Le Palais des Thes

alright let’s see if steepster is going to cooperate and let me backlog. Sipdown on this one and thanks again to ysaurella for the lovely swap. I quiet enjoy this one, though maybe not as much as some of the others that were shared with me. the cinnamon, ginger and vanilla play very nicely together.

This is not my favorite, but it is a very good Assam.

I can’t quite figure out what’s wrong with this tea, but there is something very wrong with it for me. It’s kind of flat, and I’d waver between diagnosing it as stale (except it’s a new packet), or that it contains badly mixed, cheap synthetic flavours (except that I was assured that PdT uses no artificial flavours). It’s not anything that makes me want to behave like Tom Hanks in BIG, on tasting caviare, but I’m not going to be eager to drink it either, though that mix should be a winner for me. Luckily, younger daughter likes it, so we’ll probably get through the packet easily enough, without my having to drink it.

No notes yet.

I had this tonight, thanks to a swap with Ysaurella I’m not quite sure what to think about it. It reminded me a lot of a chai that i’ve had once. I think i need to have this one again when i’m not bone tired.

SIPDOWN from earlier today – I’m getting backed up on my backlogs and sipdowns, sorry!

This is a flavorful and quality green tea. The fruit flavors are delicate and yummy. I do like it warm but I may try it out cold as well. I really love green / fruit blend teas cold. This isn’t a cup I would drink all the time but it is very good for what it is. Thanks Azzrian for the sample :-D

No notes yet.

No notes yet.

Sipdown!
This one is very similar to the Jardin Bleu, but I think I prefer this one. It has a more natural flavor, I think.
Thanks again to Ysaurella!

No notes yet.

No notes yet.

Sipdown !
I have been a little hard with this tea, if brewed a little longer (but not too much neither) and with a 95°c water (not 90°c) it becomes a very decent tea.

it desserves to be tasted.

This is from the here is hoping traveling teabox.

I drank this one on my way to work today. The dry leaves SMELL so sweet and nice, almost like a lighter marco polo.

The tea when brewed is not nearly as aromatic as the dry leaves. It still smells good but as I was expecting marco polo level of scent – this is very slight.

The flavor has notes of peach and mango. The green tea base is kinda lost with the flavors. I like this tea but I do not LOVE it.

Decided to revisit this one this morning. It is definitely a very robust, bracing Earl Grey! The bergamot is very strong, but it is balanced somehow by the black tea base. I drank this one fast because my previous note said that a citrus-pith-like bitterness came out of the bergamot flavor once it cooled, and fortunately I didn’t get much of that today. It does have a bit of a harsh edge to it. It reminds me a bit of breakfast blends that are meant to be enjoyed with additions.

Surprise sipdown (188)! Although it was almost not a real sipdown because I almost dropped the cup of steeping tea on the ground. I don’t remember using this one a lot, and I don’t remember swapping it away, so I am not quite sure where all the tea went here (hence the surprise). Perhaps I cold brewed it and didn’t log it?

Anyway, this is quite tasty today. I am going to bump my previous rating a bit because I am very much enjoying the sweet dates, red fruit, and light floral rose. I would like to try this one on the black base, but it’s a pretty nice green as well.

I’m surprised I haven’t tried this one yet… I thought for sure I would have. Now I want to go through my Le Palais des Thés sample set I bought ages ago to try the others that I never got around to.

I have been doing some massive swaps/giveaways and just like that my cupboard has dropped to 189 teas. I of course will be getting some teas back that will make it go up, but goodness it feels good to purge a bit. I had promised myself a tea order after I got below 200, but now I am waiting until I get my tax return and seeing how low I can go.

I brewed this slightly hotter than the lable recommended because I couldn’t bear to brew a black tea at 185°F. I figured my typical 3 minute steep time would compensate as they called for 4-5 minutes. I sniffed while brewing and became extremely wary. It smelled a bit musty, and a bit smoky. I was reminded of my recent experience with the Harney Tippy Yunnan where I didn’t like the slightly smoky note to it, and thought this would go similarly. Despite my misgivings, I let it cool and tried it.

I can say that though this is totally not the type of tea I usually drink, I am enjoying it. Yes, the Yunnan base is woody, earthy, and a hint smoky, but somehow I don’t mind it today. The bergamot is relatively well balanced; it’s not very strong, but I can still taste it and it’s a main part of the flavor. There is also this sweetness to it that is winning me over a bit. I am a sucker for natural sweetness in a tea. Altogether not a tea I would buy again, but way better than I was expecting this morning.

As a sidebar, I am very confused about Yunnan blacks. There are some Yunnan blacks, primarily golden-tip varieties like Golden Fleece and Teavivre’s Dian Hong Golden Tips, that I really really love. No woodiness, no smokiness. But I’ve tried a few other Yunnan blacks lately that have been completely different! I am sure it’s in part a grade thing, but it’s weird. Then again I have realized recently that I can’t stand some Keemuns but love others. So I guess grade makes a big deal for me in black teas.

Sipdown tea #4! Thanks goes to momo.
Aaahh today has been so relaxing and nice :] I have done absolutely nothing but drink tea, do yoga, and make raw tomato bread. Lovely :]
I still love the aroma of this tea. And apparently so does my cat. The flavor is light, fruity, and doesn’t hide the green base.

Thank you Ysaurella, for another lovely tea!

This was one of my 2 bubble bath teas this evening, & it is quite nice! I enjoy the mellow smokiness of Keemun, & the fruity & floral flavors with it were very nicely balanced.

Fruity with a peppery kick. Not bitter at all but has a refreshing astringency. This Darjeeling is 20% Assam so it makes a great wake up tea.

Had this tea at a very impressive restaurant. Husband surprised me with a last minute reservation to Dirt Candy for my birthday yesterday. I’ve been wanting to eat there since foreeever! It was everything I dreamed and more. Their dessert menu featured a couple of teas from Le Palaise des Thes, proving that a stunning meal out doesn’t have to be followed by Lipton or stale coffee.

The tea came in a small insulated press pot. Elegant and convenient. I peeked into the pot and saw that this was loose leaf. Amazing. I felt that the ratio of leaf to water was a bit off, but overall, quite tasty! Sweet honey notes. Roasty. More like a dark oolong than black tea. Malty. Perfect end to a perfect meal.

Then we went next door to play with the kitties at the no kill shelter. Husband would normally stop me from doing this as I’m allergic to the cute little things, but it was my birthday! So I’m allowed to get all itchy from cat fur if I want to. :D at some point, I got a bit too wheezy so I dropped a donation and left. Made me happy. :)

One of the best black teas I have ever had.

The aroma is very intense and that is one of the things I like about this tea (though otherwise I’m not so fond of aromatic teas). This tea is also the most popular when I invite friends – I don’t have Teekanne style teas and the The des Moines smells better than Lung Ching or Tie Guan Yin, so normally, they prefer this one.

When I first tried this tea, I was amazed. But the next few cups weren’t that good. I realized you’ve got to be careful with the amount of leaves you take and with the steep time (water temperature should be around 80°C) or else the flavour can be too intense and this will ruin the gentleness of the white tea.