Mariage Frères

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Recent Tasting Notes

75

This one is good, it is the only one from the whole marco polo variations that i really enjoy and could have as a daily drink.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 2 g 7 OZ / 200 ML

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60

Good, but not awesome.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 2 g 200 OZ / 5914 ML

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40

I don’t know why but this doesn’t taste good at all for me, tried many different brewing times and methods. Ended up giving it to a friend who very much liked it. It’s not the 1st time i’m having issues with white teas :/

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75

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75

very light, not used to this, but good

Flavors: Cut Grass, Peach, Umami

Preparation
140 °F / 60 °C 2 min, 0 sec 7 g 7 OZ / 200 ML

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drank Eros by Mariage Frères
2965 tasting notes

So the only thing I can be said to really like that has come out of the pandemic is that there are a lot more classes offered virtually. I’ve been happily taking classes online for a few years now, delighted to be getting a lecture from someone far away and getting to indulge my passions for all sorts of subjects.
Yesterday I was in an all day long virtual lecture about Art Nouveau (offered through the Smithsonian), which was wonderful. And I got to be in the comfort of my own home, sipping tea and knitting while I got to look at gorgeous architecture, art, and jewelry.
So, as someone who loves themes and harmony, I decided that I would pick a tea that reminded me of the Art Nouveau movement.
Enter Eros, a delicate cloud of flavor. Ooooh, but this is nice. It lets me float off into happiness, and did indeed pair very well with my class.
Yum!

gmathis

That sounds like a lovely afternoon!

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Oooh, this is lovely. Rich and a bit malty, but somehow still very light! Yum!

gmathis

Another bulk buy, I’m guessing?

Rosehips

Yes! Yum yum!

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77

I need to tweak the timing and temp on this.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 4 tsp 32 OZ / 946 ML
tihleigh

1: 190F/4:30

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26

It was pretty flat. I didn’t pick up any of the citrus—even at a lower temperature. I largely tasted…black tea.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec 5 tsp 32 OZ / 946 ML

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85

Just like the name says. Even Mariage Freres has only this to say:
“Traditional violet flavoured tea.”

What?! No “tender notes of violet beckon the first precious days of spring. A tea to be savoured while frolicking in a green meadow?” Come on, Mariage Freres. You’re slipping.

That said, the violet is strong over the typically good quality MF black tea base. I also get a note of what seems to be lavender. I suspect natural violet on its own is quite subtle, so it seems a bit of lavender might be used to enhance the floral profile.

MF recommends steeping for 5 minutes (!) but 3-4 seemed plenty to me. It’s good for 2-3 steeps whilst retaining the nice floral notes.

Flavors: Lavender, Violet

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 45 sec 2 g 5 OZ / 150 ML

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79
drank Casablanca by Mariage Frères
6 tasting notes

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Because my friend’s partner has really gotten into scotch and whisky and is a lover of most things from Japan, I brought this one with me because I thought he would find the fact it’s stored in Japanese whisky barrels really interesting.

I was correct in that he did find that really intriguing, but I don’t think he particularly liked the tea. My friend certainly didn’t. That’s okay though; I think I enjoyed it enough to make up for them both. It’s pretty robustly smokey, though not quite as intense as many Lapsangs that I am a frequent consumer of. I find the smoke note itself very woody yet clean with a slight drying to the finish, and I definitely tasted the advertised notes of tonka/vanilla. I wonder how much of that is the tea itself and how much is from the whisky barrels its stored in? A really good whisky often has very fragrant notes of vanilla and this reminded me of that a lot.

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75

Ah, Mariage Freres… I love you in spite of your overblown descriptions.

Full Moon Party is like Pleine Lune with some extra cinnamon and clove hints, for which you pay an extra 11 Euro. I tried the black tea version, which was almond + cinnamon + cloves. Yup. That’s it.

Certainly it’s a good quality, smooth tea (this rather safe combination is pretty much guaranteed to please most palates). I am noticing an inverse ratio between the uniqueness of the tea and the level of Mariage Freres poetic excess in the description.

“Once upon a time there was a tall, midnight-black canister with a Harlequin figure dancing below a full, silvery moon inhabited by a magical rabbit.
The Harlequin urges us to reinvent our calendar of revels – on every night that a full moon rises we can henceforth dance, sing and promise the stars to whomever we wish.
And the rabbit? He restores a childlike vision to us – the vision of Asian lands where a rabbit is companion to a goddess known for her elixir of long life, peace, and luck, as well as for her mooncakes.”

Translation: It’s Pleine Lune with a hint of cinnamon and cloves but comes in a fancy cani$ter. Apparently, it can prompt some strange affairs with harlequins and childlike magic rabbits. I’ll stick with the Pleine Lune, thanks. It’s half the price and does not involve any sleazy harlequins with questionable motives.

Flavors: Almond, Cinnamon, Clove

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 4 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 7 OZ / 207 ML

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88

Aptly named, a quality black with lots of orange peel, cinnamon and nutty flavour for a zesty but smooth brew. It’s highly flavourful but not dominated by the cinnamon or orange. Definitely a cousin of Mariage Freres Mandalay, but the cinnamon in this amps it up.

Oddly enough, the usually over the top description is waayy toned down:

“A festive tea blended specially for the occasion.
Flavoured with mild Christmas spices, it includes pieces of cinnamon and almonds.”

What’s going on here, Mariage Freres? No mention of “distant lands shrouded in mist evoking the splendor of forgotten ages?” This is one of your better teas and it gets this totally blah description! Thumbs down, needs more mystique.

Anyway… the tea is great if you like cinnamon and orange with a dash of nut. Also makes a great base for hot toddy and hot rum drinks.

Flavors: Cinnamon, Nutty, Orange Zest

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 30 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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85

A classic Mariage Freres black with a great whack of almond. It’s not at all phony or artificial, but it is powerful. Notes of dried orange peel and the faintest hint of cinnamon balance it out, but this one is all about almond. A really nice accompaniment to a sweet dessert.

As usual, the description is pretty OTT:
“Inspired by that heavenly body and the realm of dreams, this poetic composition combines fragrances evoking the feast of the full moon: fruits, rare spices, and the sweet taste of almonds.”

Translation: This is a black tea with LOTS of almond.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 45 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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Mariage Frères Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 25

Another catch-up note. The penultimate day was the blue version of this tea; I noted it would be lovely to try that spicy flavour profile on a black tea base and MF delivered. Memory is foggy now but I recall enjoying it a lot despite having difficulty describing it. It’s spicy, bready, and fruity but not remotely sweet; it’s like a christmas cookie-scented incense, which is apparently something I like. My mom shared a cup with me and thought it was magical, so vague tea.

2022 Advent Summary: MF really surprised me this year. I thought this was a far superior selection to 2021’s hyper focus on “Rhapsody” and “In Love” collections (both are meh imho) – even though it still leaned heavily into green and oolong teas. However, if I wanted to stock up on most of them I’d have to opt for expensive but pretty tins. I’m admittedly more than tempted when it comes to a few; there were some pretty neat teas but also pricey!

Flavors: Bread, Butter, Cinnamon, Citrus, Clove, Cookie, Ginger, Malt, Spices, Vanilla, Woody

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 30 sec

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75

Despite the alluring description, “Romantic nights are evoked, a thousand and one Orients – real and imagined – whose sensuality recalls this sensual green tea enlivened with citrus fruits and sweet spices,” all I get is a strong lavender note over a vegetal green tea. Pretty much the opposite of sensual.

If Mariage Freres’ tea was as good as their descriptions, I’d move to Paris and stalk their tea shop daily.

While this is admittedly a very nice quality lavender-infused green, I cannot detect any “citrus fruits and sweet spices,” and it’s more evocative of Great Aunt Gertrude’s sitting room than it is of exotic Indochine adventures. If you like lavender and green tea, this is a nice choice. If you’re looking for anything else, skip this.

ETA: Tried it again at a couple different temperatures and brew times. Nope. Lavender bubble bath in green tea water no matter what I do. For me, this one’s a tosser. Goodbye 11€.

Flavors: Lavender

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 3 min, 45 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
ashmanra

I would be so disappointed to be missing the citrus, even though I enjoy lavender tea, that’s not what you signed up for!

blueeyedsurprise

Yeah, I was a bit bummed- thought it’d be more complex! I’m going to give it another try but I was pretty underwhelmed. I would have had much lower expectations if it weren’t for the fabulous description.

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88

A tasty black tea with warm orange spicy notes. Perfectly balanced, the notes neither overwhelm or get left behind in the blend. Quite similar to Mariage Freres Espirit De Noel. Mandalay is a little smoother and less zesty but the common DNA is obvious. The main difference is that Mandalay has a hint of rose underpinning it, whereas I don’t get that in Noel. Mandalay is a cozy tea for a chilly day without being explicitly “winter holiday.” I usually brew it twice, which makes it surprisingly affordable (or so I tell myself!)

Flavors: Cinnamon, Orange Zest, Rose

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 4 min, 15 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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Mariage Frères Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 24

While not particularly sweet, this festively flavoured oolong still tastes a lot like gingerbread! The oolong is green but thick enough to play with the citrus and spices; it does naturally well with the vanilla. Still.. I wish this was on a black tea base! It’s just thick enough to handle the earth and wood-oriented spices – but the floral-veg-butter profile doesn’t lean into the “bread” enough for my liking. I want bread (and the black tea version).

Otherwise, if I ignore my bread fantasies, this is a pretty tasty Christmas Eve tea :)

Steep Count: 2

Flavors: Bread, Butter, Cinnamon, Citrus, Clove, Cookie, Earthy, Floral, Ginger, Mineral, Silky, Smooth, Spices, Vanilla, Vegetal, Woody

Preparation
190 °F / 87 °C 5 min, 0 sec

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drank Hallelujah by Mariage Frères
1430 tasting notes

Mariage Frères Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 23

Initially smells and tastes a little like a Christmas potpourri: citrus fruits, vanilla, cinnamon, apple, and possibly a dash of cranberry and rosemary (there’s definitely something herbaceous in here). It’s busy, but it’s also nice to see a holiday-themed blend in this eclectic advent selection.

The apple-like flavour is kind of a dry unsweet cider variety that’s actually my thing; the citrus is zest and rind rather than sweet. The blend is creamy, fruity, and spicy but only has the ghost of sweetness- which is a nice change of pace from all these sugarbomb fruit teas. The tea is growing on me a lot as the cup sits a bit! Cream and butter galore. Mmm…

Flavors: Allspice, Apple, Butter, Cinnamon, Citrus Zest, Cranberry, Creamy, Herbaceous, Malt, Spicy, Tart, Vanilla, Woody

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec

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drank Reiwa Premier by Mariage Frères
1430 tasting notes

Mariage Frères Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 22

I often struggle with cherry and plum teas – finding them overly sweet, candy-ish, or medicinal. However, a fruit blossom-inspired tea appears to be a good work around for me. The stone fruit flower notes are still on the sweet side but subtler and lighter.

The plum is a deep shade to the cherry’s brighter high note – working in tangent to provide extra scope and depth. The flower hues are a good match for the Japanese sencha base – rich in sweetgrass and umami notes (and more than a little marine air). The addition of chrysanthemum may or may not be influencing the blend; it’s been a while since I had the flower and I don’t know if MF is using it in a way that would impact the blend much, if at all – beyond aesthetics (which are completely lost in a tea satchet). There’s definitely a sweet, almost sunflower nectar-like, floral note though.

The tea makes me think of spring and new beginnings. It also pairs spectacularly with the salami & cheese spread I’m munching on. Like, it’s totally annihilating that special lingering salami aftertaste with its sweet flower power. What a gem.

Steep Count: 2

Flavors: Cherry Blossom, Cherry Wood, Floral, Fruit Tree Flowers, Honeysuckle, Marine, Nectar, Plum, Smooth, Stonefruit, Sweet, Sweet, Warm Grass, Umami

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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Mariage Frères Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 21

Yay! A smoky black tea! For me, this type of tea is the epitome of the fall and winter seasons – and my favourite cold-weather commuting tea.

This is one of the lightest lapsang offerings I’ve had in a long time; even my mom, who hates smoky teas with a passion, was able to enjoy this one. It would make an excellent beginner Lapsang Souchong (and for 11€ / 100g the price is right).

The tea contains the familiar lapsang notes of wood, sweet smoke, and black tea malt. What surprises me are the vivid flavours of woody cinnamon spice, gold honey, sweet potatoes, and a touch of cream. The spice level is such that I thought that the tea had been contaminated by the advent’s Chai – but the slots where nowhere near each other…

Whether the additional flavours are the result of a “happy accident” or the innate profile of a decent Chinese black tea, the result is delicious and I adore it.

Steep Count: 2

Flavors: Cinnamon, Creamy, Hay, Honey, Malt, Pepper, Smoke, Smooth, Spices, Spicy, Sweet, Sweet Potatoes, Vanilla, Woody

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 0 sec
Martin Bednář

That sounds like a relly nice Lapsang!

Crowkettle

Yeah, I thought it was lovely! Makes me crave a Dian Hong and other Yunnan teas too :)

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60

Mariage Frères Advent Calendar – Day 14

I like this more than I did last year, but… hibby on white tea base. Rawr.

Flavors: Bergamot, Citrusy, Floral, Fruity, Hibiscus, Paper, Red Fruits, Smooth

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60

Mariage Frères Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 20

More bergamot? I’ve had so much of it this week. So. Much.

White tea base with roses, bergamot, something to dye it red (hibby?), and trademark “red berry” flavouring makes for a particularly perfume-like concoction. The result is tangy, tart, hay-ish, bitter-floral, and vaguely berry-sweet. I like the smell better than the taste.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the “rhapsody” series MF showcased last year, and this is no exception, but I do have a slight weakness for the French “red berry” thing.

Flavors: Bergamot, Citrusy, Floral, Fruity, Hay, Hibiscus, Perfume, Red Fruits, Rose, Strawberry, Tangy, Tart

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 5 min, 0 sec

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