Work – 2:00 PM
Another tea from France! Although this one was purchased in the duty-free section at the Paris airport, which is decidedly less glamorous… But wow, did they ever have a huge selection of Mariage Frères! I knew I had to take some home with me, as they tend to charge rather exorbitant shipping fees to the US. So I sniffed around (they had an open sample tin for each tea), remaining indecisive for an embarrassingly long period while the sales people were likely wondering who this crazy American was. I ended up settling on Marco Polo (the classic), Nil Noir (“Black Nile”), and Sakura White Tea.
I had never heard of this blend before, but the smell of the dry leaf was too good to pass up. And I’m delighted that it tastes just as lovely when brewed! I would say the primary flavor is lemon – unusual in the fact that it’s sweet-tasting but not candy-like. It’s accompanied by a mélange of dried fruit and honey notes. Specifically, I would name fig, apricot, maybe raisin or prune. The overall effect is sweet, round, and syrupy, with perhaps a hint of floral uplift at the end.
Destined to become an afternoon favorite in my cupboard! ❤
Flavors: Apricot, Citrus, Dried Fruit, Fig, Floral, Honey, Lemon, Malt, Round, Smooth, Straw, Sweet
