Inachevee de Constantinople

I am lucky today, when I opened my mailbox I have seen a lot of advertising papers and behind Santa Claus ! not himself but he took the appearance of the Postman and left for me : my Theodor tea order, cteresa’s swap envelope and Terri Harplady’s second swap box !
Yes !!!! Now I am embarrassed because I have so much teas I cannot decide which to begin by.

So after one hour turning around my teas,I finally decided to drink this one first.

The dry leaf scent is really magic even if quite herbal, of course it’s a green tea…not so surprising- the flavours scents are lovely and I get first a dominant apple and a supportive rose .
I brewed it as required on my bag (handwritten notes behind the bag-I love handwritten notes even on tea bags): 85°C I found this a little weird for a green I generally never give much than 80° but decided to follow the instructions.
The liquor is really beautiful, a lovely pale green almost yellow.
There is NO astringency neither bitterness (release! I am so picky with green teas)
The green tea base is nice and mellow (yes, a mellow green tea…hurray it exists !)
The flavours are really mixed :apples, dates, rose, peppermint for sure. I am so sorry for not being able to taste almond, especially because I love so much almond teas.
For sure this tea reminds Orient as constantinople is the muse. It makes me think to Thé du Hammam (green tea base, rose and dates) but it is different, less fruity, more grave somehow.

While cooling apple and rose continue to dominate.

I made this a little bit too hot and I think a little bit too long – should have been 5 degrees (real degrees that is ;) Kelvin or celsius) and one minute less. It is, like a lot of Théodor teas, a forgiving tea. Though I think due to it being brewed hotter than my first attempts, I am finally getting a hint of the apple mentioned on tea description.

This is a masterfully well blended flavour tea – a great smooth green tea base and then a blended mix just in proportion of evocative flavours. No flavour is really dominant, this is not a one note or predominant note tea, but different flavours seem to work at different levels. The mint is the first thing, then the rose and apple and the date last. I do not detect the almond, but sweet almonds are not very strongly flavoured anyway.

A truly well done tea blend – and a very elegant one as well somehow.

PS – to add, it resteeps very well! Slightly different notes on resteep, a little bit more rose and more date and maybe the elusive almond, maybe not. I expected a lot more mint because the spent leaves smell so minty, but not so much on the taste. But a definite two steeps blend.