Amandine Rose

If you are a tea-lover and have not been to a Teavana, you are depriving yourself of a wonderful experience. If you are not a tea-lover, then you will find this post utterly boring.

Teavana is a magical place filled with delightful smells and lovely tea accessories. There are sample stations scattered around the store so that you can sip while you shop (in every Teavana I have visited, the samples are the same). They have cast-iron teapots, British-style tea sets, special tools for making the perfect cup, and even books about tea. The salespeople are rarely hover-y, but if you ask, they are more than willing to discuss their favorite teas with you. I give only one rule to poor tea-lovers like myself: do not look at the prices. If you do, the spell will be broken. Checking prices in Teavana is akin to touching treasure in the Cave of Wonders. If you refrain from peeking at the little white stickers, the experience will be wonderful.

I go to Teavana whenever I get the chance, just to take in the sights and scents. The employees at the one in Memphis are beginning to recognize me. Last week, however, was the first time I bought anything.

I was online the morning of my visit, looking up various types of teas, not just on Teavana’s site, when I came across it: Amandine Rose. Teavana’s site describes it thusly:

“Travel the globe to faraway Scandinavia where we’ve found the creamiest of marzipans and added a scrumptious decadent mix of toasted roasted almonds from the West, nutty cinnamon and sweet saffron from the exotic East. This truly delicious dessert tea adds a pale blush of red rose petals taking you far away on a decadent black tea journey…Full-bodied nutty infusion with cinnamon and rose undertones.”

I was in love. I was already planning to go out that day–in fact, one of my errands was right across the street from Teavana. My parents needed to go to that part of town as well, so they dropped me off and said they would meet me later. When my errand was finished, I couldn’t resist the call of Amandine Rose. I made the trek across the street (which was made more difficult by construction, a busy intersection, and a decided lack of sidewalk). Once inside, I asked the saleswoman if I could examine the Amandine Rose. It smelled as amazing as its description promised. “I’ll take two ounces,” I told the saleswoman. She measured the appropriate amount into a canister and pressed on a label with instructions for brewing.

I exited the store triumphantly, my first Teavana purchase swinging from my arm. When I returned home, the first thing I did was prepare a cup of it. The result was heavenly. As I told a friend, my firstborn will be named for this tea. The photograph below is of me with my tea (and my tea ducky, because my tea ducky is adorable).