Spiced Apple Cider Rooibos
This tea has been retired/discontinued.
12
Percentile
3 ratings
|
Commercial Description
Capture the soothing and inviting essence of hot apple cider with this aromatic rooibos filled with fruits and spices. Crisp apple and juicy plum blend temptingly with cinnamon, chicory, and sweet carob for a cup full of flavor that envelops the senses in comfort and joy.
Ratings & Reviews
Page 1 of 1 page with 3 reviews
50 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 2/5
Alex Zorach (1452 reviews) on Nov. 13th, 2014
Thank you Brytta for the sample!
The aroma of the dry leaf smells a lot like spiced apple cider.
Upon brewing, produces a cup that tastes a little bit like spiced apple cider, without the sugar--which is the kind of thing I'd normally like. The spice blend is very heavy on the cinnamon though, and clove is noticeably absent--when I make spiced cider, the clove is indispensable, in fact, I would be completely satisfied with JUST clove and nothing else. So...this one tasted a bit off to me, just as a matter of what I'm used to in terms of flavor combinations.
I don't notice the rooibos much. The flavor is naturally sweet...in a very subdued way. Sweet for tea, still nowhere near as sweet as actual cider or fruit juice. The sweetness is soft and rounded, reminiscent of licorice. I also found there was a sourness that sank to the bottom of the cup...too much for me. If I were blending this, I'd omit the hibiscus, or use a dash less.
Although the ingredients list artificial flavors, and the smell of the dry blend was a little artificial, the brewed cup tastes more natural.
Like most of Teavana's products, grossly overpriced, nearly $18 for a quarter pound. That's a price I'll pay for an artisan tea, or something artfully blended from organic and fair trade ingredients, not an artificially-flavored blend like this. I'd say a fair price for this blend would be about $5-7 for 4 ounces.
Alex Zorach (1452 reviews) on Nov. 13th, 2014
Thank you Brytta for the sample!
The aroma of the dry leaf smells a lot like spiced apple cider.
Upon brewing, produces a cup that tastes a little bit like spiced apple cider, without the sugar--which is the kind of thing I'd normally like. The spice blend is very heavy on the cinnamon though, and clove is noticeably absent--when I make spiced cider, the clove is indispensable, in fact, I would be completely satisfied with JUST clove and nothing else. So...this one tasted a bit off to me, just as a matter of what I'm used to in terms of flavor combinations.
I don't notice the rooibos much. The flavor is naturally sweet...in a very subdued way. Sweet for tea, still nowhere near as sweet as actual cider or fruit juice. The sweetness is soft and rounded, reminiscent of licorice. I also found there was a sourness that sank to the bottom of the cup...too much for me. If I were blending this, I'd omit the hibiscus, or use a dash less.
Although the ingredients list artificial flavors, and the smell of the dry blend was a little artificial, the brewed cup tastes more natural.
Like most of Teavana's products, grossly overpriced, nearly $18 for a quarter pound. That's a price I'll pay for an artisan tea, or something artfully blended from organic and fair trade ingredients, not an artificially-flavored blend like this. I'd say a fair price for this blend would be about $5-7 for 4 ounces.
60 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 2/5
Brytta Sóþword (334 reviews) on Jan. 17th, 2014
I'm still making up my mind about this tea. I think I may have over-brewed it slightly. Also, I added a little sugar, but think it may benefit from a little more. Also, I think it might be better cold, but this time I tried it hot.
Regardless, the apple smell isn't quite as strong as I was expecting/hoping, but it's still quite nice. It's like the flavor is *so close* to what I'd really like, but not quite there. I think, perhaps, I'd go for a tea more overtly fruity.
Also, though it's caffeine free, I notice while drinking this tea that my head has a similar reaction as it does to coffee and caffeinated teas. It's not bad, but it's rather strange.
I have a lot of this tea (I bought it with gift cards when it was 75% off, getting 34 ounces for free). I'll be trying it again and perhaps writing a follow up review. Overall, it's worth trying (especially if you can get it on sale), but there are other teas I've enjoyed more.
*Update*: Yep, it's definitely better cold. It actually tastes sweeter cold, which is odd because normally warmth is what brings out sweetness in food. I've noticed this in another tea I had recently too, so maybe it works differently for tea, somehow? Regardless, the not-quite-floral taste and aroma come out better when drinking this tea out of the refrigerator rather than out of the tea pot.
Also, I tried the tea hot a second time and it tasted more delightful. The difference was steep time: 4 minutes is superior to 5 minutes. I may try it even lighter next time and see how that goes.
Update 2: After making this tea numerous times, I've found that making sure you actually scoop up the rooibos and have the apples and cinnamon makes a very positive difference. The flavor is smoother and has more body. Earlier, because the fruit and cinnamon tend to rise to the top of my decent sized container, I had been using too much of them.
Brytta Sóþword (334 reviews) on Jan. 17th, 2014
I'm still making up my mind about this tea. I think I may have over-brewed it slightly. Also, I added a little sugar, but think it may benefit from a little more. Also, I think it might be better cold, but this time I tried it hot.
Regardless, the apple smell isn't quite as strong as I was expecting/hoping, but it's still quite nice. It's like the flavor is *so close* to what I'd really like, but not quite there. I think, perhaps, I'd go for a tea more overtly fruity.
Also, though it's caffeine free, I notice while drinking this tea that my head has a similar reaction as it does to coffee and caffeinated teas. It's not bad, but it's rather strange.
I have a lot of this tea (I bought it with gift cards when it was 75% off, getting 34 ounces for free). I'll be trying it again and perhaps writing a follow up review. Overall, it's worth trying (especially if you can get it on sale), but there are other teas I've enjoyed more.
*Update*: Yep, it's definitely better cold. It actually tastes sweeter cold, which is odd because normally warmth is what brings out sweetness in food. I've noticed this in another tea I had recently too, so maybe it works differently for tea, somehow? Regardless, the not-quite-floral taste and aroma come out better when drinking this tea out of the refrigerator rather than out of the tea pot.
Also, I tried the tea hot a second time and it tasted more delightful. The difference was steep time: 4 minutes is superior to 5 minutes. I may try it even lighter next time and see how that goes.
Update 2: After making this tea numerous times, I've found that making sure you actually scoop up the rooibos and have the apples and cinnamon makes a very positive difference. The flavor is smoother and has more body. Earlier, because the fruit and cinnamon tend to rise to the top of my decent sized container, I had been using too much of them.
50 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 2/5
Kelci (19 reviews) on Dec. 13th, 2013
I like Teavana Tea. I just think it tends to be overpriced and I always get someone at the store who tries to sell me something I don't want, even after I tell them that 3 times! When I walk by a store, I can not resist stopping however, and like I said, I do like their tea. I go in and buy this tea, and the salesman puts 4ounces in a bag. I tell him I only want 2ounces, and he takes a little out and asks if that is good, no I say, 2 ounces still-3.4, 2.8, 2.4-REALLY I say! I get the tea home, look inside, I realize that I have an unusually large # of cinnamon sticks in my mix. REALLY, I say again. This tea was good. I can get good tea for about half of what I paid for this however. Would I buy it again, I am not sure, if the sales experience was the same, probably not. I am not going to lie, I know I will buy more Teavana Tea, this one will just not be on the top of my list. I can buy cinnamon sticks and add them to things when I brew, just like they do. Sorry, but it is true.
Kelci (19 reviews) on Dec. 13th, 2013
I like Teavana Tea. I just think it tends to be overpriced and I always get someone at the store who tries to sell me something I don't want, even after I tell them that 3 times! When I walk by a store, I can not resist stopping however, and like I said, I do like their tea. I go in and buy this tea, and the salesman puts 4ounces in a bag. I tell him I only want 2ounces, and he takes a little out and asks if that is good, no I say, 2 ounces still-3.4, 2.8, 2.4-REALLY I say! I get the tea home, look inside, I realize that I have an unusually large # of cinnamon sticks in my mix. REALLY, I say again. This tea was good. I can get good tea for about half of what I paid for this however. Would I buy it again, I am not sure, if the sales experience was the same, probably not. I am not going to lie, I know I will buy more Teavana Tea, this one will just not be on the top of my list. I can buy cinnamon sticks and add them to things when I brew, just like they do. Sorry, but it is true.
Page 1 of 1 page with 3 reviews
External Reviews
Our editorial team has selected the following reviews from other websites:
- Spiced Apple Cider Rooibos (Teavana): Tea Review - The Walk of Words
Nov. 6, 2013
Rebekkah Niles gives a mixed review of this tea, commenting that Teavana has done an excellent job of replicating the flavor of apple cider in a tea, but that it wasn't as enjoyable overall as drinking actual cider. An attempted resteep turned out watery and weak.
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