Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black & Green Teas
Where to Buy: Le Palais des Thés
Tea Description:
An ancient legend tells of how the Tibetan monks would prepare this blend of tea, plants and flowers in the greatest of secrecy. After several days of soaking, the leaves were carefully plucked out and put to one side. By this mysterious alchemy, the monks turned the tea into gold and gave it its exceptional scent.
Black and green tea blend.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
With my first few sips of this The des Moines from Le Palais des Thés, I kept trying to figure out what that familiar flavor was. It tasted kind of like bubble gum, with notes that are reminiscent of grenadine, and hints of citrus, vanilla and jasmine. Then I thought … this is like a Monk’s Blend!
Then I read the description (above) and it would seem that it is indeed a Monk’s Blend, but with one significant difference … the base of this tea is composed of not just black tea leaves, but also green tea leaves. Recognizing the green tea leaves before I brewed the tea, I decided to brew this at a lower temperature than was recommended on the packaging (I went with 185°F instead of the recommended 205°F) and brewed it for 2 1/2 minutes.
And I like the difference that the green tea brings to this cup. The base is lighter and crisper than the usually stronger, slightly more astringent taste that I might experience from a typical Monk’s Blend. And this allows me to explore the floral and fruity notes just a little more. This tastes more bubblegum-y to me, sweet and juicy and tasty … evoking thoughts of childhood … but without having the sugary gum stuck to my teeth!
I recommend tasting this tea before sweetening … I found it to be plenty sweet without any sweetener, and I think if I had added anything it would have ended up being way too sweet! This is really quite enjoyable as is.
A very pleasant Monk’s Blend type tea … but with a nice twist!
Thé des Fakirs (Green Tea Chai) from Le Palais des Thés
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Le Palais des Thés
Tea Description:
A tasty, scented blend of green tea and spices (cardamom and clove) with a hint of citrus. Delicious hot or iced.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I love spiced chai blends, and I’ve said that on more than one occasion, I’m sure. However, I am usually partial to chai blends crafted with a black tea base, and I’m not always as excited over the green tea based chai blends. However, this Thé des Fakirs (Green Tea Chai) from Le Palais des Thés is making a believer out of me!
This blend does not contain all the “usual” spices that I typically find in a chai blend. This blend focuses on just cardamom and clove, and personally, I think it was the right decision to omit the stronger spices of cinnamon and ginger, as these can be rather aggressive spices and can sometimes overpower the more delicate green tea base. By eliminating the cinnamon and ginger (and other spices like fennel or pepper), the drinker can enjoy not just the warmth and exotic flavor of cloves and cardamom, but also the sweet, lush notes of the green tea.
This tea offers a really lovely balance of flavors. The orange brightens the cup, adding just a touch of sweetness. The spices are warm but not overwhelmingly spicy. The green tea is sweet and slightly buttery. It’s a really nice combination of flavors. I found this to be delightful served warm (just a tiny drizzle of honey helped bring out the spices a little bit without making the cup too sweet) and it was also really good as the cup began to cool … this would make a really nice alternative to the typical glass of iced tea!
Thé des Sables from Le Palais des Thés
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Le Palais des Thés
Tea Description:
This green tea blend was inspired by a trip to Morocco. It is flavored with exotic fruits (mango, yellow peach and citrus) and Damascus rose, a famous variety that grows on the slopes of the Atlas mountains. Like a flower petal jelly, this tea is both fresh and sensual, and it is beautiful either hot or iced.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Thé des Sables from Le Palais des Thés is an enjoyable tea. It’s certainly not my favorite offering from this company, but, I am finding it to be calming … soothing … this evening.
The fruit notes of mango and peach taste a tad … artificial, especially in the first couple of sips, but by the time I’ve reached mid-cup, the artificial notes seem to have softened and make way for a more true-to-fruit kind of experience. This ‘artificial-ness” can also have something to do with the citrus tones, which sort of tingle on the tongue in the aftertaste similar to the way my tongue tingles after I’ve sipped a tea that tastes slightly chemical-y or perfume-y. But this tingling sensation sort of wanes by mid-cup, and the artificial taste is less noticeable.
But even with the artificial taste, this tea doesn’t taste horrible. I think it is the floral tones that save the tea from being dumped, really, because the floral tones are so soft and pleasant. Sweet and exotic tasting, like baklava that’s been flavored with rose water. When served warm, this is what this tea reminds me of. I sometimes even think I can taste the pastry notes, which is kind of odd for a green tea … so it might all be in my head … maybe this tea just enchants me so that I think I taste things that I don’t. It is interesting to me, though, that the floral tones here seem so soft and pleasant, not at all perfume-y, while the fruit tones tasted so off at the start … reminiscent of perfume.
As I said, it’s not my favorite tea from this company, but, I’ve tried several teas from them that I’ve really quite enjoyed so I’m not going to allow this one experience to taint my opinion of Le Palais des Thés. Not every tea is going to prove to be a winner, after all, and this one isn’t so horrible that I’d call it a loss … it’s something I enjoyed alright, and something that I’d drink again if I were offered it, but I doubt that I’d order it for myself if I’ve other choices.
Acai Tangerine from The Whistling Kettle
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White & Pu-erh
Where to Buy: The Whistling Kettle
Tea Description:
Inspired by Dr. Oz and Canadian natural health guru Bryce Wylde, our pu-erh/white tea blend is designed to shrink fat, burn deposits, and prevent new fat from depositing. Tastes excellent hot or iced. The rich smoothness of pu-erh is contrasted with delicate notes of white tea, and accentuated with flavors of acai, tangerine, and chrysanthemum.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
According to the description on The Whistling Kettle’s website, this tea was inspired by Dr. Oz and health guru Bryce Wylde. To tell the truth, I don’t know who Bryce Wylde is, and I don’t really put a lot of stock in what Dr. Oz says. I don’t drink tea because it’s healthy or because it is supposed to enhance weight loss. I drink tea because I like the way it tastes. If it is also good for me, that’s a bonus, but not one I allow to influence me one way or the other.
And this tastes good! I’m not usually a big fan of the tart Acai berry, but, when combined with the sweetness of the tangerine, the tartness mellows somewhat, making this a very enjoyable drink, indeed.
There is so much flavor in this cup. From the deep, mellow, earthy tones of the Pu-erh, to the crisp sweetness of the white tea… combined with the sweet-tart notes of fruit and the hint of floral taste from the chrysanthemum, this cup has a taste that is very palate pleasing. These different flavors all come together in a way that is very well-balanced. Nothing competing with anything else, nothing overpowering the cup. Just smooth, mellow, delicious flavor.
The Pu-erh is what I notice first, but what stands out about this Pu-erh from some others that I’ve tried is that it doesn’t taste overwhelmingly earthy. It does have an earthiness to it, it is somewhat peaty with a woody note. It is very mellow, and the softness of the white tea curbs the flavor so that the earthy tones of the Pu-erh do not come across as too strong. The white tea is not as prominent a flavor, but then again, it shouldn’t be. White tea has a delicate taste. But I can taste it: light, fresh, almost hay-like. The flavor is slight but where the white tea is primarily noticeable is as a softening agent to the Pu-erh.
The tangerine and acai seem pretty evenly matched. In one sip, I seem to notice more tangerine, and in the next, I’ll taste a little more berry. It’s quite lovely the way these two flavors play with one another, very enjoyable, especially for this taster who often finds the tartness of acai to be a bit much. When paired with the sweet taste of tangerine, it becomes much more palatable.
I’ve tried a couple of blends from this company – The Whistling Kettle – and I’ve enjoyed what I’ve tried. And I’m liking this blend a lot! It’s also really good iced!
Thé Aromatisé a la Rose (Rose Petal Tea) from Hediard Paris
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Tea Description:
Since 1854 Hédiard has been a well-known name in Paris, for years the shop has been frequented by many cosmopolitan and noteworthy figures. The flagship store and restaurant are located on Place de Madeleine and the company has grown to oversee distribution to select shops in France and on four continents.
Hediard’s tea blends use the whole tealeaf to minimize the powdery residue sometimes left behind from crushed leaves. Hediard buys only from the greatest tea experts in the topmost estates.
Hediard Rose flavored tea with rose petals has an aromatique and alluring blend of black tea from China, rose petals and rose essential oil. The fragrance and taste are perfect for romance or pampering.
Learn more about Hediard Paris here.
This tea can be found at various locations including Cyber Cucina.
Taster’s Review:
This is really quite nice, and rather unexpected! I was a little unsure about the tea when I read that the tea had been blended using “rose essential oil.” While I realize that most flavored tea blends are flavored with oils, most teas flavored with floral essence tend to be teas that were scented with the flower blossoms and petals themselves by layering the young tea leaves and blossoms and allowing the tea leaves to absorb the flower essence this way. I find that teas that are flavored with floral essential oils tend to taste very perfume-y and sometimes downright soapy.
But, I am glad that my previous experiences with teas flavored with floral essential oils did not cloud my judgement and I still tried this tea, because it is really quite lovely.
The black tea is invigorating without being too bold or assertive, making this a nice tea to enjoy in the afternoon (and would make a perfectly lovely choice for a garden tea party!) There is a very nice balance between black tea flavor (rich and earthy) and sweet rose notes.
The rose is strong but not overwhelming and doesn’t come off as too perfume-y. There is a somewhat perfume-ish taste that arrives on the palate at about mid-sip, but, it is a slight perfume-ish kind of note, and seems to wash over the palate smoothly and quickly, so it doesn’t end up becoming off-putting. Instead it is what I’d call feminine and romantic, tasting more of rose water than of perfume or soap.
The rose here is not as strong or as sharp as a typical rose tea (I’m thinking of most of the rose congou teas I’ve tried), it is more of a sweet, dainty, delicate kind of flavor, kind of what I’d expect a rose tea from Paris to be … kind of like a windswept romantic kind of taste … very daydream-y, just like Paris is to me.