Runa

No notes yet.

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…

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!

No notes yet.

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.

No notes yet.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Another less than exciting selection from this month’s Steepster Select box. I like guayusa just fine, and I have been very impressed with everything I’ve tried from Runa, but, really? Unflavored Guayusa? It’s not exactly the most exciting tisane I’ve had in the last few months, you know?

Much like the honey bush from last night, this tastes very much the way I expected it to. It tastes like Guayusa. Rich and flavorful, almost coffee-like, but without the bitterness. Very smooth. Enjoyable, sure … but I think that it lacks imagination, much like the Steepster box from this month. Sorry, Jason.

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.

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.