Nina's Paris

My cup this morning.
I did a very light steep with this today, which was both a good and bad thing. Its not bitter, and it does bring out the orange, but its also a weak cup. Hmm.
Theres just no pleasing me, I suppose.

I’m working on drinking teas that are not deeply thrilling to me, and this falls on that list.
A light steep helps keep the base from taking over compleatly, which is an important part of the whole arrangement. When I can get it right it has a decent orange flavor, but nothing completely overwhelming.
Well, thats at least a bit more down of this. And the tin it came in is gorgeous.

I’m feeling well enough to try a proper loose leaf today, but not well enough to pull out a beloved favorite.
This is a proper orange tea. Not an orange spice tea, not an orange cream tea, an orange tea.
I over steeped this today, though, as its a bit bitter today. Ah well.

First review? No pressure.
I got this as a gift to myself, and have been saving it for today. To all of you who celebrate this, Happy Christmas! For all of you who do not, happy Wednesday!
This smells very nice in the pretty holiday tin. Orange-y and sweet. And it looks so pretty, with the petals. I swear I even spied some golden shimmery bits, but that could just be imagination. And big chunks or orange peel.
Its very citrusy, with an after taste of spices. I keep looking around for the orange in my cup.
Enjoyable, I must say.
I will have time for some more tea, and then off to my parents house, where I may not get tea for a while. (humph, coffee-drinkers).
The best of the season to you, Steepster.

This has been on my wishlist for a while, so I was delighted when JustJames sent me this.
I’ve had orange spice teas before, and I realy like them. But I’d never tried anything like this before.
It tastes like one of those chocolate oranges, though the chocolate is almost subconcious. If I focus, I cant taste the chocolate, but if I relax, the chocolate orange just waves over me. Delicious.
Well, this has decided it. I’m going to keep this on my to-order list. Yum.

A pleasant cup. Great without any additions.
I enjoyed the generic peach like fruitiness with just a bare hint of vanilla. This isn’t one I’d want to keep stocked, but it was a nice change and I would grab another sample at some distant future date if I had a chance.
The black base worked well here. A little astringent, but in the positive way that I have learned to not mind.

Having another cup of this one this morning. I openend the 1.6 oz bag of this tea last week and it is in a resealable foil pouch. I found the smell and taste profile has changes quite a bit in a week. It is not bad, or flat, or lost its taste. It is just mostly blueberry to me now, in smell and taste. Not sure why, maybe it is my taste buds and nose today. It is still good. A light, sweet but not too sweet blueberry jam taste over a moderately bold black tea base with no bitterness or astringency. Pretty good. I made some cold brew and am hoping to try later today.

Edit: Cold brewed for about 12 hours. Its just ok as a cold brew. Not as good as I would have anticipated. I find it to be a very heavy and thick cold brew, for me this is good when its hot tea but I don’t like so much as a cold tea. This cold brew is definitely very strong blueberry tasting on the bold base, maybe a bit smokey. There is also a bit of the passionfruit flavour.

It seems that a lot of different French tea companies have a “la lune” tea. I am not sure if there is a story behind this, but I would like to know it.

This one is quite the bouquet of fruits. It is pretty good. I am finding the black tea base is thick and malty. It is fairly strong. I am getting nice strong flavours of blueberry, passionfruit and citrus. There is some red fruits/currant flavours closer to the aftertaste. I feel like I am getting some mallow root as well. As the description states, this was is really well balance, even though there are a lot of fruity flavours in the tea.

This is quite a bit different blend from most of the other Nina’s teas I have tried. This one is very thick and heavy, in a very good way. Most of the other teas I have tried have been more light or delicate. I am quite enjoying this one.

http://steepster.com/discuss/6555-dear-steepster-team-dot-dot-dot-happy-holidays-and-thank-you RIGHT OFF THE BAT I THOUGHT I’D LIST A LINK TO A ‘THANK YOU STEEPSTER TEAM’ THREAD. they work unbelievably hard on our behalf for a place that all of us love— tis the season to say a hearty thank you!

on to the tea! i have mixed feelings about peaches in tea. WHEN i like them, it’s this way…. always realistically as opposed to fake flavouring… i just prefer a more robust fruit presence. i equate nina’s with carefully balanced red fruit teas or clever citrus sneakiness. this blend just isn’t me.

very smooth. makes me think of the smell of very ripe peaches while someone is smoking something distantly with a sweet wood. clever, just not quite me. =0)

More thank you’s to JustJames for sending this along for me to try out.

A small cup brewed in *CelebriTEA*’s turkey cup, and this is heavenly. Raspberry and caramel mingle together to form something dessert-y and decadent, and I enjoy this more sweetened; the raspberry seems to really shine this way. This tea is unctuous, which is an odd term for tea, and yet, it really feels right to me.

I steeped it a bit longer than I likely should have, only because I’m using this in a one-cup allocation instead of my normal 1L of tea in the Breville. Walked away, and, oops! Luckily, this tea can and did handle my mangling well.

Another Nina’s from JustJames! Finally have some alone time tonight to get a headrush from all these goodies, yay. Thank you!

This smells pretty good dry and steeping; it’s light and creamy, with a little more orange than chocolate (makes me think of a creamsicle but with a fresher orange component), all soft and sweet, unlike the fresh-zesty-candy-sit-up-and-take-notice intensity of a Terry’s chocolate orange (and hence unlike Butiki’s Three Friends). The texture is wonderful, so creamy. It really does feel like a well done creamsicle tea to me. There is chocolate but it’s not the intense kind; it’s light and, I keep using this word over and over, creamy. It comes out more in the finished tea’s flavor and nose-right-up-to-the-cup aroma than while steeping. I’ve yet to find an orange creamsicle tea I like or many at all period (I don’t count Butiki’s because of its unique tangerine flavor, which is a plus not a minus but hence doesn’t place it in the “creamsicles from my childhood” category), so this is a pleasant surprise. Everything fits well together and I like how the chocolate doesn’t steal the show from the orange or cream at all, plays just right with it.

Another fancypants French tea from JustJames! Thank you! My first Nina’s Paris tea, whee.

Such a romantic name for a tea, hee. This has a very fresh berry scent (particularly raspberry, one of my favorites, yum…I used to like Bigelow Raspberry Royale as a kid) dry and steeping. Tantalizing. Makes me think of being a kid with a friend down the block with a backyard full of bramble bushes, picking all sorts of sun-warmed juicy berries in the summer. The citrus goes really well with the fresh berry notes; you worry it might end up TOO bright veering toward tart, but it’s not. Nice and smooth, with the black tea faint but steadily present in the background, grounding everything, keeping it from being too sharp. Berry teas (and citrus ones for that matter) are very hit or miss for me when paired with black bases, and this is a lovely one. No bitterness or puckering, just fragrant and light which is what a fresh berry tea needs as it’s not a heavy cold weather-type flavor for me. Reminds me a little of some of Harney’s nicest fruity black teas. Very happy this first Nina’s is a hit!

I woke up like two hours before I needed to this morning and lay there annoyed for a while, and then decided I might as well just wake up and turn off my alarm…only I hadn’t set it, so i suppose my waking up early was a bit of a blessing in disguise. Only a bit of one, though—let’s not get carried away or anything. Waking up while the sky is still dark feels wrong on so many levels.

But oh my gosh this tea. I actually think part of the reason I slept fitfully last night is because I was excited to have it again (please tell me this happens to you too? please?). I remember liking it so much the first time, and when I picked it out last night to have this morning, I re-read my initial tasting note for it and got excited all over again haha.

In the bag, I couldn’t really decipher all that much, because I’ve been storing this with other samples. I just dumped the remainder of the sample into my steeping basket (JustJames gives very generous amounts!), and brewed it up for four minutes. After I lifted the basket out of the water, I could smell the tang of fresh, just-picked strawberry, set against a rather airy vanilla. I can’t tell you just how fresh the strawberry scent is in this tea-it is so evocative of summer breezes (well to be fair, no summer breeze where I live smells like strawberries, but a girl can dream—this is in an ideal world, nkay?). The taste of the brew was consistent with the smell, right down to the slight tang of the strawberry and weightless vanilla. The rose in this tea makes a rather understated appearance, so floral-fearers need not get worked up in advance. You get the gentlest hint of rose as you swallow, although it’s more akin to a breath freshener if anything, because it isn’t an adult, sophisticated rose; rather, it’s a very delicate, slightly coquettish presence and it completes this tea perfectly.

I do wish i’d put slightly less sugar in this cup, but alas, that rectification shall have to wait for when I place my first Ninas order. I have yet to try japon (which is being sent to me by the lovely VareaTea, who hates it oh so much…kidding!), and there are a few more NP samples I have here from Just James, and then I think I’ll be ready to order! woohoo!

Ok. So thanks again to JustJames, whose tasting notes and private messages I miss deeply. Thanks for introducing me to Ninas!!

Wow.

Thank you, JustJames. For introducing me to ninas paris, because they are about to acquire a new customer.

I was excited by the dry smell of this tea, but like I said about my review of the de lune, it was hard to tell specifically what smells belonged to this tea and what smells belonged to the overall package, which was beautifully fragrant. But I remember being very intrigued by the description of this tea, complete with vanilla, strawberry, and rose petals. How adorable!

I used a heaping tsp for 8 oz of water, added in a splash of cream to thicken things up a bit, and about a tsp and a half of rock sugar. Brewed for about four and a half minutes.

And it’s divine. I remember reading a tasting note that suggested that this tea would also be perfect for a new mom (I think it was written by ashmanra, but can’t be certain), because the scent is precious, and kind of reminds you of a new nursery, with the soft, delicate scent of clean, happy baby (we won’t get into how exhausted mom likely is, although this tea will surely help!). It definitely has a “baby soft” smell that wafts gently, that’s for sure.

And the taste. My good god, the taste. Thick vanilla, and genuine, fresh, juicy strawberry. The rose petals make a slight and soft appearance towards the end of the sip, giving it a bit of a clean, slightly soapy (but in the best way possible!) finish, and I think it perfects this tea like nothing else. as I sipped it, I imagined sitting in my kitchen on a warm summer’s day, the windows thrown open, and the summer-scented breeze blowing through. The sound of children playing and laughing, the smell of fresh-cut grass, and the low rumble of a lawn mower making itself known, probably being shoved around by a cheerfully whistling happy old man, delighted to spruce up the garden for spring. I will absolutely be placing an order for this tea, and am excited to have discovered a summer tea. Try it, guys! You’ll love it!

Thank you so very much from the bottom of my complicated heart, JustJames! This tea spoke to me and it made me smile. Made me think that I shouldn’t take life so seriously!

luxurious definitely….. strong orange presence that doesn’t overwhelm and carries no bitterness. the chocolate aspect is neither a milk nor a dark…. a very nice cross.

i find myself in an awkward position— i like this but….

i have yet to find a company whose expertise trumps nina’s paris with fruit, berries specifically, red berries more specifically.

i will assume this comes down to personal preference only…. and given the respect i have for this apothecary i do not like to withold numbers based on that.

technically: a very smooth base, a very balanced blend. the orange and chocolate sit at 60/40, respectively in terms of presence…. the cream i don’t detect, but i’m not sure it’s supposed to be a taste so much as a texture. as a texture it is definitely there. i do feel this blend accomplishes what it sets out to do…. it’s just not my favourite nina’s blend is all.

the number you see is what i rank the accomplishment at.

1.25 tbsp for 375 ml

Black tea base is smooth with a delightful straw-like note. Fruity notes are more present in the aroma than the flavour. There is a bit of a sweetness.

Thanks to Nina’s Paris for the sample!

1.25 tbsp for 375 ml of water

Very fruity aroma. Mostly cherry flavour creeping in on aftertaste. Black tea taste along side fruit flavours is a little astringent and overpowers the fruit.

Thanks to Nina’s Paris for the sample.

thank you so much to laurent and sophie for this sample…..

the description of this tea is wrong. it is appallingly understated and borders on misleading. strong words, i know. allow me to explain:

apple teas are rarely what they claim to be. they are rarely ‘apple pie with spices’, they are rarely even good bases for tisanes— the apple gets lost, becomes vague…. not sweet, not tangy, not there.

at this point i will segue: french teas are a different breed. the nuance, the layers, the hundreds of years backing the study….. still what could they do with an apple. just because it’s a french apple doesn’t mean it’s going to carry any more punch. while i was excited to have a famously named sample….. as soon as i saw ‘apple’ listed in the ingredients list my heart felt a little less buoyed.

wrong. WRONG. i need a size 22 font……WRONG.

if i’m not mistaken they chose crab apples. plenty. of. punch.

clever, so clever…. rose can be too perfumed, crab apple could be too bitter…. the acid aspect of the apples draws out the fresh petal suggestion of the roses, i get fresh flowers…. not an intense perfume. fruit, flowers…… all made brilliantly because of what seems to be a crab apple.

laurent, sophie, mes compliments tres sinceres.
laurent, sophie, my most sincere compliments.

this is the first and only apple tea i have ever found even remotely tolerable, nevermind outstanding.

i steeped for 3 minutes after a full boil, i think perhaps a slightly lower temperature for perhaps 2.5 minutes next time.

Dry, this one smells very delicious. Definitely a winter or autumn type tea. It has an orange and cinnamon smell. A bit spicey. Reminds me of Bigelow’s Constant Comment.

Brewed, this one tastes more strongly of cinnamon than it does of orange. There is definitely an orange flavour but it is very light. It is a much more sweet orange flavour vs a tart orange rind flavour. The cinnamon is spicey and sweet but it is not hot spicey. The cinnamon adds a natural sweetness to the tea. This one very much reminds me of sipping tea with an orange slice in it. As I have found with all of Nina’s Paris teas, the black base is smooth, moderately bold, there is no astringency. It blends very well with the ingredients in this tea. The safflower petals add a very slight cake-y or pastry taste to this one. It kind of reminds me of a cinnamon nut bread. I think I would have liked it to have a bit more orange taste, but overall it is delicious!

I purchased a tin of this tea at Versailles when I was on holiday and I am glad I did. It smells incredibly strongly of green apples and roses, I can smell it through the tin! To me it tastes just as it smells only not as powerful – like green apples with a hint of roses. I steeped this tea twice and on the second cup I found it much more floral.

And there goes another of the samples from JustJames! Now my cupboard is at 88, which is nearly half of what it was in the summer. That’s crazy!

I think this is another one I’ll have to stock up on, somehow, at some point. It’s creamy, with strawberry and smells delicious. I don’t even mind the rose petals – it just adds a touch to the fragrance without making it perfumy.

I wish I’d realized that this was a black/green blend as I steeped it at near boiling, but this isn’t bitter at all. It’s just fragrant, and fruity and perfect.

I woke up this morning to discover that it was raining. And cold! Perfection, that is some of my favorite weather.
I’ve been hording this little sample from Nina’s for just such a day, occationally picking it up and smelling it. It smells deliciously of smoke.
Wood smoke in a cup. Its amazingly true to the sent. I can see how some people might taste bacon in it. Or how they might find it too smoky.
I do not find it too smokey. It is strong, but I really like it. I have almost zero experience with Lapsang Souchong, but I will probably explore more of this. Is good!
A perfect cup for a cold rainy day.

Made this one as a cold brew. Brewed for about 11 hours. It turned out very light and delicate. Slightly floral. There was more rose as a cold brew vs hot. But it was still not overpowering nor perfumey. The black base was very light. Made a great afternoon drink. Would not be one I would gulp down to quench my thirst, but perfect for sipping with a few cookies. I was sipping it while eating homemade nachos which was not the greatest combination, but I bet it would be great with a short bread or sugar cookie.

I anticipated this one to be more of a rose scented black tea, but when I opened the package and smelled it, it was very distinctly grapefruit scent.

The brewed tea is of light boldness, it is very smooth. There is a very light rose flavour but a strong grapefruit flavour. Very gently sweet. The flower petals give a slight pastry type flavour to the tea, making it a thick liquor.

Very delicious. I am actually quite happy this one is not just a rose scented tea!