnamon stabilizes and Guayusa enlivens. The result is a balanced blend that gratifies the palate and the body.
Pair this Guayusa blend with some of the foods of its homeland—fried plantains, jicima salad or grilled meats—or partner it with roasted sweet potatoes or honey-glazed ham.
Tasting Notes: rich, bright, earthy
Ingredients: organic amazonian guayusa, organic lemongrass, organic cinnamon.
Steeping instructions: 1.5 tsp, 185 degrees F, 4-6 min.
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5th day of the Sara Advent Tea Calendar! As soon as the hot water touched the leaf, the kitchen smelled like… is that the guayusa? It smells like tulsi!
It doesn’t taste that much like tulsi. But it does a tiny bit to me. It’s sweet and herby with a hint of spice, cinnamon? It tastes like warm goodness. Mmm.
Flavors: Cinnamon, Herbs, Tulsi
First tasting note for this blend! Such a shame, since it’s a good one. This was a free sample with my Fusion order for Black Friday! I kind of expected this to be chai with a guayusa base for some reason. Really, it’s cinnamon and lots of lemongrass (I think there’s more lemongrass than guayusa actually). I used 1 1/2 teaspoons. This should really be called ‘sweet lemon guayusa’ or something! I’m actually very impressed with this one – very tasty. I love the unique flavor of guayusa and it is perfect here with sweet cinnamon and sweeter lemongrass. This would probably be amazing iced. The second steep was just as nice. I think that cinnamon works best with a just boiled temp though, so I always feel like cinnamon is wasted in some teas that don’t have a boiling steep. Sadly, I’ve noticed I seem to get mild headaches while drinking guayusa or yerba mate. I’d buy a ton of this blend from Fusion anyway.
Steep#1 // 25-30 minutes after boiling // 3-4 min
Steep #2 // 20 mins after boiling // 4-5 min
Guayusa is a close cousin of yerba mate, the two caffeinated herbals from South America. I find guayusa to be a bit more naturally sweet than yerba mate, but they both taste sort of like gunpowder green tea to me — a sort of tobacco smoke, grassy green taste (I usually get sort of hay-like notes from both guayusa and yerba mate), with occassionally mild notes of coffee bean (I usually get more of the coffee notes if the leaf has been roasted, which it was not in this case).
Tulsi is an Indian basil that has three varieties, and usually when I encounter it in tea, they are typically using a blend of the three types rather than just one (krishna, rama, or vana). Krishna tulsi has more of a purple color and a taste described as being clove or pepper-like, rama tulsi has green leaves and a more mellow taste than the krishna variety, and the vana variety has light green leaves and is described as having a more citrus flavor. Tulsi to me typically tastes a little minty and a little citrusy with a peppery aftertaste (for a typical 3-varietal blend).
There is lemongrass in this, which would account for a lot of that herby, grassy citrus flavor.