Thé des Alizés

This is super refreshing. It is fruity, but not berry fruity, more tropical. It was ok hot, but every time I forget a cup of fruity tea and it cools I remember how much I love fruity teas iced. It is like a taste of summer…never mind that there is snow on the ground right now.

This was quite a nice green blend, despite the fact that I really didn’t take good care of it (it lived in a plastic baggie…). The peach notes really came out quite nicely. Didn’t get much watermelon, but perhaps the juicy nature of the overall flavor could be attributed to it. :) This tea definitely was juicy, without tasting too fruity. The green tea was smooth and vegetal, like asparagus, but no bitterness. I really enjoyed it!

This tea came from my swap with Sara. She was kind enough to send me samples of several French teas including Palais des Thés and Mariage Frères. For some reason, Palais des Thés seems to have escaped my attention up to this point, not sure why that is! But after looking through their flavored teas, I want to try them all. This one is flat-steamed green tea leaves with lovely curled cream-colored flower petals mixed in for dramatic effect. Dry scent is sweet peaches with a touch of floral. I steeped a teaspoon of leaf for 3 minutes at 175 degrees. I think next time, I may use a bit more leaf for this one.

After steeping, this has a lovely mouthwatering sweet peach aroma. Yums. Peach is also the main flavor in the taste, and it’s a lovely juicy peach, perhaps with a slight candylike edge. Overall I’m finding this tea a bit mild, though I think I may have not used enough leaf. Curiously enough, the peach flavor seems to grow in intensity, even after I’ve swallowed. It lingers on my tongue in a pleasant way. I think I can also taste a bit of kiwi here, it manifest as a sort of tart and juicy fruity quality. The green tea itself is super mild, but I do catch a bit of grassiness and a subtle marine quality. Lovely!

This tea is quite tasty. This one has a subtle floral aspect that I can taste, but it isn’t overwhelming. There is also a light fruitiness here, but I’m not able to differentiate the fruits. The green base is buttery and light. Overall a tasty tea.

Thanks KittyLovesTea!

On paper, this seems right up my alley. I remember smelling it in the Tel Aviv Palais des Thés last summer, too, and I liked it a lot. I know Palais get a lot of flak in terms of quality and pricing, but there’s something about their flavoured teas that really does it for me. They go down so smoothly, and they have this fresh, clean lightness to them that makes me think of the nights we spent watching the sea during that holiday we needed so badly.

Obviously, that’s my mnemonic illusion and no one else’s, but if my brain wants to play games with me and said games make me enjoy a tea others don’t – so be it. But don’t get any ideas, brain. I’m watching you.

There’s a very light kiwi here, and, I think, a bit of peach. Then there’s also the unmistakeable PdT vanilla, which has been growing on me ever so slowly. It’s not exuberant Lupicia vanilla, of course, but a very nice, subtle, warm vanilla.

I enjoy this tea very much, I want to buy it (Hey T. – heard you moved to Oslo, you know, where there IS A PdT STORE. Also I love you. Thanks. Kbye.) and keep it in my cupboard.

Thanks for sharing, KittyLovesTea!

[Sample from the second round of the EU Travelling Box, spring 2014.]

Very fruited green tea, exactly the kind I like. Not as good as Marco Polo, but still worth tasting it.

Before adding the water the aroma strong and floral struck me with promise. After 4 min steep a light yellow-green color with same floral scent at first sip. This flavor lasted to the last sip. On a whim I tried a second steep and was not disappointed, the tea was understandably lighter in color but held the same floral taste. This only began to lessen by half-cup. A very pleasing Tea.