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“Elixir d’Amour – Mariage Freires Finishing up the rest from my stash…also backlogging…this is still good but I can taste the difference in flavor from my last few attempts…it’s aging. Still sweet...” Read full tasting note
“This one came from a sample I requested with my Mariage Frères order today in the shop Place de la Madeleine. This is something I dislike with MF, the fact they NEVER propose any sample even if you...” Read full tasting note
“Backlog: ToiToi generously sent this to me, along with some amazing samples and candies, after the Christmas swap. I’m so grateful I got to try this! To quickly sum it up, it tastes like a floral...” Read full tasting note
“Another opera tea by Mariage Frères, this one so kindly sent in a sample swap by Toitoi (thank you! ). This tea is totally a half sibling or close cousin to Thé au Tibet – though I think not such...” Read full tasting note
A lyrical ‘Elisir d’Amore’ inspired by a love of tea. This fabulous blend echoes love’s idyllic message. A happy marriage of fine tea and enigmatic fragrances of legendary flowers. A wonderfully magical tea.
PREPARATION ADVICE FOR 1 CUP :
Amount of tea leaves: 2.5g
Best water temperature: 95 °C
Infusion time: 3-5 min
Company description not available.
This one came from a sample I requested with my Mariage Frères order today in the shop Place de la Madeleine.
This is something I dislike with MF, the fact they NEVER propose any sample even if you have bought 3 or 4 teas (and even if you buy more…), if you request one or 2 they would add them to your pretty bag Mariage of course but from a trade view I cannot understand them : why do they wait the client to request, why don’t they propose systematically to gain another possible sale the next time if the customer had appreciated the sample ? Bizarre…vous avez dit bizarre…comme c’est étrange…
So I requested this one because and only because of its name, it was reminding me l’élixir de longue vie from Honoré de Balzac that’s the only reason, I didn’t know what the ingredients were.
The dry leaf scent was absolutely strong on sweetness.
Immediately after steeping, it was a kind of bitterness, cooling it disappeared (thanks God !)
I wasn’t able to drink it hot but only warm because of an over perfume-y taste.Too strong on the essential oils for my taste.
Cooling, it was a very acceptable and decent tea, high on aromas of flowers (rose and lotus in the leading roles) and on fruit (citrus, even if I was not certain to recognize really bergamot, it probably was + orange-probably a bitter one.
Vanilla was lingering on aftertaste and gave this tea a kind of festive intonation.
Something was disturbing me with this tea,it may have been the presence of lotus as I already noticed some teas with lotus were not among my favourite.
I’m always shameless about requesting samples from MF. It’s the only way. I agree with you, though – complètement bizarre.
Consider myself a lotus-twin of yours. Lotus just does not work for me.
I kinda liked this, it was not bad, but did not love it either – it reminded me of Thé au Tibet though I much prefer Thé au Tibet, maybe because it has no lotus.
Anna you have the right attitude, at the price of the teas it’s better to ensure we would like one before buying
Teresa, it’s a pity because I enjoy the scent of these flowers but I really don’t like its flavour in tea
I live in France and have gotten used to the “you don’t get it until you ask for it” in almost every situation …. Including directions! I have never requested a sample at Mariage, what a great idea, thanks! We are so accustomed to the American idea of Living Large and the holding back of everything is simply one more cultural difference …. Probably comes from the ancient need to conserve everything, odd I know in a country now very abundant, but they sure do make wonderful things here!
well Qwendy I think it may come more from the position of Mariage which is very snobbish and considers their position in the tea market as a Luxious position. The fact of proposing a sample should be like “depreciate” their products in their mind… they don’t offer as a mecanism because their teas are so good :
we don’t need to
we don’t want to borrow the clients by proposing something to sale in the future (propose something = commercial harrassment)…it should be something like that…
But you’re right too much often the French retailers make a retention of their advices and friendly attitude. Thanks God I wasn’t like that when I was working in retail :)
Very interesting observation Ysaurella, I think it holds true for many commercial pursuits in France. I live in the provinces and people in stores of all kinds are very friendly, but the idea of leaving people alone instead of bothering us is the rule, instead of what I might consider as sharing information rather than being pushy is a fine line. I do appreciate the privacy in a way although I would love a bit more participation and just ask for it when I need it. I worked for years in retail in the US and perfected a way to be open without being too pushy, but so often one feels that they are trying to hard to SELL, almost the opposite here! All the best from sunny Brittany, drinking Balthazar iced.
How filled with tourists are the Mariage shops usually? Any you particularly recommend? and how to ask, is it échantillon? And can you ask for any of the teas (reasonably priced ones, I mean?)
Oh, and just to add, I have assumed this was one of those MF teas named after an opera – they do seem to like those, though they seem to change the italian or russian names to english! Swan Lake (ok, that is a ballet), aida, prince igor, parsifal, madame butterfly.
@ Qwendy : you’re sooooo lucky to live in Brittany my favourite area in France (well with Corsica and Ardèche too…) You should add your reviews here on Steepster about Balthazar and other teas you’re sipping in the beautiful Brittany :)
Teresa, well the shop rue du bourg Tibourg and in the carrousel du Louvre are crowded of tourists.
The one Rue du bourg Tibourg (near Chatelet and Hôtel de ville) is the first, the “original” one.
My favourite is the quietest : rue des grands Augustins (St Michel area, quartier latin) : here you can have a tea or lunch and buy tea.
Another I go often (for aquestion of geographical area only)is the one place de la Madeleine (near the department stores Galeries Lafayette and Le Printemps)
Backlog: ToiToi generously sent this to me, along with some amazing samples and candies, after the Christmas swap. I’m so grateful I got to try this!
To quickly sum it up, it tastes like a floral cream of earl grey. There are strands of rose notes and something that reminds me of lavender; the same floral minty flavour that I recognize from other lavender teas is present here but it may just be the combination of bergamot and other flowers. The dry leaves don’t smell of lavender at all; only sweet floral notes and bergamot. That citrus flavour is very present but not freakishly harsh. I think all the ingredients are balanced, and come together nicely.
I was expecting a green/black blend when I opened the packet but apparently it’s black leaves. The base is solid enough that this might go nicely with some milk. I find that this Sweet, floral, creamy, and pointy tea needs little addition, however. I don’t normally like Earl Grey bergamot teas but this one is decent.
Edit: After another day with this tea I’m pretty sure there’s no lavender. There are some very pleasant fruity floral notes that I can’t identify though. :)
Another opera tea by Mariage Frères, this one so kindly sent in a sample swap by Toitoi (thank you! ).
This tea is totally a half sibling or close cousin to Thé au Tibet – though I think not such an easy one to brew! Thé au Tibet is a magic tea for me, one I do not seem to be able to spoil and which always cames out so refined and just right no matter what time or steeping temperatures I used or how careless with it I have been. Elixir d´Amour is a similar tea, a bergamot tea with flowers and vanilla, but not such a forgiving one – I think I brew slightly wrong, the bergamot came out slightly bitter. Must try a shorter steeping time!
The MF website describes EdA as black tea with citrus, rose, lotus and osmanthus. Is there some green tea in the mix as well or am I projecting from the similarity to Thé au Tibet ?The citrus include with total certainty bergamot, it´s an unmistakable note and the dominant. I think I detect as well some orange underneath. The florals are unmistakeable, rose indeed and a lychee-like note from I believe is the lotus, as well as some sweeteness which is probably the osmanthus. Not mentioned in the official description but there is some vanilla in here as well, it´s particularly noticeable when the tea cools.
Very lovely tea. Very similar to Thé au Tibet, and I think a tea which people who love flowery creme earl greys will love.
