Tea and coffee: Guayusa and coffee as a healthy pick-me-up
Introduction
In our article about our new variety, we already took you along on the journey of creating Coffee + Guayusa. You can find information there about its origins, cultivation, collaboration and processing. As always, we also made a short documentary, which you can watch on YouTube or via the link in the blog post.
This article is about the flavour profile and effects of this unusual blend. Coffee and Guayusa—sounds strange, doesn’t it? We thought so too, but trying it showed us that the blend is brilliant, both in flavour and in its effects!
Contents
1. Guayusa with coffee
We know Guayusa well and have gained plenty of experience in processing and refining it over the years. Coffee, however, was completely new to us. Fortunately, we found some knowledgeable partners.
Our coffee comes from the Loreto region of Ecuador. Several farming families have joined forces under the name WITOKA and have received a lot of support for their coffee project in recent years. They set up their own processing operation, including drying, roasting and grinding, and learned from experts how to use their original Italian roasting machine. In 2019, they won the award for Ecuador’s best Robusta coffee.
Why Robusta rather than Arabica? Robusta is the better variety if you know what to look for. It can be grown in permaculture systems, has roughly twice the caffeine, and offers a particularly interesting flavour profile. Unfortunately, Arabica has displaced Robusta in recent decades because it is easier to grow in monocultures.
2. Flavour profile: coffee and tea blended
The aroma of our pure coffee is best described as berry-like and nutty, with a hint of chocolate. Brewing it in a French press, moka pot or Dripper brings out a stronger nut aroma, with subtle notes of chocolate and berries. Adding our PURE Powder brings a delicate grassy, herbal note that comes through mainly in the aftertaste. Guayusa’s mild flavour makes this blend ideal for people who enjoy coffee and don’t want to give up its taste.
3. Effects of tea with coffee
With this new and unusual product, our aim was to bring two worlds together—in flavour as well as in effect.
Coffee usually has a quick, strong effect. Our Robusta coffee takes it up a notch, with about twice as much caffeine as standard Arabica.
Coffee drinkers have often told us they like to drink Guayusa after their first cup of coffee because it extends the effect. That’s exactly what we wanted: a quick, direct kick that flows seamlessly into Guayusa’s longer-lasting, focus-supporting effect.
Our Guayusa-Coffee Powder is therefore for coffee lovers who want an extra boost throughout the day without unpleasant heart palpitations or stomach problems.
