Raspberry Macaron

(I’m in the process of trying to figure out exactly how I feel about darjeelings, and this is really helpful.)

Yum, that sounds like a tasty tea.

Dinosara: Did you rate this tea and then remove the rating? Trying to figure out if something is happening to people’s ratings….

No, I never rated this one. I did rate and then try to adjust the rating of this one: http://steepster.com/dinosara/posts/184616
But although it initially looks like the rating change has been saved, when I reload the page it defaults to the previous rating (79).

(But the rating is saved & updated under your ‘Tea ratings’ tab, right? That’s how it works for me.)

Scratch that, even if I change it under the Tea Ratings page, it still shows up as the old rating on the tasting note.

Ok, weirdly enough the rating is showing up as it should (80) on the tea’s page and on the ratings page, but not on my tealog: http://steepster.com/dinosara and the note itself, where it still says 79

Exactly – that’s how it is for me, too. (FF & Chrome, cache/cookies cleaned out.) Sorry to hijack your review, by the way – I’ll delete this when we’re in post-(te)apocalyptic mode.

Now I’m even sadder this wasn’t a part of that vente privee sale, it’s my favorite fruit, my favorite French pastry/cookie, AND Darjeeling?! Maybe try 180 or so on the temperature.

Hmm, have to look into those issues. Sorry to be off topic here.

oh another one I need to look at at Fauchon !

Ysaurella – I really wish I had picked up their new “Naissance” tea… it sounds really good too!

I see http://www.fauchon.com/fr/naissance.html
it looks like a tea corresponding to my tastes.I’ll have a look at the fauchon shop Place de la Madeleine. Did you go to Hédiard as well (in front, on the other side of the place)? their teas are nice too but a little less expensive

This tea sounds so interesting and tasty. I’ve been looking at Fauchon teas the whole week and a really looking forward to buy a few teas next time I’m in Paris.

i tried the link. nope. i am so let down. i will say dammit now…. but without the energy of anger. =0(

i wonder if you would like jarding bleu by dammann?

So glad that you took advantage of that sale, and the posting! I was told by a staffer at Winners/HomeSense that they’ll be stocking these on a yearly basis, as the companies locally rotate out old stock for the new year’s blends. So… there’s still hope that this may become a yearly thing!

Oh, and while the cute boxes only say the time to steep and not the temp, I’m finding these do best (the ones I bought) just under boiling.

JustJames, I’d totally be down for swapping some Fauchon for DF! For sure. I’m about to head out for the evening, so if I don’t PM deets right away no worries. Sometime this weekend. If you’re up for it of course—don’t mean to be presumptuous. (:

Thanks for the useful info, MissB! Yeah, I’m getting that impression about some of the Frenchy teas—that they’re becoming more available on a seasonal basis based on turnaround. Which I certainly don’t mind as the tins keep them very fresh and I doubt I’ll have this around for too long, ha. I will try the temp slightly lower and see if that makes it even awesomer. (:

sounds good to me! i have a few of them too….

Oh my gawd I’m soooooooo jealous. I tried the link but it would let me through for some reason. I am drooling just reading this I have always wanted to try these since the day I read about them on steepster last year. :(

I am missing whatever link you guys are talking about. BrewTEAlly Sweet, I purchased a lot of Fauchon this past week and would be happy to send you some to try out if you’d like. I also bought two tins for Dinosaura and shipped them out to her, although I’d be surprised if there was much left where I am… just Anniversaire and lots of Abricot last I looked.

@MissB if you look under the discussion tab at the top there’s a subject header titled something like misc. sale. the only guarantee with them is that i’ll miss them. it’s a tradition, lol.

@MissB where did you purchase them? I would love to swap you for some. I have a lot to add to my cupboard.

BTS, coming in here just to offer the same. I’d be more than happy to swap or just send you some—it’s the least I can do as a thanks for setting up Secret Pumpkins. If you’re interested feel free to PM me your addy.

(i couldn’t send whole tins as this was my only opportunity so far to get any fauchon—we don’t have winners here—but samples of the 6 i grabbed, to clarify)

@BrewTEAlly Sweet, I got them at Winners/HomeSense here in Canada; I started a thread about Fauchon in Canada and someone posted in there about where they found them in the US. $12.99 CDN/100g. If you friend me I’ll send you a note. @JustJames – I hear you there, and thanks for the heads up!

So Fauchon was found in the US at TJ Maxx, The HomeStore, and Marshall’s. The Vente Privee link for the online Fauchon sale only works if you’re in the US, sadly.

The tea sounds dreamy and the party sounds FUN!!!

@ifjuly are you sure?! That would be awesome!!!! Ill PM you! I wish I could find some around me because I am inlove with the tins. It’s just toooooo expensive from the actual website. I hope to find them some day :)
@MissB thank you for the info. I do live in the US idk why it wasn’t working but now it seems to be working :( too late tho

CelebriTEA, yeah! Tea party squee! :D

BTS (do you mind me calling you that? ack), yeah definitely. It’s, yeah, a way to thank you which I’ve wanted to do anyway. I’m sorry the samples can’t be larger sized—I’m guessing 2 or 3 cups each, and I have 6 different kinds—but would love to send you something! This weekend’s kind of nuts but I should be able to send it out by the end of next week if that’s ok.

Whenever!!!! :) you’re doing ME a favor:) don’t apologize!!! :):):):) I’m sooooo excited! And that’s fine (BTS) it’s better than shortening it to brewtall ha ha brew is fine too or Megan ha ha . Ill PM you!

Haha good to know!

yeah,…stick to uber low HOT water temp

I was surprised you mentioned being interested in this one actually—it doesn’t seem to fit into the teas you usually like (it’s so girly and floral! All the Fauchons I’ve tried so far except, interestingly enough, the Naissance you sent me—thank you!!—are very floral perfume-y to me). So I’m curious what you ultimately make of it, hee.

And as you know (I hope) given our earlier conversations, you don’t have to hold any punches reviewing any of the teas I sent. It’s been lots of fun reading your thoughts and will be regardless of whether you love something or hate it, promise!

girly and floral? LOL that is NOT ME. I am so NOT pink….. I really hope all the Fouchons are not too floral – I have almost 500g of their teas in my house – if they are…. massive care package heading your way.
As for this one, I think I’m having an off night – I’m getting some really weird impressions of this – wouldn’t have said floral… I need to try it again before I commit one way or the other – for right now I like it better cooler rather than hotter….

I edited this log with more thoughts……

That makes sense to me in that I seem to adore a lot of teas Steepsters dislike for being “soapy”. I think whatever it is, probably yeah a floral element or maybe a kind of fruit peel/bergamot thing, reads to me as “clean and a neat mix of invigorating and soothing” but yeah, straight up soap to most. Have a feeling that’s some weird programmed childhood memory nostalgia thing I don’t fully understand. But I go “aaaaaah” in pleasure to it and most go “ick”. You are not alone!

Now if I just figure out what it is so that I can avoid it in the future. Whatever it is seems to be more prominent when the tea is really hot, it dissipates as it cools then comes back at lukewarm. There was a point that is was barely there – if I could drink the tea at that temp I would like it a lot better. :))

I don’t think my problem with this one is the flavoring, i just don’t like Darjeeling really. I often get a weird flavor from darjeelings that I can’t get past.

Hmmmmmmm ok – then I don’t know why I think this is “soapy” – I have lots of Fauchon in my house I haven’t tried yet, will have to see how I do with the others.

It’s funny how some teas well past there prime suddenly become just the right thing.

Right?! Hoarding for the win!

I’m a terrible hoarder, and am already worrying that some of my teas that are now hitting a year are going to be “be bad.” This gives me hope they will be okay despite my hoarding habits!

And I was just thinking mixing it with a chocolate tea might do the trick. I also have a recipe where you actually crush tea up and infuse it with cocoa powder, creating tea-flavored hot chocolates. If it has a really strong raspberry flavor, that could be worth a try. (EGs and herbals certainly work well for it…)

Occurs to me I actually have a chocolate raspberry tea! (The hoarding, I think I actually forgot…) It’s called “Dark Chocolate Raspberry” and it’s a Chinese orange pekoe base, with dark chocolate chips and freeze-dried raspberries in it. I’ll have to make it a priority to try that one soon!

You could always try it as a chocolate milk latte a la VarieTEA

Mmm, I’ve done the chocolate milk latte tactic before! Reminds me that I’m currently out of chocolate almond milk and need to pick some up…

I tried mixing it with MF’s Wedding Imperial to infuse a little chocolate and it didn’t work out so well. :/
I’m not exactly sure how VarieTea is doing the lattes. Is it just steeped concentrated with little water then adding a lot of milk after?
Tea hoarding is a dangerous game. Sometimes it pays off, but sometimes it goes badly. Anything with coconut, orange or nuts doesn’t last as long.

Did you go pretty low temp? It’s finicky.

Yea. I tend to not like steeping my tea in water that’s too hot regardless but all I could taste was rose.

Yeah, this one comes out real bitter, and I worried it would be too floral for you :(

I was sure this would be too floral for you! Definitely why I sent a sample first. I honestly think the darjeeling base makes the floral-ness worse on this one than it would normally be.

I didn’t really have a problem with it being bitter, just rosey. And I’m glad I’m getting to try all of these so I can take them off my list. :D

it was bitter for me and too parfumy