Eros tea is floral and fairly light. That being said, however, the lightness is deep, rich, and conveys a sense of yellow like a painting by Turner, who made yellow seem more exquisite than anything nature could offer.
The aroma is not as intense as Marco Polo, another favorite of mine, but it is like being in a French country garden—possibly at Giverny where Monet painted. With Eros I once again noticed the brilliant way that Mariage Frères has deep rich flavors that sustain themselves on the tongue, in the throat and in the aftertaste. A lot of light floral teas I know give a little whiff of their perfume and POOF! they have vanished. This tea stays: like the finest French perfume, it caresses you with its vapors and aromas.
It’s a nice black and would be a wonderful blend to serve at a sophisticated tea party or, as the name suggests, after a romantic tryst.
One of the things I like about Mariage Frères teas is they are resolutely natural: the ingredients must be of the highest quality and there is no hint of anything synthetic or ephemeral. it may cost more than other black teas, but it is worth it. Considering what you get, it’s a lot less costly than a tea bag at Starbucks!
Wow! I will have to check Southern Season to see if they have this one, but I don’t recall ever seeing it there.
Yes you must try it!
I had four cups of this yesterday and was tempted to make another pot of it this morning, but wanted to give the Marco Polo a try .. Well it’s now morning tea time and I’ve got Eros steeping once more :D
I had to check if this one was on my list for my upcoming visit to Mariage Freres in Paris, and it’s not, only because it’s available in bulk in the states from Porte Rouge (http://www.porterouge.biz) (not that it necessarily helps you Serendipitea, but for others who are interested)… I’m trying to limit the teas I pick up to things I can’t get anywhere but Paris!
Dinosara – See if you can try Coquelicot Gourmand by Dammann Freres while you are there! I got some in a swap once and it was soooooo good. I haven’t been able to find any way to get it but to order it from Paris!
Yes! Southern Season has it! I may get to try it after all. The description sounds really good. If you want more, you can possibly save a bit on shipping by ordering it from them. They are in Chapel Hill, NC.
Thanks for the rec, ashmanra! So many of their teas sound amazing, it’s going to be really difficult to decide which ones to get!