Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Le Palais des Thés
Tea Description:
Yunnan is one of the best black teas in the world and with a fresh and delicate bergamot from Calabria, it gives a particularly fine and well balanced blend. An exceptional Earl Grey.
Earl Grey is one of the best-loved English teas. It was first created when Charles Grey, 2nd Earl of Falloden and Foreign Secretary of Britain, received an old recipe from a Mandarin Chinese that called for flavoring tea with bergamot.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a tasty Earl Grey from Le Palais des Thés … this Blue of London – or Earl Grey Yunnan. Tasty … but I don’t know that I would call it exceptional as it is called in the above description.
But it is good. The Yunnan gives it a very rich flavor that is sweet with notes of caramel and spice, and the slightest hint of chocolate. It is a strong, invigorating black tea, and I like the way the Yunnan complements the bergamot flavor. The Yunnan tea is the strongest flavor of the cup, but there is a compelling balance between black tea notes and bergamot.
The bergamot here is a softer bergamot. Some teas go for a heady bergamot essence and some go for a more subtle approach. This bergamot is on the subtle side. It doesn’t whack me upside the head with the tangy citrus notes, nor is it so strong that it comes across as perfume-y. It is on the delicate side, but it isn’t so delicate that it is not tasted. I DEFINITELY taste the bergamot here, I just don’t taste a strong, pungent, soapy bergamot that overwhelms the palate with its presence.
And I like that. As much as I love bergamot – and for those of you that have been reading my reviews for a while probably are well aware of my love affair with the distinguished Mr. Earl Grey – sometimes a subtle, smooth approach is better than coming on strong. I like that the way the bergamot comes through here.
This is a really good Earl Grey … and the more I sip it, the more I like it. It isn’t my favorite Earl Grey, which is why I say I wouldn’t classify it as exceptional – I save exceptional for only those I consider my favorites. But, it IS good, and certainly worth a try, especially if you are a fan of Earl Grey. Just because it isn’t my favorite doesn’t mean that it won’t be yours!
Green of London – Earl Grey Mao Feng Tea from Le Palais des Thes
Tea Type:Green Tea
Where To Buy:
Product Description:
Green of London is a particularly fine and well-balanced blend, consisting of an excellent Chinese green tea, a fresh and delicate bergamot, and flower petals – cornflower and blue mallow. An exceptional Earl Grey, finally available with a green tea base!
Earl Grey has been a great English classic ever since Charles Grey, 2nd Earl of Falloden and Foreign Secretary went on to become Prime Minister in 1830. For saving the life of the Chinese Mandarin, he received in gratitude a specially scented tea flavoured with oil of bergamot.
Tasters Review:
I received a lovely email from Fanja at Le Palais des Thes explaining that Green of London – Earl Grey Mao Feng is now available at their SoHo/NYC Store! Exciting!!! They sent the Sororitea Sisters a batch of their brand new US release and we are VERY excited to try this!
I must say – I cannot remember if I have had an Earl Grey flavored Mao Feng before. I know I have had Senchas, as well as other types of green’s that were EG flavored but I really don’t remember a Mao Feng!
I do really like this! They hit the nail on the head for EG flavor especially with the Green tea base, here! It seems to be the perfect level of EG flavor to be strong and true but you can still taste the Green Tea base which is grassy and sweet. The Bergamot is really nice too! And there is a hint of floral flavor and it increases as I continue to sip!
This is a nice sipping tea as well as a gulping tea. I enjoyed this hot and cold. Pretty brilliant!
I thought this was a pretty neat tea to review on my Birthday! CHEERS!
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.
Thé des Alizés from Le Palais des Thes
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Le Palais Des Thés
Tea Description:
A green tea enlivened by flower petals and delicately scented with pieces of white peach, kiwi and watermelon. The green tea and the juicy freshness of the fruit are wonderfully balanced. Can be drunk hot or iced.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I am not usually one for watermelon flavored things outside of watermelon itself, but this delicate tea by Le Palais des Thes has me enjoying a watermelon blend. Granted it is not just a watermelon flavored tea, there are other wonderful fruit flavors in here accompanying the watermelon, peach is one of those flavors, and I am quite partial to peach teas! Kiwi is pretty good in teas although I have not seen it used often, so this is a really nice flavor blend.
Just as in the description offered by the company, it is in fact quite a “juicy” tea. As you sip your mouth almost waters with the burst of fruit flavors.
Also the green tea base holds its own against quite a few somewhat strong flavors. The base cold easily have been overcome, but it is not. In fact it not only holds its own, but the base is the main flavor I taste, which is good because when it comes to tea, sometimes I do enjoy a tea that is overwhelming with flavor, but for the most part I want to savor the tea over any flavorings within it.
I will say that it can be difficult to pick out any one flavor in the tea between the different fruits. One would not sip this and instantly say “Watermelon!” or “Kiwi!” for example. Rather it is more like a fruit punch flavor – a tropical punch, without the cloying sugar sweetness, yet it is nicely sweet, a natural sweet.
While this is not one of my favorite stash buster teas, it is always one that is lovely to return to. It is inviting enough that I am interested in trying more teas from Le Palais des Thes, which I intend to do in the future if this is any indication of their tea quality I should be quite pleased!
Cinnamon Wood Tea from Le Palais Des Thés
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Pu-erh
Where to Buy: Le Palais Des Thés
Tea Description:
Delicately scented Golden Triangle tea in a cinnamon wood caddy
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ll be honest, I bought this tea because I loved the packaging! No, not the cardboard box that you see above, but for the spectacular cinnamon wood cylinder box/caddy that is tucked inside that cardboard box. 
I’m a sucker for unique packaging anyway, and I collect tins. And while this isn’t a tin as it isn’t metal, the idea of storing tea in a caddy made of cinnamon wood box which acts to not just scent the tea but also adds a pleasing cinnamon scent to my kitchen was just so appealing to me.
And this box definitely DOES smell incredible. It reminds me a lot of this time of year, when I visit my local grocery store, as they sell bags of cinnamon infused pine cones. The smell is so amazing, that we buy at least one bag every year. (They also make nice fireplace fodder once the fragrance has waned)
I made the mistake of thinking that this was a black tea rather than a dark tea (Pu-erh) when I bought it and when I tried it the first time. The result was less than pleasant with the first sampling, as I didn’t take the time to rinse the leaves nor did I use my gaiwan to infuse the tea. I have found that the rinse and the utilization of the gaiwan have led to much more enjoyable Pu-erh experiences.
But, now that I’ve re-read the box information (in my defense, most of it IS in French!) I realize that this is indeed a Pu-erh and should be treated as such when brewing. And I’m now able to fully enjoy this tea!
And I am, indeed, enjoying it. The cinnamon flavor – which can sometimes be a very aggressive flavor – is surprisingly subtle. Perhaps this is because it is cinnamon scented as a result of the wood caddy, rather than blended with cinnamon chips or doused with cinnamon flavoring. I really like the lightness of the cinnamon, as it allows me to enjoy not just the warmth of the spice but also the exotic sweetness of it. The Pu-erh is earthy, but not overly so, and I think that the cinnamon tones bring out the best in the Pu-erh.
A really lovely tea – and because of the unique presentation it would make a really wonderful gift to your favorite tea lover on your gift giving list (that time of year is just around the corner, you know!)