Thé des Moines

This is one of my Le Palais des Thés set that I have yet to try. They keep very mum as to the ingredients in this one, and the tea in the tube had a weird, medicinal scent that wasn’t very appealing, but it seemed to be a black tea and it was untried, so I went for it. As it was brewing I came here and saw that duh, this “Monk’s Tea” blend is the same as all the other French/European Monk’s Blend teas I’ve tried. Bergamot, jasmine, vanilla. Brewed up it even smells identical to both Thé au Tibet by Mariage Freres and my random Polish Mnichów tea (also translates to Monk’s Blend). I love the idea of bergamot, jasmine and vanilla, but it almost never works out for me for some reason. I think it’s mainly because I thought I would like vanilla and jasmine together but it just doesn’t work on my palate. I mean, I like these teas ok, but I thought that this blend would be a favorite to me and it just isn’t.

Like those other teas, this is a black-green blend, which I found out after brewing by looking at the spent leaves. I did brew this one at the recommended time and temp on the tube. As I mentioned before, when I smell the brewed tea on this one it smelled like a Monk’s blend tea, kind of like a red fruits tea smells like that blend. The balance of flavors in this one is pretty good, although it too suffers from some kind of weird bitterness on my tongue that is probably not dependant on steeping temp (I got the same thing at lower temps in the other teas) and I think is a result of my dislike of the vanilla/jasmine combo. It’s mitigated by the bergamot here, and so is more drinkable to me, but it’s definitely not my favorite. Right now this seems so similar to the other two teas, and I haven’t had those teas in so long, that I can’t figure out how it is distinct. A quick steep of the other two to taste the difference is in order this morning, I think.

My conclusions are that they are all very similar but this is probably my least favorite of the three. Not in a huge way, but I think the jasmine and vanilla combo is stronger in this one than the other two, that is the flavor combo I like least.

This tea came in my Le Palais de Thes sample pack so I’m trying it this morning. Steeped in regular teapot method.

It is nice – a slightly sweet tea with calendula and a bit of bergamot. Sometimes bergamot can overwhelm me but it isn’t too much in this blend. I’m guessing the base for this is a ceylon? It definitely seems like a light bodied tea. It’s nice plain but it also takes a bit of soymilk well. Overall, fairly good but I can’t picture myself buying a full tin of it.

Thanks again to Dinosara for this tea! It came in the most adorable little tube…I’m a sucker for cute tins and such.
So I had Mariage Freres Tibet and this back to back so that I could compare them. I really loved Tibet. This one seems lacking. It smells wonderful before and after steeping. When I sip though I just don’t get much flavor. I can’t really explain it but it seems Dinosara and I had the same reaction.
I wouldn’t purchase this one but will try making the rest iced. I think I have enough left for a 16oz cup.

There’s is a citrus/bergamot thing going on in this tea – and that is exactly the problem. I don’t like bergamot. Why am I drinking this tea in the first place? I got it as a free sample with my last order. As I am always open to try new tea, even those I know I usually dislike. Sometimes there are surprises. Not this time.

Others have given it a high rating, so I guess it’s good to those that like bergamot. I will not be giving this a numeric rating.

I’m in my second week of having this tea accompany me nearly all day, and it’s still a favorite. There’s a ying/yang of smooth and and astringent, the very subtle vanilla backdrop ties it together. There’s an aftertaste of citrus, but it’s orange citrus, not lemon or bergamot, which is why it appeals to me. You can taste the green and the black in different sips.
My only problem is that I’m going through my supply so quickly, this is one I’ll need to re-order soon.
My initial/full review with pics (second half of post) : http://bit.ly/tJ9v40

This tea has the familiar scent of an earl grey, layered onto what can be described as a handsome marriage vanilla and other citrus flavors. In contrast to some of the other reviews it was the alluring scent of the dry leaves that piqued my interest in this tea. And of course, the mystique of the blend – shrouded in secrecy wakes the imagination and leaves one comfortable in thought over the superposition of possible ingredients, just enough uncertainty to bring forth contemplation of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, the HUP. This tea should take one on a journey, and pleasant one at that.

I might like earl grey more if it tasted like this. Refreshing citrus flavor with a creamy vanilla element.

This has serious favorite potential (Obrigada P!). It has a middle weight body (Ok, light by british standards, deep by French standards maybe), marvelously fragrant, and tannins are just right for me.

any theories on what the secret blend is? I would swear there is some citrus on it, though it does not sound at all like some secret tibetan ingredient.

(trying to get back into Steepster!!) tried a sample of this tea last night. I don’t usually care for flavored teas, especially those with bergamot. But I did enjoy this one. It was surprisingly smooth and the citrus was subtle. Definitely vanilla as well. Not something I’d reach for, but I can understand why it’s so popular.

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.

This tea has a delicate, sweet, unique flavor; I find that it doesn’t even need sugar or honey (unless my sweet tooth is really acting up). It has all of the best characteristics of both sencha and Ceylon, although I’m not sure exactly what type of black tea is used in this blend. My guess is Ceylon. I can’t seem to find any details!

It was one of my favourite flower tea until I drank the Thé de Lune from Mariages frères… But price range is different so in his category, I’d say Thé des Moins is a very nice tea to drink at all time of the day ;)

One of my favourite teas. :)

Nice enough.

A very sweet and relaxing tea. Good for a quite evening.

This is my favorite tea. The taste and the smell is very relaxant and it gives me positive energy for the whole day. I prefer it in the morning but sometimes I drink it all day long.