This one came from a sample I requested with my Mariage Frères order today in the shop Place de la Madeleine.
This is something I dislike with MF, the fact they NEVER propose any sample even if you have bought 3 or 4 teas (and even if you buy more…), if you request one or 2 they would add them to your pretty bag Mariage of course but from a trade view I cannot understand them : why do they wait the client to request, why don’t they propose systematically to gain another possible sale the next time if the customer had appreciated the sample ? Bizarre…vous avez dit bizarre…comme c’est étrange…
So I requested this one because and only because of its name, it was reminding me l’élixir de longue vie from Honoré de Balzac that’s the only reason, I didn’t know what the ingredients were.
The dry leaf scent was absolutely strong on sweetness.
Immediately after steeping, it was a kind of bitterness, cooling it disappeared (thanks God !)
I wasn’t able to drink it hot but only warm because of an over perfume-y taste.Too strong on the essential oils for my taste.
Cooling, it was a very acceptable and decent tea, high on aromas of flowers (rose and lotus in the leading roles) and on fruit (citrus, even if I was not certain to recognize really bergamot, it probably was + orange-probably a bitter one.
Vanilla was lingering on aftertaste and gave this tea a kind of festive intonation.
Something was disturbing me with this tea,it may have been the presence of lotus as I already noticed some teas with lotus were not among my favourite.
Preparation
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I’m always shameless about requesting samples from MF. It’s the only way. I agree with you, though – complètement bizarre.
Consider myself a lotus-twin of yours. Lotus just does not work for me.
I kinda liked this, it was not bad, but did not love it either – it reminded me of Thé au Tibet though I much prefer Thé au Tibet, maybe because it has no lotus.
Anna you have the right attitude, at the price of the teas it’s better to ensure we would like one before buying
Teresa, it’s a pity because I enjoy the scent of these flowers but I really don’t like its flavour in tea
I live in France and have gotten used to the “you don’t get it until you ask for it” in almost every situation …. Including directions! I have never requested a sample at Mariage, what a great idea, thanks! We are so accustomed to the American idea of Living Large and the holding back of everything is simply one more cultural difference …. Probably comes from the ancient need to conserve everything, odd I know in a country now very abundant, but they sure do make wonderful things here!
well Qwendy I think it may come more from the position of Mariage which is very snobbish and considers their position in the tea market as a Luxious position. The fact of proposing a sample should be like “depreciate” their products in their mind… they don’t offer as a mecanism because their teas are so good :
we don’t need to
we don’t want to borrow the clients by proposing something to sale in the future (propose something = commercial harrassment)…it should be something like that…
But you’re right too much often the French retailers make a retention of their advices and friendly attitude. Thanks God I wasn’t like that when I was working in retail :)
Very interesting observation Ysaurella, I think it holds true for many commercial pursuits in France. I live in the provinces and people in stores of all kinds are very friendly, but the idea of leaving people alone instead of bothering us is the rule, instead of what I might consider as sharing information rather than being pushy is a fine line. I do appreciate the privacy in a way although I would love a bit more participation and just ask for it when I need it. I worked for years in retail in the US and perfected a way to be open without being too pushy, but so often one feels that they are trying to hard to SELL, almost the opposite here! All the best from sunny Brittany, drinking Balthazar iced.
How filled with tourists are the Mariage shops usually? Any you particularly recommend? and how to ask, is it échantillon? And can you ask for any of the teas (reasonably priced ones, I mean?)
Oh, and just to add, I have assumed this was one of those MF teas named after an opera – they do seem to like those, though they seem to change the italian or russian names to english! Swan Lake (ok, that is a ballet), aida, prince igor, parsifal, madame butterfly.
@ Qwendy : you’re sooooo lucky to live in Brittany my favourite area in France (well with Corsica and Ardèche too…) You should add your reviews here on Steepster about Balthazar and other teas you’re sipping in the beautiful Brittany :)
Teresa, well the shop rue du bourg Tibourg and in the carrousel du Louvre are crowded of tourists.
The one Rue du bourg Tibourg (near Chatelet and Hôtel de ville) is the first, the “original” one.
My favourite is the quietest : rue des grands Augustins (St Michel area, quartier latin) : here you can have a tea or lunch and buy tea.
Another I go often (for aquestion of geographical area only)is the one place de la Madeleine (near the department stores Galeries Lafayette and Le Printemps)
I’m always shameless about requesting samples from MF. It’s the only way. I agree with you, though – complètement bizarre.
Consider myself a lotus-twin of yours. Lotus just does not work for me.
I kinda liked this, it was not bad, but did not love it either – it reminded me of Thé au Tibet though I much prefer Thé au Tibet, maybe because it has no lotus.
Anna you have the right attitude, at the price of the teas it’s better to ensure we would like one before buying
Teresa, it’s a pity because I enjoy the scent of these flowers but I really don’t like its flavour in tea
I live in France and have gotten used to the “you don’t get it until you ask for it” in almost every situation …. Including directions! I have never requested a sample at Mariage, what a great idea, thanks! We are so accustomed to the American idea of Living Large and the holding back of everything is simply one more cultural difference …. Probably comes from the ancient need to conserve everything, odd I know in a country now very abundant, but they sure do make wonderful things here!
well Qwendy I think it may come more from the position of Mariage which is very snobbish and considers their position in the tea market as a Luxious position. The fact of proposing a sample should be like “depreciate” their products in their mind… they don’t offer as a mecanism because their teas are so good :
we don’t need to
we don’t want to borrow the clients by proposing something to sale in the future (propose something = commercial harrassment)…it should be something like that…
But you’re right too much often the French retailers make a retention of their advices and friendly attitude. Thanks God I wasn’t like that when I was working in retail :)
Very interesting observation Ysaurella, I think it holds true for many commercial pursuits in France. I live in the provinces and people in stores of all kinds are very friendly, but the idea of leaving people alone instead of bothering us is the rule, instead of what I might consider as sharing information rather than being pushy is a fine line. I do appreciate the privacy in a way although I would love a bit more participation and just ask for it when I need it. I worked for years in retail in the US and perfected a way to be open without being too pushy, but so often one feels that they are trying to hard to SELL, almost the opposite here! All the best from sunny Brittany, drinking Balthazar iced.
How filled with tourists are the Mariage shops usually? Any you particularly recommend? and how to ask, is it échantillon? And can you ask for any of the teas (reasonably priced ones, I mean?)
Oh, and just to add, I have assumed this was one of those MF teas named after an opera – they do seem to like those, though they seem to change the italian or russian names to english! Swan Lake (ok, that is a ballet), aida, prince igor, parsifal, madame butterfly.
@ Qwendy : you’re sooooo lucky to live in Brittany my favourite area in France (well with Corsica and Ardèche too…) You should add your reviews here on Steepster about Balthazar and other teas you’re sipping in the beautiful Brittany :)
Teresa, well the shop rue du bourg Tibourg and in the carrousel du Louvre are crowded of tourists.
The one Rue du bourg Tibourg (near Chatelet and Hôtel de ville) is the first, the “original” one.
My favourite is the quietest : rue des grands Augustins (St Michel area, quartier latin) : here you can have a tea or lunch and buy tea.
Another I go often (for aquestion of geographical area only)is the one place de la Madeleine (near the department stores Galeries Lafayette and Le Printemps)