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__Morgana__ drank Decaf Paris by Harney & Sons

2036 tasting notes

My first encounter with the non-decaf version of this was some time ago and judging by my note, I was less impressed than I think I probably should have been. I can’t imagine that a decaf would be better than a straight version, and man, this is really quite something.

The smell in the tin is quite intense — the bergamot gives it a zest-bitter smell that’s intense enough to open the sinuses, and the other flavors sort of wave from a distance. But after steeping, the aroma is more balanced, with some lovely vanilla and caramel notes, as well as berry-ish, raisin-ish smell. The tea is a reddish brown, slightly cloudy color.

And man, is it hitting the spot. I’m not sure whether it’s because I don’t often have black tea at night, or whether it’s because it’s going well with the remnants of my dinner, but it is really delicious. It doesn’t taste faded or papery in the decaf sort of way, either.

It has a richness that is surprising, and the flavor blend has a sweetness that’s kept from being cloying by the bergamot cutting through — the sweetness in turn tamps the zesty bitterness.

Yum.

Flavors: Bergamot, Berry, Black Currant, Caramel, Vanilla

Preparation

Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 17 OZ / 500 ML

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2 comments

ashmanra
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I just ran out of Paris. This makes me want to order the decaf version as the replacement.

__Morgana__
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I think there is room for both in any stash!

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ashmanra
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I just ran out of Paris. This makes me want to order the decaf version as the replacement.

__Morgana__
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I think there is room for both in any stash!

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Bio

I got obsessed with tea in 2010 for a while, then other things intruded, then I cycled back to it. I seem to be continuing that in for a while, out for a while cycle. I have a short attention span, but no shortage of tea.

I’m a mom, writer, gamer, lawyer, reader, runner, traveler, and enjoyer of life, literature, art, music, thought and kindness, in no particular order. I write fantasy and science fiction under the name J. J. Roth.

Personal biases: I drink tea without additives. If a tea needs milk or sugar to improve its flavor, its unlikely I’ll rate it high. The exception is chai, which I drink with milk/sugar or substitute. Rooibos and honeybush were my gateway drugs, but as my tastes developed they became less appealing — I still enjoy nicely done blends. I do not mix well with tulsi or yerba mate, and savory teas are more often a miss than a hit with me. I used to hate hibiscus, but I’ve turned that corner. Licorice, not so much.

Since I find others’ rating legends helpful, I added my own. But I don’t really find myself hating most things I try.

I try to rate teas in relation to others of the same type, for example, Earl Greys against other Earl Greys. But if a tea rates very high with me, it’s a stand out against all other teas I’ve tried.

95-100 A once in a lifetime experience; the best there is

90-94 Excellent; first rate; top notch; really terrific; will definitely buy more

80-89 Very good; will likely buy more

70-79 Good; would enjoy again, might buy again

60-69 Okay; wouldn’t pass up if offered, but likely won’t buy again

Below 60 Meh, so-so, iffy, or ick. The lower the number, the closer to ick.

I don’t swap. It’s nothing personal, it’s just that I have way more tea than any one person needs and am not lacking for new things to try. Also, I have way too much going on already in daily life and the additional commitment to get packages to people adds to my already high stress level. (Maybe it shouldn’t, but it does.)

That said, I enjoy reading folks’ notes, talking about what I drink, and getting to “know” people virtually here on Steepster so I can get ideas of other things I might want to try if I can ever again justify buying more tea. I also like keeping track of what I drink and what I thought about it.

My current process for tea note generation is described in my note on this tea: https://steepster.com/teas/mariage-freres/6990-the-des-impressionnistes