Jun 27
Review: Teavana Raspberry Sangria
Apple Tea, Herbal Tea, Hibiscus Tea, Raspberry Tea, Rose Hip Tea, Teavana Add commentsGeoff’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "Fine, compare the color to a fine red wine. Although the scent was closer to super-heated fruit juice. Think cranberry juice on FIRE!"
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9/10
Spanish drinks scare me, they just do. Maybe it was that tequila incident that involved Klingons, spinning, and the floor, or perhaps my first experience trying roasted mate. Not sure. Safest bet - aside from anything in Chinese - is to stick with stuff I can pronounce. Or at least has been. This especially applies - as implied above - to any drinks with exotic names. Most people think of "sangria" and are instantly reminded of an idyllic tropical island resort. I think of "sangria", and I imagine a three-hour conference with the porcelain god.Regardless of being named after a fu-fu drink, Teavana has rarely let me down when it comes to fruit tisanes. Usually considered a bit of a bane to real tea drinkers, fruit tisanes even make the average herbal tea(ist?) smirk a little. There's very little that can be considered "herbal" about a fruity tea. It's like stepping into a biker bar and ordering a Shirley Temple. That said, I love fruit tisanes. If there's ever an area where Teavana excels, it's their fruit blends. A favorite of mine being the Apple Lemon Pomegranate.
Teavana's Raspberry Sangria looked as wine-punch-ish as the definition for "sangria" suggests - all marvelously-colorful chunks of it. Scent-wise, it was berry-like and spicy, as if there was a tinge of cinnamon in the mix. The miasma-to-be looked and smelled as if it had more ingredients than it did. While at work, I took one tablespoon in a Japanese do-it-yourself teabag (for the on-the-go tea snob), 12 oz. coffee mug, boiling hot water, and let it stand for an undetermined period of time. It's a fruit tisane, it could take it.
This medley brewed to the deepest, brightest blood red I've seen in a fruit tea. Enough to make even the most battle-hardened Klingon weep. What, too geeky? Fine, compare the color to a fine red wine. Although the scent was closer to super-heated fruit juice. Think cranberry juice on FIRE! What, still too geeky?
Oddly enough, the first thing I could compare this to was a marionberry wine I purchased at a mall outlet. Only, well - as mentioned earlier - hotter. I can see where the moniker of an alcoholic drink applies. The tastes and textures here are definitely fruity, floral, enough to induce frenzy.
The best mode of drink-age, though, was iced with a little stevia. In a word or two, downright awesome. I'll bet my blade it tasted quite like the Portuguese punch it was named for...sans alcohol. Virgin sangria iced tisane; has a nice ring to it.
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Geoff Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Geoff's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Geoff. |
December 23rd, 2009 at 3:42 am
This is my favorite tea to drink iced on a hot summer day. Raspberry tea has a way of perking up my mood.