Amandine Rose

This is a light black tea with a yummy marzipan undertone, along with a slight biscuityness that I could honestly do without. I’ve read that there is supposed to be some candied violet in there (one of my favorite things!) but I’ve not seen or tasted any hint of it. The rose is definitely present and works really well with the almond. Owing to my issues with caffeine I never have this as a desert tea but I bet it would work really well. Instead I often have it as a first cup of tea in the morning on days when I need a gentle introduction to the waking world. Then I follow it with a cup of something with a kick like 52teas’ Mayan Chocolate Chai.

I tried this first at the recommended 195 degrees for 2-3 minutes, but it tasted slightly off and undeveloped to me, the way black teas do if the water isn’t absolutely boiling. Using boiling water really brings out the best flavor in the tea leaves, and doesn’t harm the marzipan notes at all. I usually steep it for 3-5 minutes before drinking, but if there is another cup in the pot after my first one that cup usually tastes just fine too (though there’s a stronger contribution from the black tea) so I wouldn’t worry about over-steeping.

This tea has mixed reviews in our household. I love it, my tea drinking buddy doesn’t. I like that it is a black tea – for a zip of caffeine in the morning – with a yummy complex flavor.

I’ve been through a few Teavana incarnations of this tea-Rose Marzipan Delight anyone? Almond Biscotti? Overall, this is my least favorite version of it because I kind of find the rose a bit cloying this time round. It’s a very pretty tea and I do enjoy the almond flavor, which I think it is a bit more nutty and less almond this time-perhaps with the additional spices this brings these notes out? But for some reason I find the rose to be a bit unpalatable this time-kind of like I added rosewater to the tea. It doesn’t hit you over the head, but it’s hardly subtle either. I just don’t like the almond to rose ratio this time round and the other flavors (slight spices) don’t make up for it. I did find that with a longer steep the almond comes out more and the rose dies down but I think this will be the last time that I make an effort to buy this tea. Kind of wish I had saved the other versions to do a taste comparison.

rose, almonds, black tea and violets! my first thought when megan (hillside location) wafted the smell my way was…. ice wine!?? the blend itself is very clever. it smells sweet and the scent translates to the tongue…

for me the strongest flavour was the violets. that was unexpected because violet is a very delicate flavour. lovely with cream and sugar (if you want extra sweetness) but i actually prefer it with a bit of sugar and somewhat cooled down—it draws the violet scent out even more.

lovely!

I had this today after a study session at the mall. I’m actually quite surprised that I like it, considering it has rose petals in it. The flavour is strongly almond, then cinnamon, then some floral. I had it unsweetened with almond milk.

I’m not sure I’d buy the tea to make at home, but it’s a tasty option available close to school.

So sad. I could have LOVED this tea. I love marzipan, roses, violets, black tea, saffron, cinnamon, almonds… What could have possibly gone wrong? SUGAR, that’s what. Obviously Teavana makes sweet teas. I would never order from them expecting anything else. But I have my limits!

Even the smell of the dry leaf gives me cavities. I actually pulled out a misshapen lump of purple sugar about an inch long when I opened the bag. A candied violet gone wrong, I presume. The tea itself has some lovely notes of rose, violet, cinnamon and almonds… but it’s all buried under a thick layer of tooth-aching sugar. This is without me adding ANYTHING to it. I couldn’t even finish my cup.

If I want a cookie tea, I’ll stick to Cha Yen Thai. This one isn’t even getting a second chance.

Picked this up at Teavana’s Heavenly sale. 4oz for $3 isn’t a bad deal at all, right?

This one’s good. I don’t think I can give it the most accurate rating on first taste, teas always have to grow on me, but this is definitely an almond tea. The cookie taste hits a bit strong, but I don’t think I pick up on any rose. It leaves a slightly sour aftertaste that I’m unsure about.

Overall, pretty good, as are most of Teavana’s teas. Not amazing, but good.

Still have some of this in my cupboard. It might be the last of my Teavana teas. It still holds up really well considering it’s age. It’s like a slightly floral Almond Biscotti. I really need to find a replacement for it. Had it for a second before American Tearoom closed abruptly. The label is super faded on this tin and I can barely make out the suggestion os 195F for the steeping temp. I wonder if that’s the temp I’ve been using all this time. :/

Trying to enjoy this cup as I unwind from an unfortunate attempt at self care in the form of a peeling facemask that when dried bonded to my skin on a molecular level. I had no idea those things could be quite so torturous to remove. Shocking discovery when my lips were lifted a good two inches from my skull as I strained to pull the mask off, bracing myself and trying to breathe through the searing pain. Now my face is quite red as though I just came in from hours in the tropical sun and took my sunglasses off and it’s a bit burny. Not quite the glow I was aiming for.

I need to slow down and taste this cup instead of gulping through it. Toasty almond, cinnamon, rose. I’m going to miss it when it’s gone.

One of the better tasting black teas from Teavana. Nice rich nutty flavor, a bit fig-newton smelling, and a hint of chocolate in the after taste. Tastes awesome with creme and sugar and yet does well by itself. I would drink this as an afternoon tea for its pick-me-up and for its welcoming flavor. Goes well with scones and tea biscuits.

This tea was a gift from a friend. At the name, I was a bit concerned, as I rarely find myself enjoying teas with rose (the rose always seems too sweet and makes me think only of perfumes). The smell of the dry leaves was somewhat stronger than I was hoping. When brewed, the scent of (what I assume to be) almond extract was overly sweet and put me a bit out of my senses.

The flavor was somewhat more mild than the aroma, but still not to my taste. I haven’t a large amount of experience with Teavana teas quite yet, but so far it seems that many of them are flavored too strongly and too sweetly. It seems to frequently overwhelm the flavor of the tea itself and taste of other things entirely. I presume it is to bring the tea into the modern market that is so overwhelmed with strong, sweet drinks. I have a standard Darjeeling from Teavana to look forward to, so I hope to find that more natural and tasting of the tea itself.