Lydia H Send Message

At first, I was a little apprehensive to try this tea blend.

Black tea, and white tea? With rose, and lavender? To me, it sounded like it would be too floral, too citrusy and have little balance. (I was so glad I was wrong.)

Mariage Freres balance their teas very well – the strong base of the black tea was softened by the subtler white tea base. The floral, citrus lavender flavour wasn’t overpowering and the rose was very sweet and fragrant. I didn’t necessarily taste the white flowers but I felt like they added an overall smoothness to the blend and helped this tea to have a beautiful finish.

My only recommendation would be not to drink this tea in the morning with breakfast. It is an afternoon tea and should probably be kept that way – unless your breakfast is tea cake and madeleines, which I would not be opposed to. The friend I tried this tea with really didn’t like it, so it all comes down to personal taste, but I love this tea and I’m very happy with it.

I wasn’t completely sold on this tea, but I will try it again.

I tried it in the restaurant, and because I wasn’t allowed to have it with any sweeteners like honey or sugar, it was quite strong and black. It wasn’t bitter because it was brewed very well but it had a very robust flavour.

The blurb gives future tea-tasters no idea as to what’s actually in the tea, but I think from memory it was two types of black teas from India – Assam and something else, perhaps.

In future, I’d like to try this tea with honey and milk, or black with lemon because I have a feeling it’ll be a brilliant tea once I tailor it to my tastes.

I’m a bit on the fence about this tea.

I tried it today for the first time. I brewed it for three minutes, as per the instructions. It did say to brew to taste, though, so feel free to experiment.

I’m undecided about this tea because it had a very strong, bold peppermint base. And while that’s typical for this herb, I was a little disappointed on the first sip. But by the second cup, I tasted a softer and subtler note.

The nettle was there – but hidden between layers of mint. I had bought this tea because I hoped it would be a little more unusual than your average herbal tea. It didn’t have the brilliant impact I was hoping for. But I think, with a little tweaking and some science, this tea could become a reliable, loyal herbal tea in my cupboard.

I tried this tea for the first time and found it really nice, as long as it isn’t too strong. But that all comes down to personal taste.

I’m not a huge fan of vanilla in tea, it doesn’t suit me, but it seemed to work well in this tea. The caramel and apricot base was really rich, and smooth, and it was quite a warm, winter sort of tea. (I thought.) I think some people could find the apricot a little overpowering, but I found it to be a really velvety tea.

When I have this tea again, I think I’ll have it with milk, it seems to suit it really well. My only point would be I prefer tea with a little more spice, but it’s an enjoyable tea.

So, I tried this tea for the first time today.

And I was a little disappointed. Everyone says that this tea tastes great iced – and I’m tempted to try it that way. I think the fault I made was brewing it for only 3 minutes.

It was a lovely pale peachy colour when poured, and smelt fantastic in the tin – it was a little underwhelming, but I’m sure it would be lovely if I tried it again. The overall taste was lovely and fruity, but I think the finish was lost because of the brewing time.

But I’m not dissuaded in any way at all – this is just a word of warning to all those prospective tea triers, make sure you brew this tea for a while and I’m sure it will be gorgeous. I will edit this post when I try it again! c:

I really enjoyed this tea, if you’re quite new to fruit melanges like me – this might be a great place to start.

Its description is quite apt – it’s very tangy, a little bit tart but it has some definite sweet notes in the middle. The strongest flavours are the apple and pomegranate, with the rosehip and hibiscus lingering in the aftertaste. It has a lovely purple magenta colour when poured and smells absolutely gorgeous.

I had it black (or, pink) and while I know the tartness of the apple wouldn’t suit everyone, I adored it and will definitely drink this tea again.

I really liked this tea. Some might say it’s a basic breakfast tea, and it is, but I think Mariage Freres always do very fine teas.

It’s traditional, certainly, but in no way boring or bland. It is a lovely, beautiful golden colour when poured. It’s very rich, more on the aftertaste than in the beginning. It’s clear, and smooth, and a little malty and just what you need in a breakfast tea. I like that it’s not too dark and not predictable.

I had this tea black with honey, but you can also have it with milk, or without. It’s a very flexible tea, and I’d drink it again.

A very lovely (Canadian) friend of mine sent me this tea a while ago. I’ll be staying with her for two months next year, and this little taste of tea I had with me just made me keen as a bean for my travels.

Of course, the first thing about this tea is the smell. It’s like hot maple syrup when it’s steeping, and I’m glad there is no obvious undercurrent of rooibos tea. It has definite notes of flavour, caramel, a little spice, something softer and sweeter towards the end. But it is a very sweet tea, I would advise anyone to drink it black, with no milk.

If you’re new to rooibos tea like I am, this is a wonderful tea to start with. The little coloured maple leaf candies in the mix are so cute, and so quintessentially Canadian. I love this tea, and it’s made a very welcome addition to my cupboard.