Teavana is an interesting conundrum of a tea destination. While their sales practices leave me dissatisfied, I really like the teaware they sell and on occasion I find a tea of theirs I enjoy.
Quick Info |
|
| FAB* Rating | 3/3/3 |
| Company | Teavana |
| Blend Name | Maracuya Passion Oolong |
| Blend Base | Green |
| Country of Origin | USA |
| Package Type | Canister |
| Price per Package | $9.80 USD |
| Quantity | ~ 2 oz |
| *Flavor, Aroma, Boldness | |
A review of Teavana, their stores and sales practices is not something I’ll undertake here today. Rest assured, I will pen a post in the future on these topics.
Teavana isn’t known for the highest quality teas. Instead, they use lower quality tea and blend it with lots of little things to create some rather interesting Tisanes (teas blended with stuff that’s not Camelia Sinensis).
The Maracuya Passion Oolong I picked up at my Cincinnati area store is one I have found enjoyable. It’s aroma is pleasant and smooth when dry. It reminds me of guava and papaya.
When infusing Teavana recommends steeping one teaspoon of this Oolong for only three minutes at 195 degrees fahrenheit. I’ve found it more flavorful at closer to 3:45 seconds. Your results may vary.
The aroma, once infused, is tart but sweet. The flavor comes out tart like the first few seconds of a Sour Patch Kid. This causes a drying of the palate I hadn’t been expecting. The flavor is also a bit lighter than expected. Even with the additional steeping time. There’s a slight maltiness to the texture as well.
I would recommend this tea to fans of Citron and Citrus teas and those who enjoy the malty briskness of a full bodied Assam.
Using whole leaf tea as tea base for a flavored tea is considered high quality; using tippy (tea bud)tea base is extreme rare quality and using real fruits/flowers/spices ingredient is a sign of commitment to quality. Youthberry White Tea is a very good example of both quality and commitment. Teavana tea selection also includes Gyokuro (best of Japan), top quality Darjeeling…
Nancy, thank you for taking the time to post a note on Teavana’s Maracuya Oolong. This is a brew I happen to enjoy myself.
That being said, the more items used in a brew which don’t come from Camelia Sinensis, the more it obfuscates the literal “tea.” That’s not to say the brew won’t be tasty or that the added ingredients aren’t of high quality individually. However, it doesn’t make a lot of business sense to invest in high quality camelia sinensis products when you’re blending it with a half dozen or more additional items.
I have always, and will always encourage you to try new things and drink what you find tasty.
Gyokuro is a tasty Japanese tea, but not in itself oft consumed by the Japanese. Instead its leaves are typically chopped to make Tencha which is then powdered into Matcha. Arguably Japan’s best teas are each year’s Spring crop of first picked Shincha.
I’m not arguing against Teavana’s products. I think this review even highlights that I do enjoy some of your products.
Please do continue reading and commenting.