Wedding Impérial

The smell when you open a new pot of Wedding Imperial is such an amazing burst of caramel. I thought the tea might be too sickly to drink on a regular basis – but I was wrong – the caramel aroma is more subtle when the tea is in the cup – this is delicious and especially good with cakes or anything nutty or chocolatey – and equally good on its own. Delicious.

(Not exactly sure why Steepster marks this tea as unavailable, I just bought it in Paris) The first occasion upon which I sampled this tea blend, my nostrils were regrettably congested (whether due to a mere cold or something of greater concern, I could not ascertain). Upon finally being able to appreciate its aroma, I was nearly moved to tears. The sumptuous scent alone is an olfactory marvel. This exquisite tea, with its deep, rich aromas of sweet chocolate, ranks among the finest I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. I confess, I do harbour a particular fondness for chocolate teas. Although the packaging advises steeping for 5 minutes at 95°C, I reckon a slightly more delicate approach of 4 minutes at 90°C is ideal to avoid any bitterness.

Sipdown no 4. of 2023 (no. 662 total).

Somehow, the caramel and chocolate which I loved back when I wrote the original note wasn’t doing it so much for me when I had the last few cups of this. It could be age of the tea, it could be tastebud changes, it could be mood, it could be that the flavors settled somehow so they were stronger at the bottom of the tin. But this was bordering on too heavy for me and that’s a rare thing with Mariage Freres, which I usually praise for its subtlety and je ne sais quoi. It was drinkable, just felt heavy in the mouth and stomach. Note to self, if you ever get this one again, drink it down while it’s fresh.

Full-bodied tea that’s a perfect afternoon pick me up or a cup to enjoy in lieu of dessert. Hints of Caramel, Vanilla and Chocolate.

This tea smells like the holidays as you probably enjoyed them when you were a kid. At first sniff, the caramel and cocoa evoke the smell of freshly baked cookies and hot chocolate in the kitchen. I’m reminded huddling in the kitchen in boarding school over these goodies while it’s cold outside.

This is a feel good tea, a celebratory, evocative of childhood memories type of tea – drinking it makes me feel like everything is alright with the world again.

Many thanks to beelicious for the sample!

My first steep wasn’t good. I let it go the full 5 minutes, and it was bitter. My second steep was much smoother. and milder and I enjoyed it. I’ll probably do a third and maybe a fourth steep after supper. It’s a chilly day here in Fargo (which I enjoy!) so it’s great tea drinking weather.

I didn’t get caramel or cocoa from this since I still don’t have a sense of smell. Just got back from my second post-op check up and it turns out some of the membranes in my sinuses have fused together. The doc cut them back open. Even with local anesthesia it wasn’t pleasant, and I’m really feeling it now that the numb is wearing off. However, she estimates I should regain my sense of smell by June 1. So, I’m saving the second bag of this tea for June!

liquid caramel with an assam bite….

simply devine….

Thank you to beelicious for this sample! I’ve been really impressed with the Mariage Freres teas I’ve tried so far and this one was no exception: smooth and creamy with a fantastic rich caramel flavor and a hint of dark chocolate in the aftertaste. I noticed no bitterness and just the slightest bit of astringency after a 5-minute steep. And as a bonus, the teabags are adorable: little cheesecloth sacks that look to be hand-tied with very elegant black and gold tags. I will definitely be ordering from this company at some point in the future!

I let the steep time go higher than advised, it was a mistake: it is far too strong and bitter. Anyway, it’s still a great one. :-q

We were in Napa Valley this weekend and there just happened to be Dean & Deluca’s in St. Helena where i could finally pick up some Marriage Freres teas without paying ridiculous shipping charges!! So I may have gone a little crazy and brought home almost more tea than wine!!

This is delicious with bold notes of chocolate and caramel and just a touch of toffee – it was a pure delight to drink it at my desk this morning with a splash of milk and it resteeped pretty well too! (You know at $30 for 30 muslin bags of tea that I was going to resteep these at least once or twice!). Next on the list… Marco Polo!