75
drank Tribute by THEODOR
303 tasting notes

Okay, so you remember that Thé d’amandine (Comptoir des thés et des épices) review that prompted Ysaurella, our resident fairy godmother of The O Dor tea samples to offer some up in the first place? Well, I do.

I’ve been so curious about this one – I mean, a comment such as, “Tribute by Theodor is cleary THE galette des rois tea” makes it impossible to resist, after all. And yes, this is one of those cases where – if I’d had this one first – I would have been head over heels, placing an order within the week. But now I have two very positive experiences with other almondy teas, one of them a staple in my cupboard (Pleine Lune) and the other one (Thé d’amandine) a tea I’ve vowed to re-review more generously, seeing as I was so fed up with French greens when I tried it.

This is a black tea, though, and as such more closely comparable to Pleine Lune. Quite unfairly, seeing as the MF tea is one that makes me want to put a leash on and kneel before my master. Tribute strikes me as less complex in taste, with a mouthfeel that comes off as a little watery to me, compared to the creamy smoothness of PL.

In the case of Thé d’amandine, it had the added bonus of being a green tea, and as such lighter and more accessible. It also brought some element of surprise to the table, through the addition of that distant, near-spectral cherry presence.

Tribute, however, doesn’t leave much of an impression on me.

I’m very torn here – on the one hand I feel like it’s close to sacrilege to rate this less than the seemingly obligatory 80+, but on the other, I’m really grateful for knowing exactly what I’m looking for. That knowledge, however, would be impossible if not for all this tea sampling – thank you so much, Ysaurella! I’ve had such a good time with these samples, and you really are the sweetest for helping me explore my feelings for the ravishing Monsieur Théodor.

[Sample from Ysaurella, spring 2014.]

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 30 sec
Ysaurella

you are absolutely right Tribute is not as complex blend as Pleine Lune can be. It is very different to me, not comparable really to my loving MF favourite blend.

Anna

Have you tried the Thé d’amandine? I forget if you’re at all keen on green teas.

cteresa

Tribute is kinda of one note, well it is one note – almond and marzipan. So totally different from Pleine Lune or Je t´aime. But sometimes I am in the mood for solos.

Tribute is IMO just awesome as a digestif tea (not sure there is any such thing, well me, I use tea as digestif and some are much better for that use than others!)

Ysaurella

never had thé d’amandine. I am open to greens but they shouldn’t have any bitterness otherwise I drop the cup…I am terrible with greens :)

Anna

We’ll see what I come up with for your samples… starts plotting

Ysaurella

ahaha I love these kind of plots !

Anna

Hehehe.

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Comments

Ysaurella

you are absolutely right Tribute is not as complex blend as Pleine Lune can be. It is very different to me, not comparable really to my loving MF favourite blend.

Anna

Have you tried the Thé d’amandine? I forget if you’re at all keen on green teas.

cteresa

Tribute is kinda of one note, well it is one note – almond and marzipan. So totally different from Pleine Lune or Je t´aime. But sometimes I am in the mood for solos.

Tribute is IMO just awesome as a digestif tea (not sure there is any such thing, well me, I use tea as digestif and some are much better for that use than others!)

Ysaurella

never had thé d’amandine. I am open to greens but they shouldn’t have any bitterness otherwise I drop the cup…I am terrible with greens :)

Anna

We’ll see what I come up with for your samples… starts plotting

Ysaurella

ahaha I love these kind of plots !

Anna

Hehehe.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

I’m going to try all the teas.

Then I will choose a lucky few perfect specimens, and we will live happily together in my tea cupboard.

Forever.

* *

2015

This will be a year of in-betweenness and logistics. Where to put the teas. How to arrange the teas. Which teas to replenish – which ones to say goodbye to.

Still doing Project Green.
Still doing Project Jasmine.
Still doing Project Peach.

Dr. Tea is the name, I’m ahead of my game
still, steeping my leafs, still f*ck with the temps
still not loving Assam (uh-huh)
still rock my Bosch kettle with its high-pitched shriek
still got love for the greens, repping Lupicia
still the cup steams, still doing my thang
since I left, ain’t too much changed, still

(With apologies to Mr. Young.)

2014

This year, all bets are off. I am going to drink both peppermint and chamomile and possibly suffer a little. But it’s okay – it’s for science.

I’m doing Project Jasmine, Project Peach and Project Unflavoured Green.

In terms of flavoured teas, Lupicia and Mariage Frères have become my massive favourites, and I have learned that Dammann Frères/Fauchon/Hédiard and Butiki aren’t really for me.

The O Dor, Adagio and Comptoir des thés et des épices are all on this year’s I’d like to get to know you better list.

2013

Getting back into tea drinking last fall, I was all about rooibos. This past spring has been all green tea, all the time, with some white additions over the summer. Currently attempting a slow, autumnal graduation to black teas. Oolongs are always appropriate.

The constant for me, flavour wise, is the strong presence of fruity and floral notes. Vanilla is lush, as long as it’s not artificial. Peach, berries, mango. Cornflower, rose, lavender.

No peppermint.

No chamomile.

No cinnamon.

Ever.

* *

My ratings don’t reflect the ‘What does this tea do for me?’ standard, but rather my own ‘What would I do for this tea?’ scale.

100-90
My absolute favourites. Teas I would travel for – or, in any case, pay exuberant postage for, because they simply have to be in my cupboard. Generally multi-faceted teas with complex scents and flavours. Teas with personality. Tricky teas.

89-80
Teas I wouldn’t hesitate to buy again if and when I came across them. Tea purchases I would surreptitiously weave into a travel itinerary (Oh! A Lupicia store! Here?! My word!).

79-70
Teas I enjoyed, but don’t necessarily need to make any kind of effort to buy again.

69-0
Varying degrees of disinterest and contempt.

Location

Rome, Italy

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