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“It was not love at first sight with this tea, but each time I have it I love it more and appreciate it more. There are no particular fireworks, but it is just so balanced, so right so very often,...” Read full tasting note
“LORI thoughtfully sent me three different versions of Casablanca mint to sample and compare. Mariage Frères has added bergamot which I can taste. It’s very nice. Adagio’s version tastes like a...” Read full tasting note
“This blend intrigued me, and thanks to TeaEqualsBliss, I have some to sample. I thought this might be to the liking of Golden Moon’s Vanilla Mint in that it was a mint/green/black tea blend. I...” Read full tasting note
“I got several teabags from a friend of mine who ordered it straight from paris. I personally have not been to well acquainted with Mariage Fieres teas as its quite rare outside the US or elsewhere...” Read full tasting note
A fine marriage of green tea with Moroccan mint and bergamot-flavoured tea. A refreshing surprise. “Play it again.”
PREPARATION ADVICE FOR 1 CUP :
Amount of tea leaves: 2.5g
Best water temperature: 95 °C
Infusion time: 3 min
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Hmm.. I was in the mood for an herbal blend and this one seems like it would do the job.. mint and bergamot. It’s an interesting combination because those two flavors seem to be so strong and overpowering on their own if not blended right. Sipping… I taste mostly the mint and maybe something that resembles citrus on the tail end of the sip. Strangely, it reminds me of those fruity and minty gums. I suppose I’d prefer to have one or the other instead, but I’ll finish the cup.
It has been a long time since I’ve had a Moroccan mint tea. My favorite in the genre is Samovar’s Moorish Mint, and I remember it being exquisite. Damn near perfect, really.
From the moment I opened my tin of this, though, I thought it was a definite contender. A wonderful minty smell — but not too minty, not so minty that it overpowers everything and makes your eyes water. It smells to me like spearmint rather than peppermint — which makes sense because I think that is what is typically used in Moroccan mint tea. But it is also a gentler mint in general, and tends to blend better. I also smell the bergamot, which is a nice touch — it cuts through any tendency the mint might have had to be overpowering.
The tea steeps to a pretty, apricot color with some suspension in it and smells divinely minty (but not overpoweringly so). The bergamot has a heightening effect that’s hard to describe. It’s like a freshening effect, I guess.
The flavor is gently minty with slight bit of citrus around the edges. The tea base is a juicy, vegetal green that peeks through every now and then.
It is not as perfect as Samovar’s. But it is quite good.
Flavors: Bergamot, Spearmint
I’m not feeling great this dull Friday, so I wanted something clean and refreshing to drink to try and alleviate things a little. This one shouted to me from the bag by my desk. I’ve actually had it ages, I think, but I’ve never tried it before today. I like Moroccan mint, but the idea of bergamot had kind of put me off…
I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 2.5 minutes in water cooled to around 175 degrees. To taste, it’s milder overall than I expected, although that might be a result of both its age and my conservative brew time. If I’m honest, it could probably take a bit longer (or maybe a touch more leaf).
The mint is fresh and clean-tasting, anyway, and the bergamot (although mostly a background flavour) adds a nicely citrusy edge. The green tea base is smooth and unobtrusive, with no bitterness of astringency in sight. I feel like I could take this one a touch sweeter, but I’m not sure how sugar and bergamot would pair. Maybe something to try next time!
Confession Time:
I’ve never watched Casablanca. Am I missing out?
Cold brewed this one before I realized it had bergamot in it; had I known I may have made a different choice. I’d say like 90% of the flavor was a really good, chilled Moroccan Mint and it’s hard to beat Moroccan Mint when it comes to being refreshing or having a smooth mint flavour but honestly? Moroccan Mint is also really boring, and I just have higher expectations from Mariage Freres as well.
The other 10% of the flavour is primarily the base – it’s quite grassy and sharp with a kind of fresh cut lawn taste to it. Very little of the taste is the bergamot; I vaguely taste it in the finish but if I hadn’t read the ingredients before drinking it I honestly don’t think I’d know it’s there. I saved some leaf to try hot, crossing my fingers it’s better that way. As is, I’m far from impressed though.
Oh yes, Casablanca is a wonderful movie. Lovely little humourous moments if you know where to look. Personally, I find the relationship between Rick and Renaud (Humphrey Bogart and Claude Rains) more fun to watch than the one between Rick and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman).
You are very much missing out. It’s a classic for a reason!
My first Mariage Frères! Jeez, this tastes like quality! The ingredients don’t attract me particularly but it is everything it promises to be. Good quality leaves, very well balanced. Can’t wait to be able to try a Mariage Frères with ingredients that attracts me more.
So surprised at the rating on this one (78) since all the reviews I see are high – higher than 78. I steeped this a bit long for me (5 minutes), and so there’s a bit of astringency in there at the end of the sip that I’m not a fan of. Having said that, this is a very creamy blergamot (I can barely taste it), and I’m missing any sort of minty flavor or feeling. I’ll need to try this again at a three minute steep and see if I feel differently then.
Was “blergamot” on purpose? I don’t know why I find it so funny, but I laugh/snorted when I read it!
Ha! :) Yes, although in all fairness, I stole it from another Steepsterite… Sil perhaps?
Aye….stupid blergamot ;)
“blergamot” is my favorite word
If you get the chance try brewing it a bit colder. Maybe 80-85? This is a weird tea, a mix of black and green, and with me I find it works better the colder I brew it. It´s kind of my default in-a-hurry hot tea, I can make it with not so hot water, wait a couple seconds and it´s ready to sip down just as soon as brewed.
Cold brewed also great and very minty that way!
I didn’t get this tea at all until I cold steeped it and added some cream and sugar. It then went from eh to wow. I second the cold steep recommendation.
I love almost everything with this tea. What do I dislike ? The cut leaves…too small…complicated to filter these leaves efficiently. I always find some remaining in my cup…like little wicked submarines…
Here some pics of the tea in situation : http://thevangeliste.wordpress.com/2014/09/09/casablanca-mariage-freres-2/
You can see the villain submarines in my mug…grrrrr
LOL, “little wicked submarines”…that killed me!
Cute!!!
I’m in war against remaining cut leaves in my cup :)
we are twins regarding this tea. It is so very perfect! I think the bad bad little pieces are the mint, degrading with time very fast, but it is also the mint which makes this so perfect.
I bought this tea 1 week ago to me it seems to be smal pieces of tea but you may be right as I have no idea how long Mariage stores the tea in their big jars. I’ll have a more precise look next time to examinate much the “invaders”
It is annoying isn´t it? But this is such a wonderful tea. And it makes the best iced tea in the world, though you need to be generous with the leaf and since I also love it hot which is more economical i only do it iced now and then!
by the way have you ever tried one of those gravity strainers? I have this one
http://www.yumchaa.com/cms/pliki_uzyt/duzy_untitled_panorama2.jpg
which was quite expensive, but that filter at the bottom (removable to clean) it really really works for things like casablanca or rooibos (more of a problem for me than you). I have had mine for almost 2 years, at first I thought it was a waste of money but seriously worth it. Only problem is mine is getting all ugly and stained from the tanin now!
thanks Teresa, I didn’t even know such a tool was existing, seems absolutely interesting
cteresa, a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser wipes away tea stains like a dream. Little to no scrubbing required!
Thank you, mj. I have never seen that brand around though!
ysaurella, it is really wonderful and that filter being so tight fitting (at the beginning it took me a few days to understand it could be removed for cleaning), you really get totally clear tea. I thought, and still think, you do not really need it to make good tea, it is just so convenient though!
This tea cold steeped and served over ice with some cream….. SO dreamy! Warm weather and a cup of this tea iced screams summer to me. I think I either underleafed it or the tea has aged and lost some of it’s bang because it is slightly less intense than I recall. Either way I think I can solve the issue the same way I solve a lot of issues: ADD MORE TEA!
We purchased this back in February, and to our surprise the flavor is already falling off. We store it in an air-tight tin from Mariage Freres so we are not doing anything odd. It just demonstrates that good tea has a finite shelf life. If you like it, drink it all before it goes south.
This one is SO good cold steeped and iced! Hot… ehhhhhh.
Dustin, I wish I had known about this before I had it hot! Will try it cold next time!