Paris

Meh…. tonight this tea is tasting a bit funky. It’s alright, and perfectly drinkable, but I’m getting a bit of a “flavouring”-y aftertaste to it that’s not pleasant. It mostly tastes like nutty chocolate to me tonight… can’t recall what it’s actually supposed to taste like!

After a god-awful tea experience today, I needed something that I know I like. Funny enough I’ve never even had Paris, but the reviews are so glowing I can’t imagine NOT loving it. And the leaves smell amazing. I’ve been sniffing them since I bought this but haven’t tried the tea itself yet… honestly, I’m a little worried that nothing can live up to the smell of the dry leaves. I want to take a bath in them and smell like Paris.

Steeped the flavors aren’t really as in your face as the leaves, but it’s still intoxicating. The base is a deliciously balanced black, and that’s really what you taste the most. A teeny bit malty, with some yeasty, bready qualities. H&S is so good at blending blacks! The vanilla and fruit flavors come into play at the end of the sip—a burst of fruity goodness followed by wonderfully smooth vanilla that lingers long after you’re done drinking. I can’t quite place the fruits, which is interesting—I usually dislike fruity teas like peach or strawberry. This tastes berry-ish, but not like strawberry. More like a brief hint of fresh-picked raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. Almost jammy! But there’s something else too that’s really intriguing. It reminds me of some of the pastries I had in Paris. With the yeasty base and the vanilla/jammy flavors, this is like a baked dessert in a cup!

I made a Thermos of this tea to take to work at about 6:45 this morning. I took it to work and completely forgot I brought it until way late this evening. My tea was still really hot in my Thermos after over 12 hours – and it was amazing.

YAY! 100TH TASTING NOTE!
I was hoping for something more epic, but why not just make it an old go to? This is my perfect tea for a clean, quiet house. Nothing to do and no one to bug me! Sweet, fruity and creamy.
I want to bake cookies and my tea is getting cold. . . so much for my moment. lol

Thanks to Emilie and Will Work for Tea for these samples.

4 minutes is where it’s at. Last time, I steeped this for 5 minutes and found some astringency. At 4 minutes, no astringency!

Upping the rating a little! Delicious!

EDIT: I put the remainder of my cup in the fridge to cool. It is actually pretty good chilled.

One of my staples and a “must-try”.

A beautiful bergamonty caramel tea with a slight fruit undertone – mostly berry and apricot, but very very subtle. Lovely black base, I do find it becomes astringent quickly when steeped longer than 3 minutes.

I usually have this straight, but sometimes I’ll add in milk if I’m after the comfort factor. When milk is added it brings out a hint of vanilla and rounds out the caramel making it more creamy.

John Harney Appreciation Tea #6

Another old friend, Paris was my first black experience tea from Harney & Sons. I see that Mike came up with this idea, but we can ultimately credit John, since without John, Mike would not exist!

I tried this tonight again because of another tea that I wanted to compare this against, not that they share the same ingredients or anything lol but it was an excuse to try this tea. I’m pretty sure I’m about done with this one, so the remainder of my sample will be going to a good home. Bergamot and I do no seem to dance well together. :)

I am a francophile when it cames to tea. Not by design, I think some big name French companies can go a little bit too froufrou with packaging and pricing or just plain esoteric. But for me, more often than not, it´s a couple of French companies which nail what I want in a special tea: good tea with wonderful flavours, introduced or natural, and that specialness. Any tea named Paris is going to have to live up to my expectations, for tea coming in black and gold boxes!

This Paris comes from the other side of the Atlantic. I love that Harney sells small samples, I wish more places did that, it was a way to get to know this without commitment. I got enough for 3 or 4 cups, the first cup was not a hit it seemed to react very badly to my tap water. This is my second (or third?) attempt at this. Mineral water and I was careful of temperature. And it is still not a hit. I brewed it too cold I think, only the bergamot developped and I am getting some bitterness from something somewhere. This is not comparing too well with Thé au Tibet (the most no-fuss very refined tea ever) or Marco Polo. Would I have compared it to either of those without the name and reading other reviews? Dunno. But this is a tough name for a tea to live up, in my house!

I still got enough for one more attempt. Maybe that it will be love at third sight. I really wanted to love this.

If Florence had me tap dancing down memory lane, you don’t want to get me started on Paris. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. But the worst of times part was hardly the city’s fault. I think I’ve been to Paris about four times in my life. Two of those times it was fairly late spring, and both times it snowed. Something I think about every now and then as I really don’t associate Paris with snow. But I digress.

Whatever I’m smelling in the sample packet, fortunately, it isn’t reminding me of cough syrup. From the dry leaves I am getting the following, though I have no idea whether it is what I’m supposed to get: vanilla, citrus, other fruit, something spicy. The vanilla is hanging tough in the steeped aroma, along with the fruit.

I’d expected something Earl Greyish, as bergamot is an ingredient, but this isn’t Earl Greyish in the least. In fact, if I didn’t know it was there, I wouldn’t recognize the bergamot.

There’s a high lemony note, but the rest is just a really interesting blend of fruit flavors in which nothing jumps out to me on a first try. I can get a berry note if I try hard, but it’s not at all overt.

I haven’t fallen head over heels for this one, at least not yet. I like it, but I find it a little too confusing at the moment. It could surprise me, though. It could be like that guy you thought for the longest time was just ok, and then one day you wake up and realize he’s more than just ok and the world is going to end right that minute if he doesn’t love you back.

ETA: The berry is really starting to come out as the tea cools. Like I said, this one might just sneak up on me…