Has anybody ever been to a Teavana? My girlfriend made me some tea that she got from there and it tastes pretty awesome. It was almost like I was drinking fruit juice. I was gonna go buy some for myself and was wondering if anybody knew of any good teas from there?
They offer samples of a few of their teas at any one time within their stores, however I wouldn't expect the flavor that you taste within the store to be the full flavor within the tea, as they often make these brews intentionally weak so that they won't be bitter regardless of the amount of time left in the carafe. I would recommend asking them what they like or would recommend. If none of that works, ask what is the freshest. I usually like to check out at least one standard black tea, a chai and a green. They sell their tea by the ounce with the minimum sale being 2 oz. Expect this to make about 5-10 cups of tea depending on the size and strength of the cup.
Though they have interesting flavors, I don't really bother looking at what they have for sale considering I think their prices are a little ridiculous. I just go in there, get hopped up on samples and leave. Teavana tries being much higher class than they should. Also, I don't think any of their tea is organic.
they're owned by starbucks so take a wild guess
Although they don't have actual stores to go to, check out Adagio Teas. They have good prices and also offer a wide variety of teas and blends, including many fan blends themed around popular media. You can get an idea of the quality of their teas by shopping around your local food stores for their products, as they sell some of their canisters through them. I found some of their tea at my local Fresh Market. $7 for 4 oz is an excellent price to judge quality by.
I see Teavana like an Apple, they're a simple, high quailty, packaged solutions provider for people that want something good and simple. While it is possible to make your own Tea that's just as good or better yourself, but that's a lot of work and skill involved and it's ritualistic if you try to construct your own blend.. (unlike building a PC, you build it once and you won't have to touch it for months or years)
There are other alternatives to teavana in case it gets expensive, but I'm happy with anything with chicory. Actually, a little too happy. If I have two bags of it in a small cup and refil it twice, I'll get high.
This is my local shop, http://www.theteacentre.com.au/, not sure if they have U.S affiliates. If you're into strong, malty tea try Assam Hajua or Assam Dimakusi. Another nice refreshing tea is Ceylon Dimbula (organic and hard to get at times). I usually drink the first two during the day, and the last at night.