First, I have to admit draw to Mariage Frere is the look and shape of its round tin. Then, this particular tea choice is that this is one of only three or four MF that local Williams-Sonoma carry. I already have Marco Polo, have tons of Earl Grey from other tea companies and have a hankering to branch into Darjeelings after my introduction to a sample of Adagio’s Sungma Summer. PLUS, I loved the Darjeeling in 52teas’ Earl Grey Cheesecake. To sum, I drank this to reminisce about other tea experiences and hopefully to create new ones. Darjeeling is a favorite of my MIL so I associate it with afternoon tea sessions with savories like quiche and cucumber salad sandwiches. My recommendation, drink this tea if it is easily available and know it is a gateway tea to better tasting FF Darjeelings. This Princeton is a blend from different estates so, taste-wise, it is a middle-of-the-road experience that isn’t worth the import premium unless you are like me and like vanity tins. This tea won’t be replaced unless you count my eventual refilling (probably with Ovation Teas liquidation Darjeelings I picked up recently). End of review and sorry for all the name-dropping in the process.
