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Vert Provence from Mariage Frères
77

I do not know quite what to think of this tea – basically I think this is a sublime masterpiece blend but which I do not quite love. I have been not in love with flavoured green teas lately so maybe that is it. But more on why I think this is masterful.

The dry leaf smell of this is possibly the best ever for me. I took a sniff and said, yep I will take it. If this was a perfume I would buy it and wear it, if it was a candle I would get it. It´s a mix of red fruits (cassis surely, maybe raspberry as well) and flowers (rose maybe, lavender) and I think thyme as well and possibly other herbs. It should be an everything but the kitchen sink mess, and somehow it is not, it´s music made of scents.

I brewed this not too hot (maybe not quite 90 C), not too long with a generous scoop. It came out quite pale, not bitter but with some astringency (too hot maybe?), and with strong taste notes of everything on the dry leaf smell, plus a certain grassy something from the green tea which just adds to the impression of being a garden like drink.

So why don´t I love it? Just don´t know. Maybe I just need time to figure it out a bit better, maybe I fell in love too much with the scent and no taste could compete. Will have fun drinking the rest of this, and maybe my feelings will change. Even if I do not quite love it as much as I thought I was going to, this is still a tea I recommend people check out, this is just amazing and really undescriptable!

People who liked this

Ysaurella
Angrboda
gmathis
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LiberTEAS
ashmanra
K S

Comments

Ysaurella
Ysaurella 2012-11-21 07:35:29 -0500

I think you like it otherwise you wouldn’t rate it at 81 but you probably were expecting much from the aroma regarding the scent.
As you were so kind to share some with me, I can say this is a tea I would recommend to a new green tea drinker because it is not astringent at all and the aromas balance the herbal taste.

cteresa
cteresa 2012-11-21 08:12:22 -0500

I am not always too good with the sliding rate, though yeah 81 seems pretty fair. This is of course sublime and sublimely blended.

I think I left it too long and slightly too hot to get some astringency out of it – I sort of liked the hint of astringency, it made it a little bit grassy, a little bit minty, sort of a garden feeling.

And yes, I was expecting too much from the scent – but I admit that is the most awesome tea scent (to my taste!) EVER!

cteresa
cteresa 2012-11-21 08:12:52 -0500

and just to add, I liked it very much and admire it, even if I do not quite love it.

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Profile

Bio

Inconstant tea drinker – I mostly drink tea when not too hot. I hang around steepster much more frequently in (northern hemisphere) cold season.

- Teas -

I like all sorts of tea, flavoured and unflavoured though I am picky. I always willing to try anything new. I am now particularly interested in single origins.

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 I am trying to make sure …

I like rooibos, though not all bases. 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.

As you can probably tell from my cupboard, the brands I find more interesting right now are Mariage Fréres,Thé-o-Dor and Yumchaa.

Location

Portugal

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