Mariage Frères

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Recent Tasting Notes

61

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Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 5 min, 15 sec

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61

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Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 2 min, 30 sec

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83
drank Casablanca by Mariage Frères
362 tasting notes

It was not love at first sight with this tea, but each time I have it I love it more and appreciate it more. There are no particular fireworks, but it is just so balanced, so right so very often, so refreshing. I find myself reaching for this in all sort of occasions, after a meal, when I am in a hurry (since I brew it quite coldish and short on time, it´s ready to drink faster than my other teas), when I am not feeling well, or just because. This tea turned out to be quite a good steady friend.

Moroccan mint and a hint of bergamot, which is really just a hint and seems to tie everything together, and underneath it all a great tea (green though maybe with a hint of black? or oolong?) which goes almost unnoticed but is there. I can really not describe it any better. But balance is the key word – don´t brew it too hot, or too long, and it will be perfection.

And one advice, if you are consider buying this, do consider getting the mousseline teabags rather than loose leaf. The mint in this mix crumbles, and is crumbling more and more as my tin is ageing, this makes for a very messy tea and a mess to strain. I am not holding it against the blenders, seems a natural process of natural ingredients and the taste would just not be the same without this mint. But if or when I rebuy this I will get the mousselines. With this blender price is always a consideration for me, particularly for those mousseline teabags, but I think I just might have to bite that bullet when I finish the tin.

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 3 min, 30 sec

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83
drank Casablanca by Mariage Frères
362 tasting notes

I was right – this is awesome iced. Really awesome. I was not too crazy about it hot, but brewed a pot to chill and it is even better than I hoped. A totally different experience from the hot drink, chilled you get the balance between the green tea underneath, the sharpness of the mint and feel the bergamot just adding some oomph.

I did not brew it exactly right, I should have been much more generous with the tea quantity, it is a bit waterybut awesome.

Upping the rating on this a lot ;)

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 30 sec

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83
drank Casablanca by Mariage Frères
362 tasting notes

I think I got it right this time, not too hot water, plenty of tea, and not letting it oversteep. And it is very refreshing, strong mint, hint of bergamot to just amplify the mint. The tea, well not feeling the tea strongly.

Very nice if you like this sort of thing – right now, not quite my thing, but maybe I will like it better as I use the rest of the sample. Or when the weather gets hotter and refreshing will be more valued than right now. We shall see.

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 3 min, 45 sec

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83
drank Casablanca by Mariage Frères
362 tasting notes

I don´t know. My first cup of this, and it´s good, it seems like it might be awesome iced with fruits on it, but maybe it is not going to be my cup of tea. We shall see!

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 3 min, 45 sec

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85

Had a pot of this at a quiet deli yesterday afternoon. I absolutely loved the honey aroma! :D Just as MF claims, it is a great afternoon tea because it’s smooth, mild and sweet. I had tried it straight and with milk, and it was lovely either way. :)

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97
drank Marco Polo by Mariage Frères
440 tasting notes

My two hundredth tasting note! And to celebrate, I’ve saved my most eagerly anticipated sample from Indigobloom! I’ve wanted to try this one since I first read its description, and the tea didn’t disappoint me at all.

I added just a small amount of sugar and just sat back and delighted in the fruit flavours that I got. I know most of you reading this have already tried this tea already so I won’t bore you, but just . . . yeah. Definitely worthy of being my 200th tasting note. Yum.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec
Ninavampi

Congrats!

Indigobloom

hehe!! I can’t recall how much you took, do you have enough to try it with a spot of milk? it really brings out the berry!

Tina S.

Sadly I only took a teaspoon, and it is gone. I did do multiple steeps with it though!

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87
drank Marco Polo by Mariage Frères
59 tasting notes

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Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 5 min, 30 sec

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87
drank Marco Polo by Mariage Frères
59 tasting notes

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Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 5 min, 15 sec

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93
drank Marco Polo by Mariage Frères
1220 tasting notes

I have been really anxious lately and I think it all revolves around the fact that a couple weeks ago basically out of nowhere my grandma had to be moved into a nursing home and this weekend will be the first time I see her and it completely terrifies me. Nothing has really made me feel better but with my nose over a cup of Marco Polo I actually felt like I could breathe well for once between this and pollenmania. I have not been getting anything done like I should and I can’t bring myself to do it. So now I have a microeconomics test tomorrow and really no idea what it is on.

It’s not that it reminds me of anything, it just smells right. Malty and fruity, a bit like chocolate, a bit floral. I think the first time I had it I put in milk and sugar immediately but I think I may like it better without. It’s a bit astringent, but so creamy. And then there’s the berry taste, and the floral finish. It’s really relaxing right now, yet you have to keep on thinking about it because it’s so complex.

On an indifference curve, there would be no substitute for Marco Polo, and your budget line is just going to have to deal with the fact you actually need to have this tea. That should be good for tomorrow, right?

Bonnie

I know that if I ever have to be in a nursing home, my daughter and grandkids will bring a thermos or whatever of tea along to share with me. What a delight it will be to look forward to that special time. Having tea to give to the caregivers now and then at the nursing home will make life better for grandma too. Small kindnesses pay off. The old people who receive no attention are the ones who end up with neglect and often more health issues. I am glad you care. I don’t mind being old. When I am feeble…it will be another lesson for me and for my family just as it was when I took care of my parents and grandparents.

Cheryl

It will be hard to do Amanda, but she will be so glad to see you. If you are scared, imagine how she is feeling … (uggg).

momo

I know. She has dementia brought on by Parkinson’s and it just absolutely scares me because like when she would say she heard piano music, it was just like maybe it’s just something like the TV combining with outdoor noise. But then it turned into what could almost make a movie in October, and then two nights in a row she went outside when my grandpa was somewhere else in the house, and she fell down both times (and had already fallen and broken her wrist in December) and the doctor said it would be best to do that. Like I just absolutely cannot deal with how scary it is that your brain is capable of just absolutely screwing everything up about your life like that so fast. She’s not too far from where my parents & grandpa live but it just sucks because a couple days beforehand I was planning to help them out for a week in May while my parents are on a cruise and then suddenly it’s different.

Tamm

I’m really sorry that this is such a stressful time for you! I’m really glad that you can talk to us about it. I know that this can be very difficult. I can remember how different my grandma was near the end of her life. I hope I can send some of this love and care your way!

Dylan Oxford

Yeah, dementia is a tough beast. When I was younger, my grandmother was going through similar issues (dementia caused by Alzheimer’s). My mother (along with me and my sister) moved into her house to help her out… and it definitely had some sobering moments. She was slowly being de-aged by her mind, to the point where she didn’t recognize herself in the mirror (and therefore called the police on her reflection). It’s tough, and I have nothing but sympathy for you during this time.

Cheryl

Talk with your parents and grandpa about how you are feeling. Chances are, they are feeling the same way. Figure out how you can best help. Sometimes it’s the small things and most importantly, having no regrets. Hang in there!

p.s. If she fell twice, I hope she was diagnosed properly. I don’t trust first opinions any more : (

momo

Thank you all, I really needed to get it out somewhere and I thought this would be the best place.

She has macular degeneration too and was going outside at night so I really don’t think she had any idea where she was going :/ At least she wasn’t hurt the times outside and she only was in the driveway. This is a second doctor now who moved her after she spent a couple days in a hospital’s program. Whatever medication her original doctor put her on was not making things better at all so now hopefully it’s leveled out with more medical care.

I made some brownies for her last year because she loved them so much when I brought them I guess for Christmas, so I am going to make them again to take her some as a surprise.

SimplyJenW

Cyberhugs. You are a good grand-daughter. It is tough to see what the mind does when aging for sure. Hold very fast onto your memories of when she was well, and realize she would be in that mind if she could. The memories will get you through the rough spots with the dementia.

Indigobloom

Grandparent troubles are stressful. She will be okay, and I know she’ll love those brownies! she is lucky to have you big hugs

Indigobloom

and this is where I come to vent all the time! the best place for it I think :)

Kittenna

hugs My granny had Alzheimer’s, and it was a pretty scary time when she had to be moved into a home. Apparently my grampa put up with far more than he should have before she moved. However, she lived two provinces away so I was not as involved…
I hope she enjoys your brownies :)

Veronica

It won’t be easy, but you will be so glad you went. I hope it goes well, and good luck with your test. I know how hard it can be to focus on school when yucky stuff is happening with family. Also, I teared up when I read that you were baking your grandma brownies. You are a good grand-daughter.

Bonnie

I hope you understand the humor in this, because I am old and have a brain disfunction, but when my grandma got dementia she thought she was at a resort and I hope I have Cruise Ship dementia! Sure my grandma slipped away from reality but we learned to give our time for visits, to keep her memories for her and to honor her in small ways like doing her hair and holding her hand.

SimplyJenW

I am in agreement with Bonnie! I had one Grandma that in her dementia created a world that tied all of her happiest places in her life together. In a way, it was how her brain protected her. BTW, a Cruise Ship dementia sounds weirdly fun!

momo

Thank you again everyone. I can only wish that she starts to think she is somewhere better instead of the stuff that has been happening. For the most part it’s just been oddly innocent: a boy and girl live under their deck and are a band, so she hears their music, and one night they got married and celebrated in the street, but there’s been some scary stuff too. But I do feel comfortable about the whole music part, because I know every night she would sleep while listening to music.

Everything everyone has said really means a lot, hugs to you all (and cups of tea of course too).

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93
drank Marco Polo by Mariage Frères
1220 tasting notes

I have been angry with myself for months because I did not buy this tea. I went all the way to the Mariage Freres tea room, freaked out, and left. The tin I did purchase I got at La Grande Epicerie De Paris, and while I stared at all of them for a good 10 minutes, I didn’t know the whole story of Marco Polo.

So for months I have wanted it and wished I had gotten it. At least it’s easy to acquire in the United States, so thanks Williams Sonoma. And thankfully this is the only tea they stock at the one by me, so there wasn’t a chance to buy more.

Oh I am so glad to finally have it. With milk and sugar it is so fruity and creamy, it really is like strawberry shortcake. Nothing tastes fake about it. I figured this would be good since Vanille des Iles is the best tasting vanilla tea I’ve ever had.

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81

A packaged arrived just today of which I asked a friend of mine to send me any tea straight from Paris. Being quite the tea addict as I am, he picked out probably what I consider to be the best blend made by Mariage! oh so sweet shanghai! The blossoming lotus of the Yangtze! The aromas when I first pop the tin open was the smell of spring and a distinct tea very much close to a japanese greens. The floral and fruity aspects gives a crisp, clean and bountiful tastes if not eerily similar to other blends made by Mariage. The green tea tasted a bit vegetal with a hint of nuts that compliments a fruity floral finish that always linger on the start and finish. It maybe a bit astringent and tannic after a couple sips, but still great hot or cold.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 1 min, 30 sec

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84

Sipdown!
I will have finished this off today, it’s been a long time coming. This says it’s a blend of first flush teas but I always thought it was a second flush blend, oh well. It’s been a nice blend but I don’t think I will miss it too much. It’s good with a touch of sugar too.

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84

Just a note that I brewed some of this up in my Teavana glass tumbler and poured it over ice this afternoon. The weather here is gorgeous and it’s perfect iced tea weather! This makes for quite a lovely glass of iced tea. Eat your heart out, Snapple…

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec
Doug F

Brrrr. It’s in the 30s and raining here. Iced tea will have to wait. Never heard of Princeton before. Is it an estate?

TeaBrat

Not to my knowledge; I think it’s just a marketing term. lol

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84

After lunch tea here…. this is the only tea I own by Mariage Freres and it’s nothing extraordinary, but I felt like enjoying some darjeeling today and I’d also like to get this tin finished off so I don’t feel guilty about buying more darjeeling later in the season. ;-)

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84

I just got back from a late lunch of Burmese food and a short tea tasting, boy am I STUFFED! It was all so good.

This is the tea of the evening/last afternoon. I am a little sad after reading my previous tasting notes that my BF had bought this for me. The word for impermanence in Pali is anicca, recognizing that all things are fleeting. Enjoy the love while you have it, people.

Preparation
180 °F / 82 °C 2 min, 30 sec

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84

we had this for breakfast today – I definitely recommend it plain and not with soymilk. Not the best darjeeling I’ve ever had but still very nice. See previous notes. :)

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84

My sweetie got this one for me from a Williams Sonoma store in San Francisco. They also had the Marco Polo but I wanted to try this instead.

I steeped it at 212F for 2 minutes – might try a bit longer next time but I wanted to err on the side of caution. This is a very nice blend of first flush teas. Lightly floral, slighty fruity, woodsy but not really astringent or pungent. It’s gentle and great for the afternoon. Interesting how the other tasters thought it was slightly bitter since I’m not really picking up on much bitterness. Perhaps the shorter steeping time helped. I liked this one but I am thinking it could be a bit more aromatic. It might be interesting to try it also at a lower temp for longer period of time…

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 0 sec

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75

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Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 7 min, 30 sec

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75

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Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 30 sec

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75

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Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 15 sec
cteresa

e o que achaste?

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75

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Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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