cteresa

cteresa drank Thé à l'Opéra by Mariage Frères

Confession : this is about the teabags. They had no tin of this in stock and I wanted and wanted it now, so the teabags. Muslin teabags in a gold foil box, probably wrapped up by french ladies wearing Chanel couture. Hmph. Yes, it´s like that.

But giving it to them, the teabags are gloriously well filled. The box is 30 teabags, each with 2.5 grams, for a total of 75 grams of tea, unlike most teabags box which have 40, 30 grams of tea usually. These are generously proportioned teabags. They are not skimping on tea here. They are not skimping on the quality of the base tea or anything else. No gimmicky stuff for all the preciousness, there is substance. It costs what it costs, but gosh, I do believe they do care about their tea.

And it´s just lovely. Silky smooth green tea, and red fruits (raspberry? strawberry? cherry?) and vanilla. And a really nice green tea underneath.

I am doing several one cup steeps with each teabag (seriously, it´s a crime to throw one of these tea bags away after just one steep. And good chinese green tea is not at its best on first steep, it is more sublime at the second or third time. seriously. Though maybe my palate is just weird that way, but seriously, do not throw good chinese tea away after one dip. ) and like the best chinese green teas, it can hold up to a number of steeps. The best IMO is the second steep.

2012-01-25 15:05:18 -0500

4 min 15 sec

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Indigobloom 2012-01-25 20:14:35 -0500

agreed on the second steep business. I’ve been known to actually toss the first if I am in a rush!

cteresa 2012-01-26 04:40:30 -0500

I am so glad I am not the only one! I see so many tasting notes of fabulous chinese green teas, and the person tasting seemed to have done just one steep. Breaks my heart.

Indigobloom 2012-01-26 06:56:40 -0500

I know right!? agh, I am such a tea snob :P

cteresa 2012-01-26 07:02:52 -0500

:) I do not think I am a tea snob, not usually, but sometimes I do feel some urges which can not be explained without admitting to tea snobbery. Oh gosh. Maybe there is a 12 step program for it?

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Bad weather tea drinker – I drink tons, too much to count, from October till March and then when it gets hotter I will drink very little tea and only cold water will do for me. I hang around steepster much more frequently in (northern hemisphere) cold season.

- Teas -

I tend to prefer black tea, though am I always willing to try anything once. I like flavoured black teas but right now I seem to prefer green teas unflavoured.

I am one of those people who actually loves Lapsang Souchong. I am not crazy about Earl Grey in general. I don´t quite get Darjeeling teas, but maybe I can learn… I got a weakness for floral scents – jasmine green, black rose, osmanthus white, violet tea…

I like rooibos, though not all, but I loathe hibiscus. I do not like fennel/liquorice/anise in blends or teas with chicory. I am picky about what I consider true cinnamon.

I am not too dogmatic, I am even borderline heretical, regarding the loose vs bagged thing. I would rather use a teabag, bought or home filled than have a pot of tea overbrew. And hermetically sealed foil wrapping for tea bags are a great great invention.

As you can probably tell from my cupboard, the brands I find more interesting right now are Mariage Fréres, Yumchaa and Thé-o-Dor. And Twinings tea often works just right for me.