Country of Origin: Ecuador
Leaf Appearance: small, dark green
Ingredients: Guayusa
Steep time: 5 minutes
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: ceramic teacup and mesh infuser.
Liquor: dark gold
This herbal tea was packaged in a silky pyramid tea bag. The flavor was mildly meaty and nutty with just a bit of sweetness. Many herbal teas are vegetal and bitter but this one is actually quite pleasant. According to +Runa Guayusa, this is because guayusa does not contain tannins. They are often responsible for the bitterness that we experience in teas. This plant has become popular because of its relatively high caffeine content. It is a member of the holly family grown in Ecuador that is a relative of Yerba Mate. I didn’t feel a jolt of energy but I did feel more alert after a long day at work. A touch of sweetener would be find but I would not recommend adding milk to this. Please let me know what you think of the new post format!
You can find out more about this tea here.
I think the new post format makes sense for reviews.
I like to caution people against having too much of their blogs be structured though. At least personally, I like sites like RateTea.net, RateBeer, or Steepster for more structured reviews, and I like to read more extended, flowing, and less structured reviews in blog formats. So when I read a blog, I sometimes am expecting a little less structure. As long as you're writing more than you have in categorized / neatly organized info though, I'm happy with the results!
About this particular product, the Guyausa…have you tried Yerba Mate? They are closely related and, if you have, I would be curious to hear how you think they are similar and/or different.