68
drank Rouge Bourbon by Mariage Frères
1500 tasting notes

Backlogged from earlier tonight.

Went to Faubourg with some friends tonight, a French patisserie in downtown Vancouver. They sell Mariage Freres tea there, and this was the first one that caught my eye. (For the record, they also sell them in the tins, however 50g is $38… Holt Renfrew is $24).

I found the smell of this tea to be standard rooibos, however the flavoring was very vanilla-rich, almost like a custardy booze. I re-steeped it twice with zero flavor loss, however I still wanted more out of this. More… bourbon? I dunno. I guess I just expected more from such an expensive tea, and one that’s hard to find here. I’ll order it again if it’s around, however I’ll likely never buy any loose for the house.

OMGsrsly

Is it worth going there, as someone who doesn’t eat gluten? Do they do tea to go or just sit down tea? :)

MissB

They do anything to go (as well as pre-orders), and do tea lattes too. EVERYTHING had gluten in it, except for the macarons… however no one who was working could tell me what the flour was that was used. The first gal tried to tell me, “macaron flour” and I laughed. She blushed and said I should call in the morning when the bakers are still in the store, and ask them. It’s also a surprisingly large store, with a movie playing on the wall and two stunning leaf/tree/crystal sculptures. It is however right next to a Cafe Artigiano, which I find to be much more gluten-friendly. I ate a lemon tart and just scraped it out of the tart. Super yummy, even though probably a bad idea in hindsight. :$

MissB

My guess is that the macarons are made as meringues as the outside shell, with buttercream inside… and thus, gluten-free.

OMGsrsly

French macaron are almond flour, sugar and egg whites. :) I couldn’t actually scrape out the tart. I’d end up either so sick, or with terrible brain fog. I can’t even do a little bit of regular soy sauce with my sushi anymore. I’ll have to check them out for tea to go. :)

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OMGsrsly

Is it worth going there, as someone who doesn’t eat gluten? Do they do tea to go or just sit down tea? :)

MissB

They do anything to go (as well as pre-orders), and do tea lattes too. EVERYTHING had gluten in it, except for the macarons… however no one who was working could tell me what the flour was that was used. The first gal tried to tell me, “macaron flour” and I laughed. She blushed and said I should call in the morning when the bakers are still in the store, and ask them. It’s also a surprisingly large store, with a movie playing on the wall and two stunning leaf/tree/crystal sculptures. It is however right next to a Cafe Artigiano, which I find to be much more gluten-friendly. I ate a lemon tart and just scraped it out of the tart. Super yummy, even though probably a bad idea in hindsight. :$

MissB

My guess is that the macarons are made as meringues as the outside shell, with buttercream inside… and thus, gluten-free.

OMGsrsly

French macaron are almond flour, sugar and egg whites. :) I couldn’t actually scrape out the tart. I’d end up either so sick, or with terrible brain fog. I can’t even do a little bit of regular soy sauce with my sushi anymore. I’ll have to check them out for tea to go. :)

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A few years ago, the obsession with tea started. The cupboard got bigger and bigger, more swaps occurred, group buys, secret rendezvous with local teapassionistas… and that’s how you end up with 500+ different kinds of tea in your home. At one time.

Almost all of the tea was given away, sold, or otherwise shared. A few relics still remain. I now travel full time with only two carryon bags to my name. One quarter of those bags are tea.

It’s still a challenge to avoid the chipmunk-like hoarding of The Teas, yet, the lightness of being from having so little compels me more.

If I have enough, I’m happy to share. If I’m in your area, I’d love to swap, meet for tea, and explore together.

As for the day-to-day stuff, I’m focused almost entirely on Love, (yes, with a capital L), Spirit/Self, transformation, travel and my writing and speaking work.

What kinds of teas do I normally like?

YES: flavored teas, fruity, dessert, chai, and spicy (REALLY spicy).

A FONDNESS FOR: all white teas, malty black teas, any herbal or medicinal teas, strange/weird teas you can only get in one place.

ALLERGIC TO: strawberries, lavender

DISLIKES: any added sugars, grains, lapsang souchong, and overly floral teas – I might enjoy a Jasmine Green every once in a while, but unless it’s a creamy floral tea (think roses in a chai, or the smoothness of a floral note in a French tea), I’ll likely pass. Earl Greys are a hit or miss with me; heavy on the cream or fruit notes and I might like it, heavy on the blergamot and I definitely won’t.

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Canada

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