80

This one is waaay better than the sorta-pineapple thing from the other day.

I spent a while looking through the Teavana booklet, and while I’m really not happy about many of the things that have resulted from the takeover, I am pleased with their selection of straight blacks. I do think I will have to try them all, especially the first flush Darjeeling they have right now. I have wanted to try a FF Darjeeling forever; even if it’s not the best one in the world, it’s something I can walk in and buy rather than order online, and I think it’s almost a good thing to start with a baseline of “not as good” tea so that you really appreciate the good stuff when you drink it.

This one is very, very pleasant. It’s the first Keemun I’ve ever tried, so I have little to compare it to, but I like it. It’s not as dark as I was hoping; it’s maybe mid-way between a Ceylon and an Assam. It’s a wee bit floral and a wee bit smokey, but it takes to some sugar very well nevertheless. A decent breakfast tea if you don’t need too much of a kick in the pants, but the floral notes might be strange first thing in the morning. It might be a better cup in the evening.

Also, I talked to the SA who poured my Keemun about the pricing issue. He’s certain they are not using the American prices, and when I watched him pour exactly 50g (he did try to over-pour me six grams – on one of the more expensive teas? – but he did ask me, and I did refuse it), the price matched the price in the booklet and on the wall. The quantity on the receipt was strange though, 1.76, which he said is a result of their prices being adjusted from American prices. So it appears I was over-poured by 23g last time after all.

I will be watching those pours super-closely from now on.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 30 sec
ashmanra

I didn’t know they were allowed to over pour! I thought there was a pretty rigid rule that you had to order in two ounce increments, but maybe you just have to get at LEAST two but can get any number of additional ounces? I have actually never personally purchased tea there, though family members have picked it for me. When I reimburse them, the receipt has always been dead on the right amount. One of the sales associates there once confessed to me quietly that he didn’t like the atmosphere there, but now that I have come to know them better, the crew at the one I frequent has been very friendly. I have been to one other Teavana, and while they were certainly proud of their tea and wanted me to sniff lots of containers, they were friendly and nice. My daughter didn’t have a great experience there, though. She felt the SA was rude to her.

Michelle

To the best of my knowledge, it’s minimum 2oz but anything above that goes. Of course they try and push for the 8oz, 16oz, but I’ve ordered 3oz of a tea before and never heard anything about it.

I think the associates fall into two categories, mostly: The tea lovers w work there for the tea, and the salespeople who work there because it’s a job. Not that they’re mutually exclusive, but still.

Daniel Scott

@ashmanra – Oh yes, you can get more than 2oz (or 50g here in Canuck land). Maybe it’s because we measure in grams, but over 50g, you can ask for any weirdo amount you want. Ninety-two grams? Go for it.

Are the SAs made aware that your family members are buying for someone else? If so, they may not dare to over-pour.

I do like the people at my local Teavana; but they have been there since the transition. Actually, they are hiring soon, and I’m considering it. I mean, I hate the way the company is run; but I hate the way the current company I work for is run, too, and I’m not selling stuff I like as much as tea! Might be a step up, head office ridiculousness or not.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

People who liked this

Comments

ashmanra

I didn’t know they were allowed to over pour! I thought there was a pretty rigid rule that you had to order in two ounce increments, but maybe you just have to get at LEAST two but can get any number of additional ounces? I have actually never personally purchased tea there, though family members have picked it for me. When I reimburse them, the receipt has always been dead on the right amount. One of the sales associates there once confessed to me quietly that he didn’t like the atmosphere there, but now that I have come to know them better, the crew at the one I frequent has been very friendly. I have been to one other Teavana, and while they were certainly proud of their tea and wanted me to sniff lots of containers, they were friendly and nice. My daughter didn’t have a great experience there, though. She felt the SA was rude to her.

Michelle

To the best of my knowledge, it’s minimum 2oz but anything above that goes. Of course they try and push for the 8oz, 16oz, but I’ve ordered 3oz of a tea before and never heard anything about it.

I think the associates fall into two categories, mostly: The tea lovers w work there for the tea, and the salespeople who work there because it’s a job. Not that they’re mutually exclusive, but still.

Daniel Scott

@ashmanra – Oh yes, you can get more than 2oz (or 50g here in Canuck land). Maybe it’s because we measure in grams, but over 50g, you can ask for any weirdo amount you want. Ninety-two grams? Go for it.

Are the SAs made aware that your family members are buying for someone else? If so, they may not dare to over-pour.

I do like the people at my local Teavana; but they have been there since the transition. Actually, they are hiring soon, and I’m considering it. I mean, I hate the way the company is run; but I hate the way the current company I work for is run, too, and I’m not selling stuff I like as much as tea! Might be a step up, head office ridiculousness or not.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

I’ve always been a tea drinker – I grew up drinking Tetley’s Orange Pekoe and their Chai, and considered myself to really like tea.

I’ve been working various retail jobs to put myself through higher education. One day at my store, a customer left a newly purchased bag of loose-leaf behind. We waited for three days for said customer to return, but they (likely not realizing where they had left their bag) did not return to claim the would-be brew. Too bad for them; lucky for me! I claimed the bag, took it home, and awkwardly made my first cup of loose-leaf tea with the only strainer we owned which was small enough.

I haven’t bothered with Tetley since. For the most part (and due to convenience), my patronage is limited to David’s Tea and Teavana. I also order from 52teas and Verdant Tea.

My rating system – hah, I don’t have a rating system. I rate teas a lot like Ebert rates movies. Everything’s relative.

I may often forget to mention it, but you can safely assume everything I drink is sweetened in one way or another – most rock sugar, or honey for green and white teas. I have not yet achieved drinking most tea clear. The few teas I drink unsweetened include milk oolong and genmaicha so far.

The guy in my avatar can be bought at Teaopia or here: http://www.jas-etea.com/products/Jingdezhen-%22Easy%22-Gaiwan-%22Blue-on-White-Phoenix%22-100ml.html

I currently work for Teavana. But I just work there, and my opinions about any of their teas are entirely my own and not meant to be reflective of the views of the company.

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer