Mariage Frères

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvFH_6DNRCY

i taste fresh marzipan, not amaretto.someone wearing a broad woven sun hat as they pick over the choice almonds in the moonlight because that’s when they taste best. distant spices and hints of fruit are carried aromatically everytime i breath in. this music is an excellent metaphor… seamless, smooth, swirling. the scent of the dry blend lingers even after the water is added and a lingual note harmonizes with the olfactory; distinctly separate, but always waltzing in lockstep.

thank you ysaurella. the de lune is still my favourite so far, but this one was lovely. je comprends avec un clarite grave pourquoi tu es la fille d’une ‘pleine lune’.

I ended up with this tea because Macaron – also part of the Héritage Gourmand collection and an all-around excellent tea I was able to try thanks to Shelley_Lorraine – was sold out. I’d never heard of canelé before, but evidently it’s a custard-filled pastry with caramelized crust.

The tea base here is pleasant and smooth – maybe a Ceylon or similar? There’s a creamy quality to the tea, which is pleasant, and a slightly burnt one, which is less so. It gestures toward vanilla, I think, but never quite reaches it. This tea is okay, but only okay – it’s not something I’d buy again, and that goes doubly given how pricey MF is. I did get an awesome tin in the bargain, so there’s that.

Sipdown! Very sad farewell here. I think my previous notes say it all, really, but I’ve really enjoyed having this one in my cupboard. A definite repurchase for the future.

I’ve had a few cups of this today. It’s my first day back on reception full-time, and one visitor has already been rude and threatened to report me. For…doing my job? I don’t know what she’s going to find to say about me, I only referred her query and then discovered there was no-one around to answer it. Since when was that my fault? Days like this make me glad I’m leaving.

Anyway, this tea is going some way towards alleviating my headache, and it’s at least nearly home time. The chocolate and cocoa notes here are delicious, and I just find the whole thing really soothing. I was actually drinking a cup of Pineapple Cilantro Cream when “The Incident” occured, but I had to set that aside and find some black tea to calm me down. I’ve told my manager about it, and she says not to worry, but I would have liked a more successful first day back. It’s only Monday, and it’s got the week off to a bad start.

Still. I have things to look forward to. Don’t I?

Feeling better today, so I started the morning with this tea. I’m going to have a Mariage Freres tasting day today, I think. I’m still not in the mood for anything heavily flavoured, so I’m going to start getting my tea mojo back with a couple of these.

This could well become a favourite with me. It’s so chocolatey and gorgeous, and very easy to drink. It’s sweet, malty, with delectable notes of dark cocoa, and not a hint of astrincency. A perfect plain black blend, in my estimation! It’s nice to be drinking tea again :)

I was drinking mostly coffee by the end of friday to try and keep myself awake. It really was a difficult week, and I’m so glad it only happens once a year. I celebrated my return to tea this morning with a cup of this. I love how chocolatey it is, and how rich and deep the flavour of the black tea base can be. I’ve not had a problem with astringency, which I half suspected I would. Instead, it’s just smooth, slightly dusty, cocoa heaven. A truly beautiful black tea.

In my last post I mentioned Reasons. Well, having just suffered a disappointing setback to do with Reasons, I’m comforting myself with the last of this leaf and reminding myself that there are other fish in the sea and the battle may be lost but the war is not over and it’s not over until the fat lady sings and to get back in the saddle and whichever other cliches you can think of. But BOOOO! at the world in general. shakes fist

It’s the last of the leaf, and I’ve suddenly realised something. There’s a berry-y note in here and it’s pretty strong. How did I not notice this before. Or maybe more cherry than berry really (lookit me rhyme!). If I had never had this before now, I would have thought it was fruit flavoured along with the vanilla. I don’t really understand how it isn’t.

Everybody who has some of this tea, go and make a cup now and see if you think I’m right or just crazy.

(Should I point out that Reasons are a good thing, or is that obvious?)

Cteresa knows my unquenchable thirst for vanilla flavoured things, so she kindly shared some of this with me. I must get an MF order together one of these days. That shop is well within my reach, they have a number of things I would like to try (and one or two that I would like to own) and yet I never seem to get around to it. It will happen eventually. Just… not quite yet, because of Reasons.

You may remember that I had a long hunt for the perfect vanilla flavoured black and finally found it in a newly opened local shop, therefore this tea will be held up in comparison to that shining beacon of vanilla-y exquisiteness. Not because I want to do that, but because I sincerely doubt that I can avoid it.

All this in spite of the fact that cteresa warned me explicitly that I would most likely find it quite different from most ‘standard’ vanilla flavoured teas. I am taking that into account; I merely don’t believe that I can help it. Because that’s just how my brain works.

A-NY-WAY, when I first opened the bag I didn’t even have to sniff the leaves. The most amazing aroma of vanilla came right up at me. It smelled like sweeties! Always a good quality with a dessert flavoured tea. It does after steeping as well. It quite simply smells perfect. Full marks so far! On aroma, this is a serious contender for being perfection in a vanilla cup. (Fru P still has the advantage, mind, of being available locally without any sort of mail order fuss and such. That’s pretty hard to beat.)

I see now why cteresa said I might find it a little different. It is a little different. I mean, it’s still vanilla-y and sweetie-like, but there’s something else too. It’s like… vanilla that has grown up. No, that’s not what I mean, really. It’s like… vanilla for grown ups. No, that’s not quite right either. It’s like, there’s something else in here. Something just veeeery borderline floral. Not floral-floral, but sort of smelling vaguely like something that might once have seen some flowers.

Gosh, this is unbelievably difficult to describe! Let’s just skip it and go back to the comparison approach.

Now. My perfect vanilla tea has a fairly strong flavouring. It is sweet and creamy and has a funny sort of note to it that reminds me of the actual vanilla pod. The shiny black leathery way it looks and the way it feels when you touch it. This last note, the podness, is actually the most important of the three.

This black orchid is fairly strongly flavoured with recognisable vanilla, so check.

It’s very sweet and gives a creamy sort of impression when I swallow, so check, although I like the creamyness to be a little bit heavier, detectable in the entire sip and not just the swallow.

The podness, though. The podness is quite an abstract sort of thing to search for, really. It’s either there or it isn’t, and I have to say that in this tea, it… isn’t. Fail. But there’s something else, though. There’s that thing that I have such difficulty explaining what is. The non-floral floral-ness of vanilla for adults. Well, it’s new. I’m not sure I wouldn’t still prefer podness, though. Podness in combination with this would have been fanfreakingtastic!

This is an extremely good vanilla black for anybody who likes vanilla flavoured teas. But it’s not perfect.

In other news, childish soul alert: Neopets.com is eating my life. I played this for a couple of years nearly ten years ago and a couple of weeks ago decided to try it again. No clue what the details of the old account was anymore. Or even the username. Or even the email I’d used. I had a green kougra though, but I’ve forgotten what the name was. I have a blue Kau now which is painted baby (random event) called Semi-Skimmed. And I’m having GREAT FUN!

I already wrote a tasting note for the green Marco Polo, which can be found here: http://steepster.com/annchen/posts/189598.

Just like I emphasized there, I tend to pick out teas going on scent alone. That, in its turn, means I rarely, if ever, read others’ reviews or tasting notes before logging my own impressions. This is yet another exception to that rule, which creates some confusion, simply because… I really expected over-the-top, ripe, strawberry. And for me, there is absolutely not a single hint of strawberry to be found here.

The black tea has some of the same booziness as the green, but it lacks the autumnal ripeness that is so present in that one; it’s less tipsy and more elegant, and with a far stronger note of smooth vanilla in the aftertaste.

I enjoy it, but Pleine Lune and Wedding Impérial still rule my cupboard in terms of Mariage Frères blacks. I’m going to go with Sil’s suggestion and try this as a cold brew next time.

[Surreptitiously acquired from Mariage Frères in London, August 2013.]

Sipdown #48

The brewed tea aroma is…not my beloved Yunnan black! It almost smells like Keemun…WEIRD! This tea is what I refer to as “dirty diaper tea.” I’m so confused. I LOVE Yunnan black teas! They are one of my all-time favorite tea regions. So, what is this cuppa? Is it a blend of Yunnan and something else?

The dirty diaper aroma doesn’t fully make its way into the taste. It’s more in the aftertaste, which unfortunately builds and gets stronger as I take more sips. Booo! What has Mariage Frères done to my beloved Yunnan? :(

It’s borderline undrinkable and not something I’d want to try again. I’m sure others could drink this and enjoy it just fine. It’s just not for me. Big thanks to Sil for this sample! I might have bought 100g of it thinking it was a safe bet just to be disappointed when I got home. Catastrophe avoided! ;)

Happy New Years Eve, Steepster!
This year has not had as much tea reviewing as I wanted (a goal for 2024, for sure), but this remains my favorite place on the internet. Thank you for being the best group of people ever!
May your water always be the right temperature for the tea you are steeping in 2024.

I escaped this weekend to the Bay Area, where I spent a day with my sister in Berkeley. It was a delightful change from the billion degree heat where I am.
When we were there she took me to a fancy international food store, where there was not only Marriage Freres tea, but Marriage Freres tea that was in bulk bins, where I could buy just as much as I wanted!
Oooh, this is dangerous and wonderful, and I am so, so glad to have Marco Polo again.
Yum!

Another bittersweet sipdown from this morning.
I will have you again, Marco Polo. You are too magnificent not to get again. Someday, when I am very, very good indeed.
Until we meet again.

This tea is magnificent. Beyond every expectation for sure, transendant, and just so, so delicious.
My sister gave me a little bit of this several months ago for my birthday, and I’ve been greedily hording it. Well, enough of that! Tea is for drinking! I still have enough for a small cup, when I will enjoy on a lovely day, and then, one day when I have been very good indeed, I wil order a full size of this for myself.

Heritage Gourmand Tea Festiv was the first in the Heritage Gourmand series of teas. A premimum black tea that was lightly fruity, slightly sweet, and all together the best tasting tea I’ve ever enjoyed. Currently not available from Mariage Freres but I hope that they will bring it back. There are now other teas in the Gourmand series but their first was the best.

i will never be the same. i will NOT list the beautiful sample that Ysaurella sent me among my teas and no one can make me! because if i did someone might ask me to share and i would look like a selfish jerk when i replied ‘no’.

this blend makes me feel very north american. the finesse of taste carried the weight of years in history before canada was colonized. this tea was not just a continent apart but an entire world.

if you’re asking yourself whether tea from paris would taste better the answer is a hearty HELL YES!

i taste blackberries and smell a gentle unnamed flower. i taste blue and watercolour heather purple. i see peacock feathers drifting in the basket…. this is a dreamer’s tea. i have never had a tea in which i tasted colour.

ysaurella, i must admit, at several points i didn’t want to drink it. i was completely entranced by the dry blend smell…. i sniffed it so much i’m surprised there was any scent or taste left. i was stopped again as it steeped with beautifully scented vapour roiling.

comme c’est beau….. les gens qui dites ‘ca ne vaux pa la peine d’etre beau’ ne connaissent pas cette the.

All of this rain has been making me crave hot drinks and warm blankets! I’ve found myself drinking so many cups of coffee and caffeinated teas that I think I need to tone it down and drink something decaf! I have a very, very early morning on Tuesday and will need to stop drinking caffeine earlier tomorrow. It’s funny, but I like days when I don’t have to get up very early in the morning because I can drink whatever I like the day/night before.

Anyway, onto the tea! My father brought this tea back for me and I’m so happy that it’s a rooibos! The dry leaf smells very sweet and rich. Once water has been added, the tea smells a bit like a spicy vanilla. Sipping… It could be because this tea is a little old, but the flavors are so muted! I can still taste the rooibos, a bit of vanilla and something nutty. It is tasty and would be more appropriate for drinking with something very sweet, like cake or a pastry. I had just finished having a few bites of a very sweet brownie, so I welcome this cup — mellow, smooth and not at all overwhelming.

Sipdown, 147. Time for round two of MF Earl Greys that I don’t expect to like all that much. But I’m still glad to try them, so thanks wheezybee!

I love most florals, and for a while I thought I loved lavender Earl Greys, but then lavender turned against me and I haven’t been a fan of it in teas. But you know what? This is pretty decent. I am enjoying this tea. The lavender is light and not too soapy or herby, and the base is smooth. Kind of boring, but smooth. I wouldn’t necessary go for it again, but I will happily drink the rest of this cup.

Sipdown, 148. I am getting dangerously close to 150, and I just won some oolong samples from Teavivre, so I need to get some sipdowns in. Of course many of the sipdowns I have are things I would prefer to give full reviews to, but so it goes. This sample comes to me thanks to wheezybee.

When I requested this sample from her I didn’t know it was a darjeeling base, and I’m not really a fan of darjeeling. But I will try it nonetheless! I always think that someday a darjeeling will make me love darjeelings, so I am always open to trying them. I’ve also learned to brew them cool as they quickly get bitter on me.

Well I guess I should have gone short time as well as cool with this one, because it is bitter bitter. And way astringent. The bergamot is fine, but the base is not. Yup, still don’t like darjeelings.

So my friend had allegedly (the guys at the Selfridge’s location are always so slithery – sweet, but still very very slithery) bought too many sweet, fruity and floral teas, so the sample she got when she asked to try something not on her shopping list was Yuzu Temple.

I steeped this a little hot, which really brought out the peppery notes (I don’t like peppery or chilied teas at all). As it cools down, it gets increasingly perfumey, but it’s surprisingly smooth for a citrus tea. The main body is exactly that – a mouthful of smooth, tart citrus. Not bad at all, but it’s not as light or understated as either of the (potentially hallucinated) teas I mention in this review: http://steepster.com/annchen/posts/184901.

In complete accordance with the Mariage Frères profile, this tea is somewhat eccentric; the tea equivalent of a fur stola-clad grande dame with very fixed ideas, leaving a cloud of citrus perfume behind as she sweeps out of the room.

In terms of citrus, I’m still going to be stocking the brutal and refreshing Kusmi ginger-lemon, but I won’t mind finishing the rest of this sample at all.

[Sample surreptitiously acquired from Mariage Frères in London, August 2013.]

The tea has a very special and unforgettable aroma when it comes to its dry leaves especially. What I get from the leaves are strong and sweet cinnamon(with clove) ,something similar to orange peel /orange blossom together with some notes of honey. Very yummy ,with detectable almond overtone and not bitter at all when I sniff it.

Brewed hot for about 3 minutes,I find that although all scents blend in perfectly,the liquor is smooth yet very strong ,with the kind of bitterness that I can’t handle alone very well.So last night,I finally gave up my ritual of not adding sweeteners ，and dropped a teaspoon of lavender honey to it. Hurray!It transformed to almond milk! Still with elegant floral and light black tea taste lingering on my palate ,but it’s so much alike with almond milk! The tea is so satisfying with honey,and it even offers the creaminess of almond milk itself~!

Interestingly,I ’ve been wearing Noix de Tubereuse by Miller Harris since yesterday afternoon,whose middle notes remind me of this tea constantly ,with both cleanness(iris and a little fresh soil ) 、sharpness (spicy sweet)、violet-y notes(which I love so much) and creaminess of nuts( tuberose smells somehow like coconut in my point of view).No wonder the two smell so much alike~