Teavana – New Tea Menu at Starbucks! — Reviewed!

We all have known Starbucks by some fantastic, mind blowing hand crafted beverages like Frappuccino, Hot Chocolate, Brewed Coffee, Blended Ice drinks to name a few. Indians love tea anytime of the day sensing that Starbucks is now venturing into the tea market with the introduction of Teavana in India, wherein people can enjoy some bold, engaging and refreshingly unique Iced and Hot tea beverages. 

I was at Starbucks Kothrud to try out some Teavana crafted beverages and was really excited to try out their new range of Teas. The launch brought 18 distinctive types of teas including Iced, Brewed, and Lattes. 

On a hot summer day, I preferred to start with Iced Shaken Hibiscus with Pomegranate Pearls (Rs.265 for Tall and Rs.290 for Grande). How interesting combination is that. Refreshing bright red colored drink combined with Hibiscus Teavana tea and pomegranate pearls was a great start to my day. With each sip, you could actually taste mild hibiscus flavor but the pearls were the surprise. As soon as they burst, the real pomegranate juice pops out and your palate is left with the slight tart and sweet flavor. Price wise bit steep but loved it!

Next was the Matcha and Espresso Fusion (Rs.265 for Tall and Rs.290 for Grande). I wanted to try its hot version. Frothy, beautiful green color and that aroma tantalise my taste bud. Matcha powder layered with milk and Espresso Roast creates a nice layered beverage which is an inventive combination of coffee and tea. One of the finest tea and coffee combo. The first sip of froth will give the coffee shot with the aftertaste of Matcha tea. Loved it.

I wanted to try one hot and one cold beverage so next on my list was Iced Shaken Black Tea with Ruby Grapefruit and Honey (Rs.265 for Tall and Rs.290 for Grande). It had all the fruity punch. Classic black tea infused with bits of pomelo fruit, grapefruit, and honey for a touch of added sweetness. The drink had fruit chunks. I liked it too.

I tried their most popular and inspired range for the domestic market- India Majestic Spice Blend (Rs.295 for a full pot). As the name suggests, it had all the goodness of Indian tea spices. This black Assam tea had infusions of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and star anise. Sort of Indian Masala Chai. Presented in a Majestic way, the tea with spices was pressed in a kettle to extract the best of the flavors. It can be consumed with our without milk, however, without milk was my preference as you get to taste the basic flavours.

The beverages can be customized as per your choice, hot or cold. Do try the different side of Starbucks and share your experience here.