408 Tasting Notes
I love almost everything with this tea. What do I dislike ? The cut leaves…too small…complicated to filter these leaves efficiently. I always find some remaining in my cup…like little wicked submarines…
Here some pics of the tea in situation : http://thevangeliste.wordpress.com/2014/09/09/casablanca-mariage-freres-2/
You can see the villain submarines in my mug…grrrrr
Preparation
I’m still loving this tea a lot. My stock is running low as well as a lot of my favourite teas this month ! What should I do ? So many teas I would like to repurchase but my purse is not extensible…alas.
The natural rose taste of this one is so sweet…not sure I can resist …
Here are some pics of my tea session : http://thevangeliste.wordpress.com/2014/09/05/congou-keemun-butiki-teas/
Preparation
Well, sad of not being able to get a sample of their oriental beauty, I lower my sights and asked for a sample of this tea. A full change of registry! But I also wanted to taste this famous tea.
“Butterscotch” the term for a French, does not really mean anything. In fact I know by now there is a kind of Scottish caramel made of brown sugar mixture and butter, molasse. But before I thought it was a kind of cake … well … I had to taste a butterscotch shortbread … which explains my mistake … I’m ignorant :)
The dry leaf displays a very strong fanatic fragrance (yes fanatic, not fantastic) of caramel: even with a big cold I don’t think possible for anyone not to detect the caramel because it is really so strong. And it’s not the smell of a light, sweet caramel; it smells like an aggressive caramel, very very red, not the little light caramel found on a tiered cake!
The leaves are cut rather short with a lot of very small twigs: suddenly I get scared and decide not infuse it more than 2 minutes 30 and at 90 ° C.
I get a wet leaf that looks like “packets”. I wonder what taste I’ll get in the end…
The liquor is a very dark amber brown very …caramel … actually …
And the surprise happens at the very end and essential chapter in the art of tea: the taste ! this tea is amazing! It is relatively smooth, very soft and the taste of this caramel is truly unique, very present but not too strong – that unique taste that I do not know, I love it … it’s probably that… the butterscotch … it should make sense isn’t? :)
Some pic of the tea (dry, wet leaves and liquor) are available here : http://thevangeliste.wordpress.com/2014/09/04/butterscotch-mariage-freres/
Preparation
Two days ago I went to one Mariage Freres shop to buy Tzar Alexander, Casablanca and Pettiagalla OP1. I asked for a sample of their Oriental Beauty tea as it costs € 45 100 g I did not want to buy it without tasting first. Unfortunately this tea is not available for sampling … Too bad.
Si I decided to finish my Oriental Beauty by Butiki Teas instead and I am thinking to buy 100 grams rather than Mariage Frères one.After all I know and I love it. But I’m curious …I would love to taste the MF.
The Butiki’s dry leaf has a smell of honey and like any good Oriental Beauty has a beautiful chocolate/ brown colour. This one does not have the typical Oolong rolled leaves but twisted ones. Again this is classic for an oriental beauty.
Once the infusion ended the leaves are more swollen but not that much after all. Leaves appear in their true light, rather small and absolutely cute.
On the palate the amber honey liqueur is rather slight. It’s delicious.
It’s not the most sublime Oriental Beauty tea I drank but it is undoubtedly an excellent tea.
For the pics of this tea (Dry and wet leaves, liquor) please see here : http://thevangeliste.wordpress.com/2014/09/03/oriental-beauty-butiki-teas/
Preparation
I have to say, since I couldn’t fit a French class into my schedule this year, reading your Wordpress posts is helping me to not forget too much of the language!
This is a great cup of coffee one might say. So dark …
However,everything started with a pretty long Ceylon tea leaf . the smell is honey , heady. It suggests a tasty breakfast.
Well, once infused this beautiful leaf turns out to be a cut leaf. awww.The taste is fruity and honey dew but actually I get a hint of bitterness at the very end of the sip. I think 4 minutes were a bit too much for the infusion of this tea but I stupidly thought it was a whole leaf tea. So I need to repeat the experience tomorrow with a 2 or 3 minutes steeping, it should be really much better.
This tea is very pleasant, unpretentious. It’s not a big tea but it is very correct for € 5.50/ 100 grams.
Some pics of dry leaf and wet leaf and liquor are available here : http://thevangeliste.wordpress.com/2014/09/02/pettiagalla-op1-mariage-freres/
Preparation
I’m not going to beat around the bush: I still love this tea. First it is an Oolong and then the scent is so refined that drinking it is simply divine.
The rolled Oolong leaves are mixed with pretty pale yellow flowers and they are opening themselves slowly and beautifully in my infuser
The liquor is incredibly clear, a transparent yellow.
It is a very vegetal and floral tea … how could it be different ? between the Oolong tea base with a low oxydation and the violet the rose …! Also I always add some brown crystal sugar rocks and it becomes smoother, softer and it clearly reminds me violet sweets.
Another tea beautifully blended by Butiki Teas
Here are some pictures of the tea : http://thevangeliste.wordpress.com/2014/09/01/rose-violet-calendula-butiki-teas/
Preparation
I’m downgrading a little my rating for this one. I’m still loving it but my tastes evolved since.
I’m trying to finish this tea quickly now because I’ve had it for over a year and I find green teas, even though kept in a sealed box with a double lid, quickly lose their flavour and fragrances (whatever they are plain or flavoured).
This is an absolute divine tea, very delicate. The fragrances used are subtle, refined, they are not overpowering the tea itself and we can clearly recognize first cassis and then violet.
For the macaroon well it’s quite different ! … I do not find any trace IMO.
This is a tea that I prefer sweetened, with brown candy rocks.
It is a refreshing tea,even hot. It is perfect brewrd cold as well but considering the weather this summer I didn’t have much opportunity to enjoy it iced this year.
Tthe liquor is translucent, a pretty yellow / amber.
While cooling its texture becomes creamy, even velvety.
The Green tea base used is unknown… tea brands unfortunately rarely say which tea they use for their flavoured teas, I would go for a sencha but I may be wrong.
Infused 3 minutes at 80 ° c it has no bitterness nor astringency. A real Tea dream for beginners with green teas. But not for those looking to find a taste of macaroon !
Some pics of the tea are available on my blog : http://thevangeliste.wordpress.com/2014/08/31/macaron-cassis-violette-dammann-freres/
Preparation
I just realized with horror that my stock of JE Milk Oolong Theodor is dramatically running low … so I decided to rather go for a cup of this tea.
J.E = Jardin d’Exception (exceptional Garden) in the Théodorian terminology. Well it’s true, again! it’s a beautiful and Yunnan and you should believe me because Yunnan are not among my favorite teas.
The dry leaves are typical of this variety of teas, a mixt of dark brown and golden sand twisted leaves
The liquor is an INCREDIBLE dark brown, almost earthy- surprising as the steep lasted 3 minutes and 85 ° C only.
The taste is mostly made of malt and cocoa with a hint of honey. No bitterness at all.
The texture is a deep mellow.
It is a very nice tea and I think I’ll add it to my permanent collection as the Yunnan reference.
I used for the first time my new teacup Roy Kirkham bought 3 hours ago in La Vaissellerie rue Mogador in Paris.
It really makes a huge difference when drinking in a fine bone china cup … my other percelain or English earthenware cups seem really pale vs this one.
You can see some pics of the tea here on my blog :
http://thevangeliste.wordpress.com/2014/08/30/j-e-yunnan-yu-yunnan-fgfo1-theodor/
Preparation
Your milky ooling is running low? Shocking! I admit I rebought, but did you nottice they upped the price of the tins now? I bought my first tin at a surprising, unexpected sale right here in Lisbon for 15 euros (and regretted it when I smelled it because it smelled very oolong-y except it was magic when it hit boiling water) and my second tin for 20 euros at their adorable Trocadero shop with the so nice saleslady but now the website says 29.95€ ! I have almost all of the new tin, and admitteddly it might be worth the new price, but damn, it used to be cheaper.
This other one also sounds magical, I am saving my tea money for a Theodor order, next autumn maybe! Some tea providers, you can trust them to have working palates and noses!
About teaware, I understand completely. If you get the chance try also Zara Home, particularly on sale and when they get to the end of sale and really discount things. I confess I got yet another tea cup, I will try to photograph, but it looks like Roy Kirkham bone china and it is really pretty as well (though inconsistent. They have camellias in bloom alongside blackberries which it totally anachronistic. Camellias here bloom February-March, in late winter and blackberries are late summer, and roses are mid spring. I notice and do not forgive these things, though ok, maybe that is a tad precious, maybe?)
Thank you Sil :)
Teresa : I just checked on Theodor’s website and yes the price of my favourite Milk Oolong took 10 €…awwwww do it will be a simple bag for my repurchase sure.
I would love to see your anachronistic tea cup ! We have very few Zara home here in France but I’ll have a look sure.
Thank you so much Angel and Teavivre for the opportunity to taste this Pu-erh.
I wanted to do a simple cup of this one but I cannot manage to cut the little cake, too hard. So I decided to go for a full teapot to use the entire cake.
After steeping, the leaves are very green and are a mix of cut and entire leaves.
The taste is not so smocky but very on the honey and dry stone fruit side to my opinion. It has none bitterness at all.
The texture is light, not mellow, very refreshing.
I loved this one very much, sure I’m not afraid at all anymore of Pu-erh !
You can see some pics here on my blog :http://thevangeliste.wordpress.com/2014/08/27/raw-pu-erh-mini-tuocha-teavivre/
Preparation
Thank you Angel from Teavivre for this sample.
I am very very very far from being an expert in Pu-erh. I am even an absolute beginner at this type of tea. I think I only tried one before this one.
First while opening the sample packet, the aromas are lovely as are the dark leaves, with some white points. Funny leaves. After steeping they are now so long, so green, still lovely.
I steeped this tea western style, 6 minutes as recommended and in a boiling water.
The liquor is very very pale, incredible regarding the dark leaves.
I add 2 brown sugar rocks and the liquor becomes now a pale orange.
Drinking it now it is a little bitter but not that much and a kind of special bitterness which adds personnality to a tea.
The notes are fruity : grapes and apricot maybe ?
This is a pleasant tea and ideal for the season, not too heavy, easy to drink.
I am knowing by now I can and should drink some straight pu-erh without fear.
LOL, “little wicked submarines”…that killed me!
Cute!!!
I’m in war against remaining cut leaves in my cup :)
we are twins regarding this tea. It is so very perfect! I think the bad bad little pieces are the mint, degrading with time very fast, but it is also the mint which makes this so perfect.
I bought this tea 1 week ago to me it seems to be smal pieces of tea but you may be right as I have no idea how long Mariage stores the tea in their big jars. I’ll have a more precise look next time to examinate much the “invaders”
It is annoying isn´t it? But this is such a wonderful tea. And it makes the best iced tea in the world, though you need to be generous with the leaf and since I also love it hot which is more economical i only do it iced now and then!
by the way have you ever tried one of those gravity strainers? I have this one
http://www.yumchaa.com/cms/pliki_uzyt/duzy_untitled_panorama2.jpg
which was quite expensive, but that filter at the bottom (removable to clean) it really really works for things like casablanca or rooibos (more of a problem for me than you). I have had mine for almost 2 years, at first I thought it was a waste of money but seriously worth it. Only problem is mine is getting all ugly and stained from the tanin now!
thanks Teresa, I didn’t even know such a tool was existing, seems absolutely interesting
cteresa, a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser wipes away tea stains like a dream. Little to no scrubbing required!
Thank you, mj. I have never seen that brand around though!
ysaurella, it is really wonderful and that filter being so tight fitting (at the beginning it took me a few days to understand it could be removed for cleaning), you really get totally clear tea. I thought, and still think, you do not really need it to make good tea, it is just so convenient though!