While I am a big fan of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s Ice Blended drinks as well as Vanilla Latte, I had yet to try any of their cold brew teas.
So when my colleague told me that Coffee Bean was going to let us try some of their cold brew teas.
I immediately volunteered to be a “reviewer”.
The drinks
When D day arrived, these were the drinks that reached the Mothership’s office:
- Peach Jasmine with Jelly Cold Brew Tea
- Watermelon Mint Lychee Cold Brew Tea
- Swedish Berries Cold Brew Tea (from the unsweetened Cold Brew Tea series)
Peach Jasmine with Jelly Cold Brew Tea, Watermelon Mint Lychee Cold Brew Tea and Swedish Berries Cold Brew Tea
Both the Peach Jasmine with Jelly Cold Brew Tea and Watermelon Mint Lychee Cold Brew Tea had a two-tone effect thanks to the chewy jelly nestled at the bottom of the cup.
The three drinks also gave off a Hawaiian beach vibe reminiscent of a nice summer treat, perfect for Singapore’s weather.
We were told that the drinks were prepared with Cold Brew Teas that were steeped cold for at least five hours before they reached us.
Employing the help of my trusty colleagues to do a taste test, here’s what they had to say about each drink.
Peach Jasmine with Jelly Cold Brew Tea
Priced from S$8, this new and revamped version of the signature Peach Jasmine Cold Brew Tea contains chewy jelly balls, topped with peach slices and fresh mint.
Peach Jasmine with Jelly Cold Brew Tea
Kelsy, one of our interns, enjoyed the chewy jelly balls and shared that the drink was “super refreshing” without being too sweet.
Another colleague, Rei, seconded Kelsy’s review, adding that the drink was both fragrant and a good amount of sweet.
Sul, an “unofficial” connoisseur of Cold Brew Teas, said this was his favourite drink of the lot, declaring that the jasmine notes made it “the best”.
Watermelon Mint Lychee Cold Brew Tea
On the other hand, the Watermelon Mint Lychee Cold Brew Tea – available from S$8 – is served with juicy lychee and lychee bits, and topped with fresh mint.
Watermelon Mint Lychee Cold Brew Tea
While we tried the original version of the drink, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf also offers a sparkling variation of it, if you like your drinks with a little fizz in them.
Ethan, our intern, was quick to exclaim that he would willingly pay for this drink.
In fact, he was already a fan of the drink before this taste-test, and had “already paid” to drink this at Coffee Bean outlets previously.
Another colleague, Jinghui, liked how the drink was “not artificially sweet”, and felt that the watermelon made the whole drink very refreshing.
She added that the lychee bits at the bottom of the drink were also “a great surprise” for her.
Her only gripe? Having to manually dig the lychees out after finishing the drink.
Swedish Berries Cold Brew Tea
The last drink we tried was the Swedish Berries Cold Brew Tea (from S$6).
Swedish Berries Cold Brew Tea
While this drink may look inconspicuous at first glance, it is suitable for health-conscious peeps.
This drink left the strongest impression on me and tasted similar to a childhood sweet I liked eating - haw flakes (山楂饼).
(For the uninformed, haw flakes is a sweet made from hawthorns, also known as haw berries.)
Our final intern, Ryan, liked how the drink had a fruity flavour that was not too sweet, with berries that had just the right amount of sourness.
Try yours at any The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf store
If you’re interested in trying any of the Cold Brew Teas, check out The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s full list of stores here.
This sponsored article by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf got this writer thirsting for another cup of Peach Jasmine with Jelly Cold Brew Tea.
Cover photo by Michelle Chew