43
drank Black Opera by Mariage Frères
6444 tasting notes

A little while back, I stopped in at the Holt Renfrew holiday shop and picked up some beautiful Mariage Freres teas. Unfortunately, the beautiful tins came with a not-so-beautiful price tag of $45 a tin. Plus, I had the added bonus of having the Holts employees basically glued to me as if I came to steal all their precious tea. So, I was not too motivated to splurge on anything. Consequently, I bought two tins: one of Mousse au Chocolat, which I tried before and really enjoyed, and this tea since it is one that I have been eyeing for over a year.

When I smelled this tea, it smelled deliciously rich and fruity. When I brewed it up, I hoped the smell would transfer into the taste and it did to some extent as the tea was quite fruity. However, it had a generic red fruit taste and not much else other than a mediocre base that fought for center stage. With that said, I steeped it for 5 minutes at 200F according to the Mariage Freres instructions and I think that might have thrown things off so I will be trying this again and again until I get it just right. I mean, at $45 a tin, I’m not about to just give up on it :P.

Tea Pet

Gosh, with such a beautiful name, you’d hope that the tea would live up to it. It’s truly unfortunately that it was mediocre.. I have been eyeing that one for a while!

TeaBrat

They are so overpriced for what you are getting…

Dustin

Wow, that much and not even that good?! :(

OMGsrsly

BOO to MF for being so hard to get here! I hope you can get it to work for you.

Fjellrev

Ah, I was just at HR here in Edmonton earlier today and they didn’t have any of the tins. In a way, I’m sort of relieved since that is definitely on the majorly steep side.

Roswell Strange

Pun intended Fjellrev?

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Comments

Tea Pet

Gosh, with such a beautiful name, you’d hope that the tea would live up to it. It’s truly unfortunately that it was mediocre.. I have been eyeing that one for a while!

TeaBrat

They are so overpriced for what you are getting…

Dustin

Wow, that much and not even that good?! :(

OMGsrsly

BOO to MF for being so hard to get here! I hope you can get it to work for you.

Fjellrev

Ah, I was just at HR here in Edmonton earlier today and they didn’t have any of the tins. In a way, I’m sort of relieved since that is definitely on the majorly steep side.

Roswell Strange

Pun intended Fjellrev?

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Bio

My cupboard has grown exponentially since joining this site and I have a lot to share. Feel free to snoop through my cupboard and message me if anything interests you – I am always happy to swap!

For me, flavored teas are definitely my sweet spot. I will most often reach for black teas and rooibos or honeybush blends but I do keep some flavored whites and greens around for when the mood strikes. I have a few herbals/tisanes but most of the time I find myself disappointed by them as they often smell deliciously sweet and then end up tasting tart/sour. I have a little bit of an aversion to pu’erh and oolong teas. I am also wary of florals, earl greys, and chai teas. I do not like overpowering citrus flavors nor do I usually like hibiscus, licorice or chamomile. I love dessert teas – caramel, vanilla, toffee, cookie, cream, and other sweet flavors make me smile. Fruits like strawberry, peach, mango, and pineapples will often catch my attention as well.

I have also realized that although I really enjoy adding frothed milk to some of my teas, if I do not like the tea with zero additives (just in plain water without milk or sugar), I probably won’t drink it. The one exception is flavored matchas which I will happily drink in cold milk if I do not like it mixed with hot water. My theory is if the tea can’t stand on its own then it is not for me and I will more than likely try to swap it out for something else.

Tea Ratings Guide (as of December 10, 2017)
90-100 Teas I NEED on hand at all times
80-89 Teas I want to keep around for a cup every now and then
70-79 Teas I am glad I have around and can experiment with but probably don’t need more than what’s in my cupboard
60-69 Teas I would not turn down a cup of from a friend but that would probably be enough
50-59 Teas I can see why someone would enjoy but are not for me
Under 50 Teas I really did not like and most likely got dumped

Location

Waterdown, Ontario

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