Histoire Tibétaine

Finishing off this. Mostly tea dust by the end of it. The last cup is usually the sweetest; I steeped this at two minutes and it came out very smooth compared to usually. First sip vanilla sweetness, later sips bringing in the jasmine and bergamot. Base tastes more black than green this time around, but it was mostly black fannings at the bottom of the tin.

I bought this tea because the ingredients and the smell reminded me of The au Tibet, of which Cteresa so kindly sent me a sample and which I really liked.

These teas are similar in some respects but certainly not the same.

Starting with the basis: both teas contain vanilla, bergamot and jasmine. The HT adds marigold and uses a base of black and green tea. The TT adds mandarin orange and rose and uses a base of black tea.

Although the vanilla and jasmine are very recognizable in both teas, they vere into entirely different directions taste wise.

In the HT the vanilla is really in the forefront, both scent and tastewise. De jasmine prevents the brew becoming too sweet. The bergamot and marigold aren’t really recognizable, at least not to me (actually I don’t even know what marigold smells and tastes like). The tea is warm, sweet and comforting in character. The floral notes remain in the background.

In the TT on the other hand the floral notes – and especially the rose – are at the forefront. Together with the black tea base this makes for an edgier tea with a slight smokey feeling. The vanilla is cetainly present but seems to be in a supporting role rather than a leading one. As the tea cools the vanilla becomes more noticeable btw.

It’s really great to see how two teas with for a great part the same ingredients can be so different in character. They actually aren’t comparable at all :-)

I like both teas. For the TT that’s something, as I actually don’t like rose in my tea and usually try to avoid rose scented teas. The HT is more of a ‘happy feeling’ tea as the TT is more elegant and sophisticated. Being a sweet tooth I’d probably choose the HT over the TT most times, but I can imagine that being different for others.

Prep details: HT 80 C/ 4:30 min & TT 95 C/ 4:30 min

Rating is for HT only. I’ll post this review under TT too and give it’s rating there.

I tried this tea in the bagged form as it was part of a set of THE O DOR teas that I had purchased. When I opened the outer plastic bag, the first thing I smelled was bergamot – which while I like a hint of it, I’m not a huge fan of overall (I leave the strong Earl Grey drinking to my husband – Gteppel – who likes Earl Grey the stronger the better). Then there was a slight aroma of sweet vanilla and florals that I couldn’t put my finger on (the box says marigold and jasmine).

After 4 minutes of brewing (I usually like THE O DOR teas brewed up to their upper suggested time), the bergamot aroma was substantially subdued and the vanilla in the tea came out much more.

Upon tasting, the bergamot was definitely still there, but was as subdued as the aroma suggested. Soft but slightly sweet vanilla rounds out the flavour and the finish of the tea leaves just the slightest hint of jasmine. I didn’t find this tea bitter at all (though it does have a dry tannic quality), I’m not sure if that’s because I brewed the tea longer than previous reviewers or because of some other reason. If you’re looking for a softly bergamot-flavored tea, then this would be a great introduction to that family of flavored teas for sure. It most definitely would also hold up to cream and a neutral flavoured sweetener (sugar).

Overall, this is a delicious tea and I would stock it in my cupboard, but it’s no longer being carried locally, so would have to be shipped in from France (though I may still look into that option if it’s not crazy expensive). Until then, I’ll savour the bags I have left!

There is so much to be said about this tea!
First is that it is amazing and second, don’t steep it for the full three minutes. I can safely say two is fine and the flavor is just as poetic.
I have been enjoying this beauty while out at sea and have had numerous compliments on how the scent of this tea while steeping in my little French press has over-powered the space, in a good way. And it is a tea that desires no sugars nor milk and I am a sucker for both. In one brewing I even got whole flowers to watch dance around in the steeping process!

The liquid is a cadmium dark with a hint of ocher (for you painter types) when steeped properly. It never transitions into what I consider a traditional tea brown. The taste? Sweet and floral. I think I get the bergamot and some have said lemongrass too although it is not listed in the notes. And it is safe to say, Historie Tibtaine is a ‘gateway’ tea as it inspired several of my co-workers to purchase tea cups of their own to join me in my Buddha moment. The tea possesses flavours of bergamot, flowers, vanilla and jasmine as per the Urban Merchant Website.

…the leafs mixed with dried flower pedals look very inviting. The fragrance is great.
The spiciness, this rhapsody of flavors is almost overpowering. Although I like this blend a lot and keep on drinking it like a madman…I can not help thinking that someone over-did it in the vanilla department. There is not much room anymore for sencing the jasmin and the bergamot (…until today I haven’t found anything that goes even near something like citrus…).

I’m getting a caramel orange flavor from this tea. I thought that it was Melange O for most of the cup, but a light steeping of it. I’m not getting the jasmine or other flavors mentioned, but I also had some of those Indian candy breath mint seed mixes about an hour ago which could still be throwing off my sense of taste. I’ll have to do a side by side tasting of those two teas.

Another unique tea: a green tea with a blend of vanilla and bergamot. It is very tasty and soothing. I would say the vanilla is a bit heavier than the bergamot, so it’s a little on the sweet side – though not artificial at all. Overall, a great morning tea!

French Friday! This is the tea I pulled from the sampler grabbag from Dustin for today! Thank you, Dustin!

The dry aroma of this tea is reminding me spot-on of the Voulez-Vous? tea I had last Friday — a lemon-lime cream soda, or a very sweet and vanilla/creamy citrus dessert. Brewed 3g of leaf in 350ml 185F water for 3 minutes. (Or at least, that was the plan… I did that thing again where I set the time on the timer but forgot to hit the start button, then when I went to check out much time was left, noticed and just strained at that point, so it could be less or more… oops! Second cup going straight into the “will be too hot to drink for a bit” work thermos will be timed properly, though…)

I am still smelling that lemon cream aroma from the steeped cup, but it is also more floral than the dry leaf. Tasting the tea, the citrus is very obviously bergamot; bergamot is one of those things that can wax differently for me depending on the berg, and this one is leaning closer to that “limon” taste I sometimes get (as opposed to grapefruit or heavily floral). It’s almost an Earl Grey Cream sort of tea, at least in flavor, except the base is far lighter/silkier than the really dark blacks those sorts of teas are usually built on, and there is an underlying florality to the flavor. In fact, the mix of the bergamot and light floral note is reminding me more of the Minnesota N’Ice tea that did very well during my March Mad(Hatter)ness rounds this month (just minus the strong orange component), and looking at the scenting notes on this tea, now I see why; the floral is apparently jasmine. It’s definitely a gentle sort and not the heavy, perfumy, grandma-perfume-in-your-face sort.

It’s a pleasant tea, I imagine it being the sort of profile that would appeal to Earl Grey fans looking for more of an “afternoon” tea or just a lighter/more delicate take than the sort of astrigent/in-your-face black tea/bergamot combos of many Earl Greys. And it held up very well to inconsistent steeping!