An Afternoon Tea Tasting: Le Palais des Thes

Did you know the French are also passionate about tea?

While the English are famous for their tea-drinking, the French have loved tea since the early 1600’s.  Tea was a favorite drink of the French royalty, who believed it would cure illness and old age.  Eventually it became associated with the aristocracy and the upper classes, and tea drinking acquired its own elaborate tea ceremonies and etiquette.

Today, you can find chic tea shops through Paris, offering exotic blends from all over the world in that ever-so-stylish French way:

We wanted to recreate this feeling back at home, so we held a tea tasting in honor of our new line of teas from Le Palais des Thés.  Powerful and inviting aromas surrounded us.

First we sampled Thé Des Alizes, a fresh green tea packaged in a delightful green and yellow tin that perfectly suits the carefree smell and taste of its contents. As we opened the tin, we smelled notes of fruity white peaches along with that classic green tea scent.  The first sip was clean and mild; not bitter like so many traditional green teas. The overall experience was a wonderful combination of fruity scents with a complementary subtle taste.

Thé Des Vahines Rooibos was next and it was a calming contrast to the more refreshing green tea. Rooibos is simply the Afrikaans word for “red bush”, referring to the plant with which an herbal tea is made. Again, with this tea, the scent was strong, yet not overwhelming. It was almost as intoxicating as being in a chocolate shop, with notes of caramel, vanilla, and almond floating in the air. The tea leaves were very fine and made for a smooth flavor with a slight lingering sweetness. Thé Des Vahines Rooibos is caffeine-free, making it a perfect treat for any time of day.

Finally, we tasted an updated version of a classic English tea, Thé des Lords. This is an Earl Grey with strong bergamot flavor and a vibrant overall scent. The leaves are very dark and created a deep flavor with a subtle smokey note. It has an intense flavor that would stand up to a dash of milk, though it’s mild enough to drink black, depending on one’s preference. We liked Thé des Lords as it was not too bitter and would be a great pick-me-up in the mornings.

Parisian cookies from Poilane and chocolates from Jean-Paul Hevin were also served at our tea and made for a decadent experience. The sweet treats went perfectly well with each of our teas.

We are really excited to be carrying fine teas from Le Palais des Thés.  We found that each of them was true to its traditional roots, yet pleasantly infused with new flavors and scents.

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