RUNA Amazon Guayusa Tea, Hibiscus Berry, 2.5 Ounce

GREAT Tea! Very low tannins, so low that doesn't seem to bother my stomach (normal tea and coffee with their tannins cause me stomach trouble).I've tried this, ginger, and original teas from RUNA. This is my favorite. I hope to be able to buy more in the future, but they have been out of stock of all flavors every time I've looked in recent days.Gives a lot of energy. For very sensitive folks to caffeine, it could be too much. If you try it, just be cautious at first to see how it affects (or doesn't affect) you. It feels like more energy than I'd get before from coffee or tea, personally. However, it doesn't seem to give any sort of afterwards crash. On occasion, I think I feel maybe a tad gittery, but nothing bad, and who knows: maybe not related to the tea.

I give this just two stars because I did not get the promised benefits from drinking this tea, No increase in alertness or mental clarity. The tea itself tastes good though very very mild flavor.

My brother loves cinnamon tea. He had it somewhere and loved it. So I bought this for him hopping it would be what he was looking for but he said that it was good but not just the same that he had drank somewhere else. I brewed nice, and the look was clear and I thought it tasted great.

I don't drink coffee as it's too bitter for me -- I always put in 2-3 packs of sweetener and 2-3 packs of creamer. I prefer tea, and even that is a bit bitter. But RUNA's Guayusa? This is smoothness incarnate. The actual flavor is a bit subdued, and so some may complain it's a bit watery, but to me, this is fantastic. There's no tannins, no bitterness, just pure tea and caffeine. I can easily drink a couple of these in a morning, and with the L-theanine that's present in this, it balances out the caffeine and keeps me from getting "tweaked", ensuring better productivity. One thing I'll note is that personally, I don't think it goes well with sweetener and cream, but your mileage may vary.One thing I do is I get the tin, and the 1 pound bag. Then I can refill the tin with the 1-pounder, and keep the tin at work and the bag at home. That way I can have smooth Guayusa any time I want.

I'm trying to diversify & not just have tea or coffee every day. This is not what I'd call delicious but it's OK. Just a sorta grassy taste. I like the taste and the effects much better compared to yerba mate. I think it might be lovely mixed with juice, herbal tea like ginger or chamomile, &/or honey, perhaps even as an iced tea. It doesn't take a lot- this jar will last me a long time! I definitely like the jar and the herb seems to be decent quality (I hesitate to judge though since I'd never had any other type), and the price was fair. I'm glad I bought this.

Runa, because it contains Guayusa as a caffine source, seems to be a very pure and natural energy source when metabolized. It never leaves me feeling jittery or nervous. It gives me mental clarity and energy that has no crash. The Hibiscus berry is a wonderfully aromatic organic fruity rose flavor. It has a beautiful red color when steeped and tastes like an herbal tea versus a black tea blend. It has less caffeine 40 mgs versus the regular flavor which has 66mg. You have to find your balance of amounts of tea/water for the flavor you want. I use about an .3 oz of leaf for every 12 oz of water. Steep overnight and refrigerate. I usually steep it overnight and leave it in the fridge steeping until I am ready to drink it. This brings out the flavors otherwise it is pretty weak because it is more of an herbal tisane. Doing it this way means, I don't get any other brews out of it. It is high quality mostly whole leaf real dried rose petals and hibiscus. There is some shake on the bottom which I don't love. The price is very high. Although that is usually the case when you buy organic and fair trade. It is worth it to pay more when you know that money is going to a well paid labor force and to know you are not drinking :) I only get one steep out of each brew. For the whole can 2.5 oz I got 7 roughly 2 oz servings. Which is about a dollar a cup. So, that is a very decent price when you take everything in to consideration.

Superb quality. If you enjoy South American Teas such as Yerba Mate and the like you will enjoy this. As far as taste I'd say that it definitely isn't like other teas I've had, but has a very strong, smooth, combination of bitter and almost tangy. The after taste is somewhat pleasant although some of my friends didn't enjoy it as much. The energy it gives you is as smooth as the taste. No sharp edges or jittery feelings afterwords and no crash. Seasoned tea drinkers will be able to jump right in and enjoy, as a starter tea this may be a shock but still enjoyable. Highly recommended.

A great, clean way to add energy and focus to your day.