I have posted on the topic of Starbucks iced tea many times over the years.  You can view my original review of their iced tea here.  To summarize, I really enjoy the taste of Starbucks iced tea and because it seems like there is a Starbucks on every corner, it is usually a safe and convenient iced tea option if you are in an unfamiliar city.  The price, however, is what really keeps me from drinking their iced tea on a regular basis.  With that said, I do “treat” myself, usually a few times a month, to a “Trenta sized, black iced tea, no sweetener, with light ice.”   This has been my go to order until recently when I heard a customer in front of me in line order a black iced tea “no water”.  Prior to this, I wasn’t aware this was an option and when I heard it, I had to Google exactly what “no water” meant.  As one would guess, when you order iced tea “no water”, it is just a stronger (non-watered down) version of what you would get when you ordered the tea normally.  I can see the Starbucks regulars shaking their heads over the fact that I had not heard of this before.  Please spare me the ridicule, as I said, I am not exactly a Starbucks regular.

In the past when ordering Starbucks iced tea normally, I have always enjoyed the taste and never considered their tea as being watered down, but ordering iced tea “no water” has really changed my perspective.  I definitely prefer my iced tea brewed stronger than average, regardless of where I get it from, and when you order tea with “no water” at Starbucks the brew strength is just about perfect.  I already thought my order was kind of a mouth-full for just a cup of iced tea, but with my new order I now am officially one of “those Starbucks customers” whose orders take longer to say than they do to prepare.  A “Trenta sized, black iced tea, no sweetener, light ice, no water”.

Update: Since originally discovering I could order iced tea “no water”, I have had mixed results when ordering in this way. The tea always comes out stronger, therefore better in my mind, but how much stronger has not been consistent. I would say it has varied from being 25% stronger to twice as strong.