Teavana & Starbucks

After Teavana closed I thought I’d never see this again. I found it in tea bags at my grocery store. Nice packaging. I’ve always enjoyed it but it does need some sweetener to balance the hibiscus. Nice relaxing cup of tea. Brings back nice memories of when I first started drinking tea … about 10 years ago.

Another one of my favorite teas during the holiday season. Literally holds up to its name it makes me feel at peace and joyful. Also great as a tea latte definitely recommend!

This was a good tea but I feel like it would’ve been better iced and I will try it that way next time.

This tea is a tad sour. For those who like sour fruity teas this would probably be good. I think for a white tea though the flavor is a tad strong. I like it, but there is no lingering aftertaste that makes it good to intermittently sip on. The aroma is very citrusy and it does feel refreshing while drinking it. I can’t help but feel there is something very lacking from this tea however. Unfortunately this tea is also expensive due to it being Teavana/Starbucks brand so for me personally, it’s not worth the money to buy again. I would be hesitant in recommending this to someone else.

(this review is for the 2017 Joy blend in sachet form——it is fairly consistent each year but may vary slightly)

I can taste smooth, malty black tea that makes this a deliciously rich, thick brew. Jasmine flowers are the first thing I notice, followed by juicy peach/fruits. There is a slight bitterness, but it balances well with the floral/fruity notes.

My chiro mentioned that she likes this tea with steamed coconut milk, so I thought I’d give it a try. They gave me two tea bags so it was kinda spicy. No syrup so not a latte and already sweet from the coconut. A good way to get my healthy fats!
It was a bit too potent so I added some shakes of vanilla and cocoa, which seemed to tone things down. Overall, I enjoyed it. Would go better with almond milk, I’ll try that next time.
Sadly, not a chai I’d keep in my cupboard as it relied heavily on the cardamom. I prefer a more balanced spice blend. I hear Second Cup has dairy alternatives besides soy now. So many versions to try…

When I saw that the 2017 blend was a blend of green, black, and oolong, I couldn’t help but wonder who the people at Teavana thought they were and how weird this would taste but it’s really amazing. Its mellowness pairs well with brighter tastes like peppermint or citrus and I really wish I could purchase the loose leaf version of this tea.

This is a tasty tea. I just used up the last of mine. I don’t even know if they make it anymore. It is different tasting to me than the regular Oprah Chai…which I really loved. This has the flavors of a chai but also is very herbal.

This is SO weak in flavor. Such a disappointing chai.

The first thing you’ll notice is the pungent smell. This is immediately going to split people into loving or hating the tea. It’s damp and earthy, and smells of age, but betrays a slight sweetness underneath it. Moss in running water mixed with damp leaves comes to mind.
The next thing is the taste – which has to be split out into sections. This is a tea designed to be re-steeped three times.
1st steep tastes much like it smells. Hay, caramel, earth. It’s not very complex, save for a light sweetness on the back of the mouth between sips one expects from a Golden tea, while much subtle it does linger for a little while. Honestly though, the first steep is hard to get incredibly excited about, as it lacks the bite and layers I expect in a Pu-erh.
2nd Steep: They smell of Hay becomes more prominent and a few more layers get revealed.
3rd Steep: Still a strong flavor, but I think this is where the tea is best. The sweet after taste comes on sooner and lingers longer.

Absolutely LOVE this blend. Idk why they made it seasonal. Probably just to torture me. It’s a blend of three teas I like and the jasmine is mellow enough not to overtake the whole thing. I wish it was a regular tea so I didn’t have to crazily stock up once a year.

This is one of those sweet, one-steep-only teas. I am a huge fan of sweet things but this is just too much for me! I also typically brew 2 – 3 mugs from one serving of tea leaves, but like many sweeter herbals, the flavor is pretty much exhausted in the first steep no matter how short it is.

Tastes like a very strong apple cinnamon apple sauce, not something I really like but if someone likes the strong taste of those flavours, surely they’d enjoy this.

And its a sipdown!
Its so kind of my friend to give me tea every Christmas, and this year was the most enjoyable batch of Joy I’ve yet encountered. I still find the blending of teas to be a little strange, but it came out much sweeter this time than in years past, and was easy to drink.
We are rapidly moving out of easy sipdown country. Its almost going to be all teas that I don’t want to sip down from here on out. Don’t want to because I don’t like them, and don’t want to because I love them.
Well, I told myself I was going to do this, and I am.
For now, an easy Sipdown! I suspect I’ll see you again next year, Joy.

Today is a much better day, in terms of energy levels. I got a good nights sleep, and it makes a world of difference in the day, and my ability to pay attention to the teas I am drinking.
Point in fact, this one. Its never going to be a favorite, but its doing its job well. I still thing the combo of all three teas is not the worlds most ideal, but hey.

Someday I will have something slightly more articulate to say than- “ugh” and give more thought to the ranking of this blend other than, “it gets the job done”, but that day is not today.

Its another one of those mornings where I’m glad I have more tea to help wake me up.
I’ve exceeded my limit (2 cups, instead of my usual one), and my mouth is feeling rather dry for the experience, and I’m still sleepy.
Grumble. Thank goodness its Friday.

Tea. Life giving, nourishing tea.
This is at least partially black tea, so its helping in my “I am so tired” phase of the day.
Ughh.

Second cup of tea today is much less symbolic, but necessary. Its a work day, after all, and I need all the focus I can get!
Once again, I feel like this tea is an improvement on former incarnations, but not a stunning blend in its own right. Does a very good job as an at work tea.