LaFleurBleue

Victory!
I finally managed to empty the small tin and will be able to fill it instead with a tea that I like much better.
It indeed is a bad sign, when I’m happy to be done with a tea:( Usually when I really like a tea, or worse when I even love it, I never can manage to finish it; I always want to leave enough to make another few teapots, in case I ever need this specific tea or the comfort that my favorites bring. It’s actually pretty stupid as I know that leaving a few leaves on their own for so long cannot really be good for the flavoring, but I feel bereft after I emptied completely the box or bag.
Not the case with this one, which rather inspired me a “good riddance, hope I’ll never meet you again” feeling.

I already had one pot of this tea, kindly sent by Ysaurella. It was one of those days when other issues derailed my concentration from the experience.
Today, as part of my grand mission to empty all received samples, I decided to try it again.
When looking at the tea, it looked more like a normal MF blend, than to the picture used. Sure there are some small yellow and brown pieces, but in less quantity and with much smaller sizes than on the picture. It does not matter so much, MF usually does not care much about the look of the tea, just the taste, so I cannot hold that against this tea.
After brewing, my first impressions were quite similar to what I remembered: a mellow, strongly blended with no flavors really striking me out, though it indeed is flavorsome. A very pleasant blend, especially for the afternoon.
Then I got busy and forgot the remaining half of the teapot. When I came back to it, it was more cool than lukewarm, which does not bother me much, as I definitely do not need warming. Vanilla is there at the beginning of the sip, a nice very natural tasting vanilla. Then there’s a long lasting after taste staying all over my mouth and lips, that indeed is marron glacé: super creamy, sweet, really decadent tasting. My lips especially feel like I’ve just eaten some. Amazing!
Real marron glacé are not a favorite treat of mine and I usually cannot eat one entire. However it turns out that as a beverage flavor, I really like it and it makes for an unusual brew.
In my opinion, this is better at “room temperature” than hot.
I’ll most probably buy some, both for myself and for my in-laws who are completely in love with real marrons glacés.

No notes yet.

It was my second brew of this tea generously sent by Ysaurella; the first one being a few weeks ago. It had not been love at the first sip. So I deliberately waited until I was in good condition and good mood to give it another real chance.
When preparing my pot, I was amazed at how lovely this tea is: sprinkled with blue and yellow flowers, with bits and pieces of almond, some pieces of what has to be cinnamon. It indeed is one of loveliest MF blends I’ve seen.
The brew remains crystal clear and is lightly fragrant. What is surprising is that the taste comes out as much stronger as I expected from the smell. And the main flavor I get, which I have trouble forgetting to try to identify the others is most definitely clove. All the rest, cinnamon, almonds, seems perfectly blended together, but a few two many buds have managed to get their way to my teapot, for my taste.
Once again I understand how this tea can be a favorite for many, but unfortunately not for me.
Thanks anyway Ysaurella; this will definitely help me avoid a purchase that I should have liked, as everything in the description seemed fine, but which would have disappointed me.

This morning is my second brew of this sample, kindly sent to me by CTeresa.
I’m not sure how long exactly it steeped, probably way over the 5 mn period, which worried me, as I remembered the bitterness that Paris tea took after a too long steep.
None of this here, the tea seems brewed to perfection. Ah I really love the non-fussy and easy-going blend that will not hold it against you, if you treat them badly.
It’s indeed the perfect afternoon tea for people who are not that used to tea or when you just want something easy to drink in any circumstances; its flavors are very accessible, quite rich both in quantity and quality, none of them overwhelming.
For my taste, the caramel tone is a bit too strong; I believe I’d prefer a blend leaning more on the red fruits, like Marco Polo is, from what I remember. It’s however really lovely. And way, way better than Paris, from H&S, in my opinion.
I ’m not sure that I will buy it soon for me, but this would certainly make a perfect present. I totally understand how this blend could become an absolute favorite to many people.

Once again I’ve been completely puzzled the first times I drank this, as it did not taste like what I expected. At the same time, TWG description of the blends can only be considered as simplistic or minimalist.
After a few surprising and almost difficult to drink brew, I realized this blend, though different from my usual rooibos, definitely grew on me. After believing I never would be able to drink it all, I changed my mind and realized it might be easier and easier to drink until it’s finished, as I like each new pot better than the previous, for now.
The rooibos in itself seems really nice, brews a very clear and bright color, quite fragrant.
Let me try to describe the fragrance and flavors, quite tough because I haven’t managed yet to really grasp what could be in. There’s nothing flowery, nor fruity or sweet in this blend, which favors much more vegetal and earth tones. Thinking of the Caribbean, those flavors would remind me of a walk through the jungle forest, definitely out of the seaside and out of blooming gardens.
There’s a clear nutty flavor to it, bringing both mellowness and a tinge of bitterness. The cocoa beans cannot be mistaken for chocolate, it’s clearly the unprocessed, unsweetened slightly bitter flavor that comes through. I still have not managed to be certain whether there is some vanilla inside, bringing additional mellowness to the nuts. Nor am I clear whether there is some coconut; in any case, if there is, it would be fresh and raw coconut, most probably just scooped from the nut, taking only the pieces that were closer to the bark and neither the milk, nor the soft flesh at the center of the nut.
I hope this rambling will make sense.
I may some day post another tasting note not too similar on this one, which still puzzles me…

Reviewing my rating. I wonder why I rated it so high. I really have trouble to finish the 25g mini tin, often get a too bitter brew and am not so keen on the overwhelming rose flavor.
I indeed tried it mixed with some of my Jasmine pearls. Overall I have to be careful to put twice as much rose green tea in comparison with the jasmine tea, otherwise the rose is already muted at the first brew. And even when I managed a successful first brew, it doesn’t allow for a resteep, the jasmine gets stronger and stronger and the rose seems gone.
Not a very interesting blend and too capricious. Not sure that I would recommend it, even to flowering / rose tea fans.

I wanted to try one of MF special tea blend for the evening low in theine, of which there are not many and their description is at best brief.
This one seemed appealing, its smell in the shop was rather pleasant. It required a bigger than average bag, as the leaves are bigger than average, with different colors.
I first brewed it tonight. And I cannot say the experience is very conclusive.
I followed the MF instructions for brewing and believe I should leave it brewing for a shorter period of time, as there’s a hint of bitterness underlying the tea flavor. It’s basically a black tea, with probably Darjeeling inside, not sure exactly why ones, some I like and some I do not like so much and I would guess one type of citrus – only one as the flavor is rather basic and unvarying over time.
Not bad but nothing to make it special or interesting. MF Rouge Ruschka (rooibos with a few different citrus) was a much more interesting and tantalizing blend than this one.
Now I definitely hope it contains a low level of theine; otherwise I’ll downgrade again my rating tomorrow for false promises;)

I’ll be another steepsterite to wonder at how lovely this tea looks like. Everytime I open the bag or small tin I’ve filled with this tea, I am amazed by the colors. The black tea leaves are lavishly sprinkled with blue, yellow and dark orange petals; there are also a few dried pieces of fruits: I recognized some strawberries and some light yellow, that may be apricot? It’s indeed one of the most beautiful teas I’ve had the opportunity to brew and that makes the experience all the more pleasant.
The smell of the dried leaves is very fruity, with a strong apricot-peach tone.
Once brewed, the flavors do not disappoint and are in line with the smell. This makes for a very sweet and mellow brew. Really lovely end extremely pleasant, but with unfortunately no wow factor to make it unforgettable.
I’ll have to compare this one to MF Bolero, for which I still have a few teapots left at the bottom of the bag. I believe this one will be slightly more fruity with more distinctive flavors, while the other should be more balanced.
I know it should not be very difficult to finish this bag and that I might rebuy this tea some day.

Let’s start with a digression about what I tried that after the disastrous experience of trying another of their product.
I moved earlier this week and needed a few things that are most readily available at a famous swedish furniture store. It took longer than expected (doesn’t it always especially in this shop?), I decided to have dinner there. I learnt that I was entitled to a free drink for being a loyal customer to the brand (double so as I am registered both in Europe and in Singapore as the loyalty programs are not shared across countries).
In the drink choice, this was the only non soda drink and I did not even see a water fountain.
When tasting my first sip, I was getting prepared for a bad experience and was then positively surprised, as I realized it was quite drinkable. There is still more than 10 times the amount of sugar there should be; I was wondering whether there’s not also aspartame or whatever synthetic diet sugar are used in soft drinks, as the taste was not very natural. But this artificial feeling might also come from the lemon, which did not taste as much as dishwasher liquid as I feared but nevertheless did not taste at all like a fresh or even dried real lemon, but really like a lemon synthetic flavoring.
When reading the product description,I laughed at the “real tea leaves” section as the tea flavor reminded me strongly of the basic Lipton yellow;)
I will not buy it again, except if there is nothing else, but then I know I could drink it.

I just finished the small tin I brought to the office of this rooibos blend and had it for a few days in the late afternoon.
I’m downgrading its rating, as I realize each time I drink it, I feel that I like it less than the previous. There’s definitely a flavor in there(I’d assume rose hips) that I do not like and find both too strong and almost unpleasant.
I assume it will be difficult for me to finish the bag.

First teapot from the generous sample sent by CTeresa.
At the first sip, vanilla popped in my mind, then definitely caramel, of the unsalted sort. At the middle of the teapot, I realized this tea would be perfect with Carambar and tastes as decadent as those sweets. I did not really identify the berries and fruits, except as underlying flavors in the background.
I really liked it, will probably enjoy a lot the remaining of the sample but will have to decide whether this tea should remain on my shopping list or if the caramel flavor turns too overwhelming for my taste in the long run.

First teapot brewed with the sample sent by CTeresa. Thanks a lot, that was a good hit!
The smell of the dry leaves was very fruity appealing – definitely peachy.
I must confess I did not follow the instructions she had given me (80-85° for 5mn) as I did not feel like waiting long enough for the boiled water to cool to that temperature. And then I forgot to take it off after 3-4 mn and left it a whole 5 or 6.
It nevertheless turned perfect. The brew is very clear and nice to look at. The smell divine. And the flavors: very peach, though the vanilla left a very pleasant aftertaste and feeling all inside the mouth.
And I like that the tea base though delicate is not absent or tasteless as it can sometimes seem with some other blends.
I cannot compare with Nosy Bey that I have never tried but this sure is a win. I’ll try it again and compare it with both Boléro from Mariages and possibly Alfonso from TWG which both seem slightly similar in the “sweet and mellow fruit overload” department.

It’s the second or third time I brew this and I’m not that impressed.
The dry tea looks lovely with the dried apple pieces, the almond pieces (I thought those were hazelnuts), some bark of rose hips. The spices include cinnamon and others, as of now unidentified.
The taste is rather pleasant, though I’m not a huge fan of cinnamon or spices in drinks. The almond flavor makes for a strong basis, but there’s a sour tanginess which strikes me at first, with the spices, that I’m not so fond of.
A very good quality rooibos that I most probably will never rebuy as it does not really correspond to my tastes. It’s definitely not an auto-pick from the cupboard, as there are so many others that I almost hear screaming my name and see jumping in their bags waiting for the teapot.

I’ve been experimenting a bit trying to find the exact right way to prepare this flora tea.
Hot, it’s good and fruity but nothing really stands out. While iced, wow this makes for an incredible drink. The great thing is that it can be brewed with cold water and quite quickly; after about 10-15 mn, it was already really fragrant enough.
Thing is the dosage also has to be right. I first used a bit too much of the dried fruits and the brew was really sweet, almost like if I had put some berry sirup into iced water. And the taste was even a bit too strong on the berry, as if "I had put too much sirup for the amount of water, dixit Hubby who usually likes his drink much more heavy on the flavors and sugar than I do.
It’s really perfect for the summertime, very cooling, very natural tasting. It could easily replace grenadine sirup, according to my hubby who wondered why more people were not replacing heavily ladden with sugar drinks with this one.
Last thing, the hot and humid climate is not really great for this tea, which I have to store in my fridge. Lots of moisture went into the berries and I’ll have to finish it soon, which should be very easy.

I’m preparing to move again. When the first mover suggested that I throw away some of my stuff because all might not fit in the truck, I was glad my hubby was otherwise engaged and could not suggest a selection in my “shoes or teas” – the 2 things he regularly complains about the volume. I decided then that I would have to do some of the packing myself to get the maximum of the volume.
Why I am telling that? Because it also enticed me to try to finish some tea samples, even though I know it’s not enough.
This morning is again really hot, 32° before 9am, which makes it a good moment for a light and refreshing Earl Grey type tea. I picked up the Anastasia again to check whether my not so enthusiastic first review required adjustment.
For the sake of comparison, I also brewed a cup of Douchka Goût Russe by DF, which had striked me as being quite similar during my first tasting. Both teas being rather light-bodied with citrusy flavoring.
Anastasia tea-base is light and a bit too light in comparison with the flavoring. But the flavoring is nice, really nice and stronger than what I recalled. Very tangy and citrusy, though mellow enough as a result from a blend of different citrus and orange blossom – this latest being just enough to add smoothness but not too much as to become overwhelming.
It’s indeed a very pleasant moment and I really may consider buying myself a full tin of it someday (clearly the move…)
I upped the rating on this one.

No notes yet.

The bag is very loosely filled, with 50 g of tea taking more place than any black blend I’ve had. However this probably prevents the leaves from being crushed, as they are rather big.
Mixed with the white tea, are some chamomile flowers (the whole full and still yellow flower bud), as well as lavender flowers petals (if this is indeed considered a petal, no stem included anyway).
The brew is very light, almost colorless.
Its smell is flowery, without being sweltering, and mixes different flower flavors.
The tea tastes very delicate, though not bland.
The first two teapots I did were too strong on chamomile, as I felt it covered all the other flavors. I’ve been careful to put back a few flowers in the bag for my last brew and the balance was perfect, the flowers bringing flavors to the tea without turning it into “just another” herbal tea.
A very pleasant drinking experience, rather relaxing indeed as a result from the soft flowery flavors.

I was almost reluctant to try it, as I’m not a huge fan of spices in tea; had I read the previous reviews, I may have been more optimistic about it.
The smell is quite spicy, the tea looks very “normal black tea” in the small tin, with only a few orange peel pieces here and there.
The overall taste is really mellow, and honestly even weak, much milder than the smell might make it seem. Chai fans should be highly disappointed in drinking this.
The second steep already comes as very weak and light-colored and definitely requires a few new leaves to have some body, which is surprising in comparison with other Kusmi teas I’ve had, like if they had used a second (or third) grade tea base for this one.
I can taste a bit of clove remaining on my lips, but not as much as in the Spicy Chocolate. The orange flavor is to be searched for. The vanilla hasn’t been found yet.
Nicer than expected, as the spices are not as strong as I feared. I guess this small tin should be emptied in a reasonable future…
… and refilled with something else, as it’s not something I would try to get more of.

I think I’ve never had any good sencha, probably only a few basic teabags here and there. I believe Fleur de Geisha by Le Palais des Thes was also a Sencha, as it was a Japanese green in leaves. It was also flavored with Cherry Blossoms. However I finished this bag a few years ago and am not in a position to directly compare.
I was quite careful to avoid overbrewing and using too hot water, as I am wary of bitterness.
The brew was very light colored, more yellow than green to my eyes, and very clear.
The taste was surprising: the brew felt really creamy with a very strong grass taste. The grass taste was actually nice, as it felt like “fresh and rich” grass, and reminded me of an Irish lawn sprinkled with clover everywhere.
I have to admit though that this grassy taste, that I did not expect coming out so strong, totally covered the cherry blossom flavor, which was probably too subtle regards the tea base. I’ll see if I can get it while brewing my second bag of this tea.

Thank you Cteresa for this sample. It sure is a win.
This is a very mellow rooibos, a bit sweet and so easy to drink that the pot shows up empty before I could even realize it.
The almond flavor is really surprising, as if only the most tender center part of it had been used after being peeled and scrubbed. I really wonder whether there’s not some vanilla in there to make the brew feel so creamy.
Strawberries and rapsberries, I think so, but it’s an undertone to the sweet almond.
I also brewed a cup of rooibos des vahines, almond-vanilla, to compare it to Carpe Diem. Carpe Diem has more subdued flavors and those are a bit more diversified. The almond is definitely way sweeter and less bitter. And I can really taste a stronger vanilla flavor in Carpe Diem than in the other.
I’ll definitely go and buy some during my next trip to Paris.

I tried those pearls (3) with the Kusmi Rose green tea (about half serving).
The result is quite good. I’ll have to put more rose tea or only 2 pearls next time, as the jasmine overwhelmed the rose flavor. The result is a bit milder than pure Jasmine.

The tea looks really nice in the bag, with all the little lavender petals sprinkled – not as blue as I would have liked though.
It smells extremely strong, as just opening the bag wafts tea and lavender smell all around the room.
The color of the brew is a bright orangey.
And the taste, just what I expected: very strong on lavender, though the underlying tanginess of citrus can never be forgotten. The lavender tastes really natural, which makes me feel like walking a garden bordered by blooming lavender bushes – a very pleasant and relaxing feeling.
The tea base is a tad stronger than usual for MF black blends, which is good considering the intensity of the flavoring. I managed to resteep it twice (the third cup was quite light and remained fragrant but felt much more like herbal than black tea). I am sure I could have brewed a whole very fragrant tea pot with the content of one tea-bag.
I’ll have to compare it directly with Gryphon Earl Grey Lavender that I haven’t had in the past weeks to see what are the differences, which one I like best. However I’ll also definitely take into account the fact that even though this tea is an expensive one by MF standards (9.50 Eur per 100g), it sells for less than 40% of the Gryphon price for the same quantity (not available loose, only bagged).

Fridge storage will not be required, as I’ve already gulped about half of the bag in less than 1 month – bringing it to the office and drinking it every late afternoon certainly helps.
However it’s not only convenience that makes me pick it up (and refill the box without even thinking of bringing another one); it’s also the fact that I feel like smiling each time I smell the dry leaves and the tea brewing, and really enjoy drinking it too.
I’m increasing my rating on this one;)
I’ll also rebuy it for sure.