There are certain kinds of teas that, when you try them for the first time, produce an effect sort of like limerence. Something about the flavors catches you so pleasantly off guard that, for just a second, your head spins one or two loops and you get a little hazy-eyed. Once you get to know the tea and what to expect, it’s a pleasant cup but you lose that effect. But then you find new teas to try, and every once in a while you’ll hit that one whose flavor is just that kind of intoxicating that you can’t stop sipping it, trying to sort out exactly what mix of hues that is that you’ve never tasted before.
This was one of those teas. I got my Harney & Sons box and my Butiki box (a day earlier than expected!) today, and the first thing I did when I got home was to open them, open the H & S bags (YAY zip bags!), and sniff them.
And this was the first one I sniffed. When I think “Paris,” I think of a light, brightly delicate rose-flavored tea, with a twinkling little menagerie of nuances. This was different. I knew to expect caramel, and I got a bit of caramel in the center, but it was surrounded by something I still can’t put my finger on. It’s some kind of floral, but it’s not quite rose, it’s a little darker and sweeter, something purple-magenta. (Actually, if I wanted to be cynical, it’s perfume-y. But I don’t mind perfume-y.) But there’s a ringing bright overtone too, citrusy. I actually sat there blinking and went, “Whoa. Oh my god. Wow.” It was one of those that took me to a different place and time, which only added to the romance. I let my non-tea-drinking mom smell it, and she said, “That smells different!” In a good way, in that it wasn’t anything she had an immediate association for. Exactly how I felt.
The leaves are tiny. I didn’t get to see the color of the liquor, but the taste is pretty much like the aroma, except the caramel is a bit more pronounced. I drank it while we watched The Wolverine tonight, and I didn’t want to stop sipping on it because I wanted to figure out exactly what combination of flavors I was getting. And I still haven’t.
This isn’t my favorite tea yet, but I’ve quite enjoyed it. One of the great joys about experiencing things you’re looking forward to is that they’re almost never how you expect them. H & S also sent me a sample bag of this along with my order that included this tea, and I look forward to several more cups.
