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“sipdown! thus beating my “goal” for this weekend of getting to 290. 289! and there’s still a few more hours left in the day….though maybe not too many since i am beat! release weekend = no sleep...” Read full tasting note
“My days lately have been starting out ok but then taking nosedives in the afternoon. Not good for my productivity, which makes me more upset and down (since part of my anxiety is about finishing...” Read full tasting note
“OHMYGODbestestnight So I wrote the above last night then left it because I don’t know. I drank the tea and then I wanted to roll around on the floor but I did not have enough space to do that but I...” Read full tasting note
“My first Mariage Freres tea! Thanks so much Shelley_Lorraine for the sample! This tea has a wonderful soft natural apple and almond flavor, with a hint of frosting or pastry floating around in the...” Read full tasting note
From Mariage Frere’s website: “A fountain of youth concocted from black tea flavoured as macaron.”
Black tea, Apple, Aroma, Amaranth
Company description not available.
sipdown! thus beating my “goal” for this weekend of getting to 290. 289! and there’s still a few more hours left in the day….though maybe not too many since i am beat! release weekend = no sleep and we needed up having to roll back at the last minute so pretty much it was an all nighter for no reason. Now to see if we have to do it again in may or we bundle it into the june release. ugh.
final verdict no this tea? I’m not a fan. there’s a bitterness that i can’t seem to get rid of no matter how i steep it. It’s not a BAD tea but when i think about mousse au chocolat…there is no comparison for me! Still though, thanks so much shmiracles for this sample since i do love trying mariage teas! and even though it’s not the most amazing it was still a treat! :)
My days lately have been starting out ok but then taking nosedives in the afternoon. Not good for my productivity, which makes me more upset and down (since part of my anxiety is about finishing off my dissertation). I needed a tea this afternoon that might improve my mood, and my intense love of macarons made me grab this one.
Surprisingly enough this is not my second or even my third macaron-flavored tea. And even though I had kind of written Mariage Frères off after a number of failed attempts with their teas (there is something about the black base they use for most of their flavored blends [eta: that I have tried] that I dislike), I jumped on the chance to get a sample of this from Shmiracles. Thanks so much!
The first thing I smelled in the dry leaf was almond, but then when I sniffed closer it was slightly floral and a bit fruity. I didn’t even realize that there was both apple and amaranth in here before I opened up the Steepster entry for it, but I guess they’re coming through! Steeped, it smells similar but more appley. Perhaps like an apple-almond pastry, which is to say not much like a macaron to me, but I’ve also never had (or seen) an apple-flavored macaron (side note: now I am thinking about macarons at Laduree and my mouth is just watering).
Hmmm, innnteresting. This reminds me of another apple tea I had once, I think it was a “sweet apple” blend from a tea house in London. Also, a bit like the Trois Noix from MF that I had. Nutty, yes, not particularly strongly almondy (but it’s macaron, not marzipan, so that follows), and definitely appley. Also, I’m afraid that it has a bitter aftertaste that I just can’t get behind. I mean, the main part of the sip is pretty tasty (though I would argue not particularly macaron-ish to my tastes), but the aftertaste grows out of it and it isn’t meshing with my tastebuds. I don’t think I have the courage to steep it for 13 minutes like Shmiracles who said that took care of her issues with the aftertaste, but maybe I’ll try it. I might also cold steep the rest of it because I always have prefered MF teas cold-steeped! :P
ETA: I just took a huge drink of this while also breathing in deeply through my nose, and suddenly got macarons. This tea has like a weird inverse parabola of tastiness for me where when hot it was tasty (no bitter aftertaste), then when it was warm it was not so tasty (strong bitter aftertaste), and now that it’s cooled further it is tasty again (waning bitter aftertaste). Oh, MF, pretty sure I’ll never “get” your teas.
YAY glad you could enjoy this!
hahaha ummmm maybe don’t 13 min steep it just yet. i MAY have spaced out completely and not used boiling water? i’ll get back to you on that hah
which MF teas did you try ? it is really strange because they rarely use the same bases for their flavoured black teas.
Of straight black bases I guess I’ve only had Marco Polo and Trois Noix (and now this one), but they both had the same weird taste that I tasted but apparently not many other people do (they were from different sources, the Trois Noix direct from their main shop in Paris). This one doesn’t have that taste (a weird tart/acidic flavor), but I did get a bitter aftertaste. I’ve been told their flavored blacks vary in the base tea, but I’ve never really explored it (and I haven’t sought them out based on my previous experiences). Interested to see how the Mousse au Chocolate from this collection tastes to me.
i will say that i fell immediately in love with the Dammann Freres teas i bought. (especially the freaking caramel-toffee.) they are so easy to brew and adore!
but Mariage Freres tea have taken a bit more navigation and delicacy. also, i may be maturing but i’m still a punk. and as a traveler in paris with a septum piercing and less than fresh clothes, i was treated much nicer at the Dammann Freres store than Mariages Freres. not that these are the only two worth comparing, but their product design is somewhat similar and stuff.
idk.
i’ve had too much tea today. haha i’ll probably delete this note too! more BLERG!
@ Shmiracles :I love both brands but Dammann more than often use the same tea base for black flavoured, it may be the reason why you can find them easier to brew because once you get the correct brew for you, you get it for (almost) all.
@Dinosara : Trois noix has a certain bitterness due to the walnuts (to my opinion) – it wasn’t my best experience with MF teas (it’s quite an obscure tea in the MF tea card !)
Regarding Marco Polo, this is the inverse, as often with a best seller…they are sometimes over estimated (to my opinion). but I didn’t get the tartness you mention – If you want in June I’ll be able to send you some MF black blends as you taste more of them.
I appreciate very much Dammann as well, which are much more sensibly priced, but having had some 20 or 30 of Mariage Freres teas and maybe some 6 or 8 Dammann teas (a large percentage thanks to Ysaurella), I think as well it is the Dammann which often uses the same base. Mariage Freres is a lot more diverse bases IMO – wedding imperial is a totally unique base, Thé au Tibet as well, the greens varying a lot as well, as a lot of blacks (Mandalay is not the same as Chandernagor. Or the unbelievably mellow Black Orchid which in no way is the same as Pleine Lune). In fact if I was going to mention a company which reliably uses different bases for different flavours, Mariage Freres would be maybe the first company I would say (plus a tiny London company, and Théodor. If you would want to argue about Théodor being better at using different bases, I would maybe agree. But Dammann, IMO 4 fruits rouges is the same base as paul et virginie which is the same as pomme d´amour which is the same as Nosy Bey)
@Ysaurella – yes, perhaps in June we could do a swap and I could try a few more MF blends. I’ve tried a few others (non-black or black/green blends) but have never had that much success. :/ Maybe I just need to try more of them.
@cteresa – Unfortunately I haven’t sampled MF quite so widely, but part of my problem is that the 5-6 MF teas I have had, with a variety of bases, I haven’t been impressed with. I mean, knowing that some of the bases I dislike makes me more hesitant to try others because I might not like those either, even if they are different. I LOVE the base that DF uses for its black teas, so their teas make me happy partly because of the consistency (and because I find them so delicious).
I just had to google “parabola” because it rang a bell from high school but I couldn’t remember what it was, hahaha. Ugh, math.
Dinosara, taste is taste, it is great you like the base that Dammann uses often. I confess it is not my favorite base in general though I love some of their teas more than others.
And Mariage Freres teas can be tricky to brew because they behave differently – Wedding Imperial has taken me some time to finally get right (it´s so good about steepster, that it can serve as notebook for when you finally get the code right. But just protesting the idea that Mariage Freres uses the same base often – no, or better said non! Though maybe they might for this range of specialty limited edition teas, but in general, absolutely no, not in my experience.
OHMYGODbestestnight
So I wrote the above last night then left it because I don’t know. I drank the tea and then I wanted to roll around on the floor but I did not have enough space to do that but I wanted to. That was partially this tea and partially my favorite hockey team winning their division (which doesn’t matter, we are snobs who do not need silly division banners).
And then what makes me laugh even more is that Ysaurella found I logged it and is probably waiting to see what I have to say already!
So shmiracles being fantastic sent me some of the teas she picked up in Europe and AHHH this one, ahhh. A couple weeks ago I discovered the entire Héritage Gourmand collection on the MF site and I wanted them ALL. If I get to France next summer, that is most definitely happening now.
I had to try this one first, it’s just a fact. It smells amazing. It doesn’t smell as sweet as a macaron, but it has that same sweet almond smell. And it tastes so good! I don’t think it has the same macaron flavors as the Dammann Frères macaron tea (which has a green base not black), but I mean, I am drinking and enjoying a tea that is heavily almond. And tastes like a cookie at that, well, I do like almond cookies, but I have never had success w/teas flavored like them.
UNTIL NOW!
Oh I am in love I cannot wait to try the chocolate mousse one too, this means the one left that I really REALLY REALLY want is the financier one.
I told my boyfriend the other day that I need to buy a lottery ticket, I have never bought one. I really meant like the scratch off kind but this turned into me with $110 million and how I’d have to change my name and move to another state (Georgia does not allow you to claim anonymously). I was just like I can move to France. I’d send all of you my teas first.
Then I’d get there and buy all these. The end.
of course as you love Macarons so you’re going to drink Macarons ;)
I’m looking forward to read your review on this one – I have always hesitated to buy it (more expensive tins than the otehr MF – and only available in tins)
They have in the same collection a tea flavoured with madeleine, another with mousse au chocolat, one with a financier cake, cannelé, tarte tatin…MF wants us to get 50 kg more just by reading their tea names :D
i have macaron and chocolate mousse and i’m tempted to buy all the others goddamnit! oh noes. Mariage Freres is officially my frenemy.
I want them all too :x One night I went through their entire website adding everything I wanted to the cart. It ended up being 400 euros…
Those teas in the glass jars too, I want them. Of course they’re more expensive that way but so pretty!
yes I see the glass jars ! very beautiful.
But MF is annoying because sometimes when you buy a tea in tin, you just want to refill it…but it’s not possible for this collection, neither for the lily’s series etc…35% of the tin collections are not available in loose leaf ! It was my complaint ! I am French, I need to stick to our moaning reputation :D
omg…mousse au chocolat!?
That is a complaint I have too! I guess they want those teas to be more “exclusive,” but at the same time I don’t think I would want to buy something and have to get another tin if I already have it, even if I had an infinite amount of money for tea.
Sounds delicious! Going to France is my dream too, especially now that I’m in love with tea!!
I wish so much that MF had a reasonable shipping cost. Sigh. I guess if a bunch of people went in together on a huge order it would be doable.
whatshesaid…so i totally just emailed my parents who are currently IN PARIS! and added the mousse au chocolat to my list of teas i’ve asked them to pick up haha I’ve got 2 blacks and marco polo in my cupboard from my mom’s last trip to london but there are about 5-6 teas i asked them to bring back IF they get time. If i get anything from them, i’ll be happy to share since i’ll have likely 100g of each.
LUCKY Sil!!! I love the MF teas I’ve tried so far but that makes me sad because I know they’re so far out of my reach, lol
Schmiracles, meeeeee!! :)
Just saw Ysaurella’s comment above, Madeleine tea? Ugh! Want!
If anyone wants to try these I’d be happy to send some! Chat me up.
I stumbled across a bunch of Mariage Freres teas in Bergdorf Goodman in NYC. I’m not sure if that’s more accessible for any of you, but I thought it was pretty cool to find MF outside of France.
Oh god shmiracles…. Incoming pm lol
Charoma – not accessible to me, but ill check it out if I visit New York like I’m supposed to eventually heh
well : Dear Canadian cousins and American Friends why don’t you post on Mariage Frères FB page to ask where they have partnerships near your home ? Few months ago, a I saw a post of a californian woman who requested and they found a shop selling MF teas in her neighborghood…it may be true for you too !
Ysaurella – usually it’s the standard regular teas that are carried, not that it’s a bad thing. I just want an excuse to go to France and spend the day in the shop buying teas! :)
for information, when I send an envelope of 250 gr of tea to the USA or Canada or wherever in the world (Asia) it costs me 6.50 € maximum (without tracking) _ how much MF requests for sending costs ?
come come Sil and Amanda ! I have a lot of addresses to share with you :)
It’s 25€ :( They ship UPS only
Ysaurella – maybe we can figure out a way to split purchases some day. :)
Shmiracles – incoming PM from me as well! I am going to Paris in July and would love to try this one before I go so I can know if I need to get a tin! It sounds awesome!
No probs Sil, PM to tell me which you would like to buy and I’ll see if they are in my list :) – My shopping list is updated if you want to check
My first Mariage Freres tea! Thanks so much Shelley_Lorraine for the sample!
This tea has a wonderful soft natural apple and almond flavor, with a hint of frosting or pastry floating around in the background. The base tea is mild but pleasant and unobtrusive. This is very enjoyable! Especially for those of us that like our tea to taste like a bakery treat sometimes :D
Wow! The ultimate dessert tea?
This one sounds tasty!
Not my personal ultimate dessert tea, BrewTEAlly Sweet but a very nice one! :)
where to find this?
mousse au chocolate > macaron haha
Sounds like it!!!
Amy – no idea beyond france..but man i would love to be able to get more of this series from MF…. sigh
macaron > mousse au chocolate ;)
Shelley….hahaha I just wish they hadn’t been limited editions. I want them to come. Back..
best that way if they are, b/c temptation to spend more on shipping than on the tea is too high :)
maybe we can get ysaurella to buy some & send it to us ?
Terri – pretty sure it’s gone now…my parents were having a really hard time trying to find The tin they managed to bring back for me
Holy mother all mighty!!!! This is love! True loves first kiss! Sweet tooth satisfaction! The most indulging of all indulging cups! This needs to find me! Come to me from a far off land please! I wish I could get my hands on a lot of this! Thank you so much Stephanie for adding the rest of your sample into my Christmas gift!!!! I love it! I’m just so sad it was one serving. But don’t you worry… I savored every moment with this tea. It was so spot on. I’m usually very skeptical off teas with apple… But it’s like they aren’t even there! You can smell them but not taste! This is spot on a French macaron! The soft chewy outer pastry shell and delicious buttercream filling! Wow this is like eating one right out of the oven! I am flabbergasted! Wow! Wow! Wow! Loss for words.
I need this. End of story. Period.
<3
I would sell most of my stash just to get my hands on this
I don’t think this is available from MF anymore. I still have a small stash. I like it alright, but I would be quite more than happy to send the rest of mine away to one who loves it :) Let me know.
nm – i just checked and it is on their website again (I couldn’t find it before) anyway, my offer still stands. (^^)
Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! Would you really do that?!?!?!?!?!? Is there anything from me you want! I can send you multiple different teas for it!
of course :) I haven’t been drinking it as much recently and it would be best if it was used before the flavor goes flat. I got it about 6mo. ago. I’ll let you know exactly how much I have and pm you later. I wouldn’t mind a swap, but not necessary :)
I must give you tea for this:)
11/05/2013
i finished this tea yesterday and i wanted to update my post and say that this tea completely grew on me.
i understand it better now and love it.
i’ve even considered trying all the other Heritage Gourmand flavors.
somehow it’s extra special when a tea starts out as a mystery and ends up a best friend.
wonderful.
05/08/2013
let the experiment commence!
i’m trying to duplicate my accidental steep experience. i really wanna figure this out.
i just steeped 12 oz of water with 1.5 tsp worth.
i tasted it at 2 min, 3 min, 5 min, 7 min, 10 min, and 13 min.
all i can say is DO NOT steep it for more than 7 min. but if you do add some more hot water to your strained cup.
the steeps from 2 to 7 min were all mildly bitter but also almondy and still slightly soapy.
the 10 & 13 min steeps were awful. but then i added more hot water to the strained cup and they were actually great.
all i can say is maybe i steeped it for 13 min with fairly cooled down water.
at least that seems more likely, and i wouldn’t put it past me. i’m a flibertyjibbet sometimes.
i hate this freakin puzzle.
and i feel like all i’m doing is confusing the situation for everyone else.
i’m weary of liking a tea more due to reputation than actual experience.
or due to a pretty hot pink canister.
but when i smelled this tea in the store i HAD to have it. it smells spectacular.
maybe i’ll just put some in a baggie around my next to wear haha
i’ll probably delete this entire note soon.
blerg.
i’m totally annoying myself today.
04/26/2013
please DISREGARD this 13 min steep bullplop written below.
i have no idea what i’m doing.
…………………………………
okay wow something cool just happened.
i kept waiting to review this tea because, though it seems like something i would love, every time i tasted it something seemed off to me. and i just didn’t want that to be true. i know it’s not how it’s supposed to go, but i really just wanted to like this tea.
then this morning i accidentally steeped it for 13 minutes. and now the tea makes sense!
i mean WTF you can steep a tea for 13 minutes and it still tastes okay??
sure i know good chinese black teas can hold up really well to long steeps but i still think 13 minutes is a bit extreme don’t you?
so yes, the long steep made this tea great for me. it made the tea a bit more dry in the mouth and gave the sweet bits time to really disintegrate and dissolve. at first when i tasted this tea it gave me a strange soapy & floral aftertaste that i could NOT get down with. but i figured if i kept tasting it that weird flavour would eventually make sense. the brew did seem kinda nutty but that aftertaste always got me down.
but NOW after the long steep it’s all blended. it’s almondy. and lightly sweet. and has notes of sugar at the top with cakey almondy notes at the back. and perhaps the dryness the long steep creates reminds me of dark bitter chocolate or something. i don’t know why really, but i’m happy about this mistake.
so if i sent you enough in the sample, and you don’t love this tea immediately, try steeping it long. i guess that’s my advice.
what a good day!
Sounds pretty good, macaron flavoured tea!?
shhhh don’t send too much out! i might need to come back to you for more giggling
hahah i knowww! i think i’ve given all i can of these two desert Mariage Freres ones. they are getting low and i wanna be able to try they several more times.
honestly, i keep fantasizing about leaving my boyfriend at home and taking a solo trip to paris for a long weekend just so i can buy all the other teas in this collection and then drink all of the tea is the city.
Awesome fantasy :)
LOL Thanks for the update. :D
PS, don’t feel bad about not liking teas from popular retailers, or having ups and downs with teas. Everyone’s tastes are different!
13 minutes extreme? Nah. A good quality Chinese black can hold out nearly indefinitely. At work, I’ve frequently produced tea that has steeped for upwards of 45 minutes (because it’s been forgotten, me being distracted by, you know, work) and it has always still been drinkable. A bit stewed, yes, but totally drinkable.
Backlog from yesterday.
I don’t think I know what a macaron. Is it the same as a macaroon? If so, then I don’t understand this tea at all. If its something different then, it may be ok. I’m not sure what I think of this tea. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it. I only steeped it for about 2 minutes and still was a tad bitter.
Thanks shmiracles!
They look like this: http://www.pierreherme.com/boutique-en-ligne/macarons-1.html if that helps. Ground almond, egg white, and sugar mixed up and baked into a crisp shell, then they’re sandwiched around a filling.
Yeah, that’s the same thing as a macaroon then.
Not necessarily, this is another kind: http://www.joyofbaking.com/CoconutMacaroons.html
The outer shells of the first one taste almost identical to the second one, minus the coconut. They have the same texture and are mostly egg white and sugar. So I consider them two variations of the same thing, like how chocolate cake and vanilla cake are both cakes. One might be double layered and frosted while the other is simple and plain. They have different ingredients and flavorings, but in the end, they’re both still cake.
I did it, I braved another sample. This one is from Shmiracles again (it’s the never-ending box (^^) ). I’m getting to the point where I have to talk myself into getting into my sample box rather than going for the old favorites. All that work to heat the water and dirty up an infuser or teapot not knowing if it’ll be a cup worth drinking. . . especially considering how little time I have to devote to my tea rituals. . . it takes courage! and today I found some ヽ(^。^)丿
And what do you know, for the second time in a row, a sample turned out to be fantastic! I was worried about this one as it had so many so-so reviews, but at least nothing too negative. So I brewed it up and watched my second ever episode of Dr. Who (I actually sat down for the full 45 minutes this time! I know, No way right?)
I like this one quite a bit. The dry leaves smell so yummy and the final flavor doesn’t disappoint. I like the tea base in this and I like that the fruity apple flavor isn’t so strong to cover it up. I am always a fan of subtle flavor.
i love this! i’m still struggling with this tea, but you quickly made it your pet! hoorah!
i can totally relate to your sample box dulldrums. i think we all may have gone overboard a little. (we sure know how to tea party!) (i figure i’ll feel a bit daunted and challenged at times, but in the end i’ll be very glad for all the experience.)
also, maybe i psychically channeled Doctor Who interest into the tea? i do have a desk tardis and some bowties for cosplay…
have you started the series from the beginning? (i’ll go back and read your recent posts to see what i can find.)
your post made me happy.
hey now we didn’t go overboard. You went and piled up the mystery swaps on yourself after I went on hiatus from orders and swaps! You were also so generous to send me extra samples, warning me that they include some teas that no one should drink so that every time I pull one out I have to wonder if its one of those teas. lol. I’ll tell you what, it’s that warning that makes me scared to dig into that box too often (^o^)
And what’s this? you aren’t keeping up with my posts. how rude! haha j/k. The Dr. Who thing started when I asked in a comment to you what the big Dr. Who deal was on Steepster. The rest is indeed explained in previous tasting notes. That’ll learn you for not keeping up :p
Shelley_Lorraine was kind enough to send me a sample of this in our (semi)-recent swap – it’s taking me ages to get through those samples (and others I’ve swapped for in the past several months) because more often than not it’s been too hot for me to want tea that is not iced. But it’s really cooled off in the past week, so I’ve been trying to get some quality tea sessions in this weekend.
Anyway, to the tea… I’m not a big eater of macarons, but I wouldn’t say this tea is particularly reminiscent of them. It does taste faintly almondy, but only faintly. This is a relief to me, as I haven’t been too fond of nut- (and especially almond-)flavored teas in the past. Here, the almond is more hinted at than anything else.
I’m struggling to say what this tea does taste like – I see apple is listed as an ingredient, so maybe that? Yes, I think it might be apple – it’s more the way I imagine apple blossoms might taste, if that makes sense; it’s delicate and floral in a way apples themselves usually aren’t, quite.
I have no idea what amaranth (the last ingredient) tastes like, so I can’t say how that might be playing into the flavor. The base is nice and smooth and plays well – no, plays exquisitely – with the other flavors.
I feel like I’m not doing justice to the overall flavor profile – maybe the amaranth is the missing link, or maybe I just lack the requisite tea vocabulary – but it’s just delicious.
This is why swaps are the best. I never would’ve tried this tea otherwise – it doesn’t have the flavor profile I usually go for, while I like macarons okay I’m not crazy about them, I was very disappointed by the only MF tea I’d tried previously, the price to order (not to mention shipping from France) is rather exorbitant, etc. etc. – but I love it. And I want more. Not sure how or when that’s going to happen, but someday this tea will be mine! It’s also gotten me curious about the rest of the Héritage Gourmand line.
For my own future reference: I made this with 1 teaspoon of tea/1 cup boiling water.
I really like this tea, although it’s not my favourite from this company.
It is very, very sweet and has a really nice overall taste and palette. It tastes fruity and really reminds me of powdered sugar. It’s not my favourite, as I said, but I still love it because all their teas are really well-made and so this tea doesn’t easily over-brew or over-steep and doesn’t have a super strong taste.
Flavors: Apple, Caramel, Strawberry, Sugar
I’m begining to think this collection is a kind of gadget…even on French blogs these teas are very very far from unanimity.
I love the mousse au chocolat one heh
yes but sounds bizarre MF blends are often appreciated by a majority and on blogs this collection has lower ratings than the others.
http://www.ciao.fr/Mariage_Freres_Heritage_Gourmand_the_noir_Mousse_au_chocolat__Avis_1407343
tres interesante! :)
it made me laugh when I read she didn’t want to contact the client service about the fact she disliked the tea ! that’s it sometimes you like sometimes not…I’m considering sending a complaint to Nestlé world because I’m not sure I like their strawberry yoghurts…:D
My French is TERRIBLE so I did not get any nuances or alternative meanings, but I did like that review. :)
ya, i’ve kinda given up on these two Héritage Gourmand i bought. or at least lowered my expectations. but i’m still interested in trying as many other of their teas as i can. i know it’s just your opinion, but thanks Sil, for making it two of us that is not bffs with this tea. glad again i could share :)
Shmiracles – if you give up on teh mousse au chocolat, you just send it my way lol.
That was a great review! And lol totally vindicates me for being too cheap to buy MF special edition tins.