drank Marco Polo by Mariage Frères
51 tasting notes

Time to try a new black tea! That always makes me happy. First time having the fancy Mariage Freres, thank you momo! Mariage Frerraaaaarre ;p
The dry leaf smells slightly fruity on top of a strong black base.
Tried to make a half pot. Good with sugar. Its just a plain, good, nice tea.
I want their new teas and awesome tins, especially the chocolate one and the macaron one. Why on earth they have to be close to $40 per 4 oz is beyond me. Unless I’m calculating the currency exchange wrong which is possible.

TeaBrat

The tins are around $20 – $24 and you can get them here: http://www.markethallfoods.com. I got one at Williams Sonoma last year for around the same price.

CupofTree

Oh wow that is awesome! Thank you for that link! So getting some.

cteresa

Depends on your currency and where you are, but indeed 40 dollars (if american!) for 100 grams (I guess? though 100 grams is closer to 3 ounces) is unbelievably expensive!

The regular price in France is 13 euros for the tin of 100 grams – that should be dunno, 16, 17 dollars. In my other EU country I can get this from 16 to 20 euros, depending on seller is really filling their pockets! 40 dollars, yikes, I love this but it´s not worth that much.

The non-tinned version it´s 8.5 euros per 100 grams directly from them, and I can buy it for about that price or 9 euros per 100 grams – that would be dunno 10,11 dollars per 100 grams, which I already think steep for flavoured tea (but worth it. But then again Mariage Fréres has a talent for pricing things precisely at the upper limit of what i would consider paying!)

CupofTree

Oh wow, $16 or $17 sounds much better. I was also factoring in shipping as well but yeah, its so expensive to get it from them!
Thankfully the link Amy oh posted sells the classic ones cheaper which is awesome but I still want the new ones. http://www.mariagefreres.com/boutique/UK/collection-heritage-gourmand.html

cteresa

Ah if you were talking about special edition tins then the price really is like that! Their price there is 25 euros, here I would get it for at least 30 euros and 40 dollars seems not too extortionate then! I never get those limited special edition tins of theirs so not really sure if worthwhile (well so far I have thought it unlikely to me!). I have tried some of the special tins tea before (maharajas and some other) and it was not better than the classical teas. I think the special editions are more geared at being bought as gifts or for tin collectors rather than tea lovers.

I admit I love and lust after those tins always and this new line seems appealing. Be careful of one detail, these tins are paper lined – meaning they can not be washed or steamed and reused as easily and will show damage soon. I live tins and admit to have considered it, but paper lined tins are a no-go for me (TWG for example)

CupofTree

Oh really? I had no idea they were paper lined, thank you for pointing that out! They make it look like a real tin in the photo. That certainly changes things, I feel better for not needing to have it so much now :)

cteresa

A lot of the special teas are in real tins, I have had them in my hand and drools oh wow (though not 30, 40 euros worth of wow). But these “cakes and desserts” tins are paper lined “It has been lovingly wrapped in a colourful, paper-covered canister with decorative silver motifs harking back to the blissful days of yore.”. It is probably very nice thick and somewhat resistant paper, I suppose like TWG tins if you know them (drools more), but I do not think that no paper will resist 5 years of use, and certainly not being machine washed or steamed fiercely which is what i do to tins to reuse them! I avoid those gorgeous washi paper japanese tins precisely because of that as well.

CupofTree

I have some washi tins and they are perfect on the inside and the paper on the outside holds up pretty nicely as well but I haven’t had them for long.
I don’t know about TWG but wooaaa I just looked them up and found this http://www.deandeluca.com/coffee-tea-cocoa/tea-by-type/silver-moon-tea.aspx?ref_code=GoogleMerchant&gclid=CPL1wcGf8rMCFQ45nAodvyoAYQ
want!!

cteresa

TWG has got the nicest, nicest tins. And they have this little inner stopper even, which I really like. I have been flirting like mad with their tins. BUT here their tins cost 20+ euros, 21, 22, 23 something like that, a bit more than Mariage Freres´ classic teas which I know and trust already. And the beautiful tins are printed, paper sort of glued strongly but is just paper, not sure if they would resist being washed or even just normal wear and tear. Real tins are different.

And the TWG teas themselves smell delicious but not that amazing and the reviews of their teas I have read are a bit “meh” so have avoided even thinking of getting one. I can get 3 *100 grams of loose Mariage Freres or Theodor tea or from other sellers I know and trust by the cost of one TWG tin, no way. Speaking of tins, one day I will buy a Kusmi tea for the tin, as soon as I find one of their teas I like enough! I found one which was nice enough, but LOL I do not like the tin for that one.

TeaBrat

Yes those TWG tins are lovely, aren’t they?

CupofTree

That happens to me all the time! When a tea company has an awesome tin but you really don’t want the tea that’s in it. and the tea that you DO like is in a tin you don’t like. I hate when happens haha

cteresa

It happens to me a lot – or you like the tin, the tea seems interesting but is way too expensive. The pains of loving tea tins! With Kusmi, I will love one of their teas (with a pretty tin) yet.

I never have enough tins and I think tea keeps so much better in tins than in anything else ( opaque ziplocs are not bad either but not pretty) so I have been improvising tins. I reuse tins which are OK for tea or ugly tea tins by wrapping pretty paper around them and putting a label on them, it´s fun if not too durable. And buy empty caddies now and then. If you are into flowery girly stuff, Greengate tea tins are so so lustworthy.

CupofTree

I just looked up greengate, those are some really girl tins haha.
I love the Kusmi tins!

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Comments

TeaBrat

The tins are around $20 – $24 and you can get them here: http://www.markethallfoods.com. I got one at Williams Sonoma last year for around the same price.

CupofTree

Oh wow that is awesome! Thank you for that link! So getting some.

cteresa

Depends on your currency and where you are, but indeed 40 dollars (if american!) for 100 grams (I guess? though 100 grams is closer to 3 ounces) is unbelievably expensive!

The regular price in France is 13 euros for the tin of 100 grams – that should be dunno, 16, 17 dollars. In my other EU country I can get this from 16 to 20 euros, depending on seller is really filling their pockets! 40 dollars, yikes, I love this but it´s not worth that much.

The non-tinned version it´s 8.5 euros per 100 grams directly from them, and I can buy it for about that price or 9 euros per 100 grams – that would be dunno 10,11 dollars per 100 grams, which I already think steep for flavoured tea (but worth it. But then again Mariage Fréres has a talent for pricing things precisely at the upper limit of what i would consider paying!)

CupofTree

Oh wow, $16 or $17 sounds much better. I was also factoring in shipping as well but yeah, its so expensive to get it from them!
Thankfully the link Amy oh posted sells the classic ones cheaper which is awesome but I still want the new ones. http://www.mariagefreres.com/boutique/UK/collection-heritage-gourmand.html

cteresa

Ah if you were talking about special edition tins then the price really is like that! Their price there is 25 euros, here I would get it for at least 30 euros and 40 dollars seems not too extortionate then! I never get those limited special edition tins of theirs so not really sure if worthwhile (well so far I have thought it unlikely to me!). I have tried some of the special tins tea before (maharajas and some other) and it was not better than the classical teas. I think the special editions are more geared at being bought as gifts or for tin collectors rather than tea lovers.

I admit I love and lust after those tins always and this new line seems appealing. Be careful of one detail, these tins are paper lined – meaning they can not be washed or steamed and reused as easily and will show damage soon. I live tins and admit to have considered it, but paper lined tins are a no-go for me (TWG for example)

CupofTree

Oh really? I had no idea they were paper lined, thank you for pointing that out! They make it look like a real tin in the photo. That certainly changes things, I feel better for not needing to have it so much now :)

cteresa

A lot of the special teas are in real tins, I have had them in my hand and drools oh wow (though not 30, 40 euros worth of wow). But these “cakes and desserts” tins are paper lined “It has been lovingly wrapped in a colourful, paper-covered canister with decorative silver motifs harking back to the blissful days of yore.”. It is probably very nice thick and somewhat resistant paper, I suppose like TWG tins if you know them (drools more), but I do not think that no paper will resist 5 years of use, and certainly not being machine washed or steamed fiercely which is what i do to tins to reuse them! I avoid those gorgeous washi paper japanese tins precisely because of that as well.

CupofTree

I have some washi tins and they are perfect on the inside and the paper on the outside holds up pretty nicely as well but I haven’t had them for long.
I don’t know about TWG but wooaaa I just looked them up and found this http://www.deandeluca.com/coffee-tea-cocoa/tea-by-type/silver-moon-tea.aspx?ref_code=GoogleMerchant&gclid=CPL1wcGf8rMCFQ45nAodvyoAYQ
want!!

cteresa

TWG has got the nicest, nicest tins. And they have this little inner stopper even, which I really like. I have been flirting like mad with their tins. BUT here their tins cost 20+ euros, 21, 22, 23 something like that, a bit more than Mariage Freres´ classic teas which I know and trust already. And the beautiful tins are printed, paper sort of glued strongly but is just paper, not sure if they would resist being washed or even just normal wear and tear. Real tins are different.

And the TWG teas themselves smell delicious but not that amazing and the reviews of their teas I have read are a bit “meh” so have avoided even thinking of getting one. I can get 3 *100 grams of loose Mariage Freres or Theodor tea or from other sellers I know and trust by the cost of one TWG tin, no way. Speaking of tins, one day I will buy a Kusmi tea for the tin, as soon as I find one of their teas I like enough! I found one which was nice enough, but LOL I do not like the tin for that one.

TeaBrat

Yes those TWG tins are lovely, aren’t they?

CupofTree

That happens to me all the time! When a tea company has an awesome tin but you really don’t want the tea that’s in it. and the tea that you DO like is in a tin you don’t like. I hate when happens haha

cteresa

It happens to me a lot – or you like the tin, the tea seems interesting but is way too expensive. The pains of loving tea tins! With Kusmi, I will love one of their teas (with a pretty tin) yet.

I never have enough tins and I think tea keeps so much better in tins than in anything else ( opaque ziplocs are not bad either but not pretty) so I have been improvising tins. I reuse tins which are OK for tea or ugly tea tins by wrapping pretty paper around them and putting a label on them, it´s fun if not too durable. And buy empty caddies now and then. If you are into flowery girly stuff, Greengate tea tins are so so lustworthy.

CupofTree

I just looked up greengate, those are some really girl tins haha.
I love the Kusmi tins!

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