True Parisian Perfume – THEODOR scented teas

Some time ago I had the chance to sample a few gems from the extensive repertoire of French tea brand THEODOR. What struck me most about them wasn’t the tea quality per se, but the aroma of each blend; tearing off the top of the bag in the kitchen, my nostrils filled with the scent of citrus or vanilla even before the loose leaves hit hot water.

Owing to my Slavic ancestry, October Revelation of the Russian Blends series seemed a good place to start; China black tea with the addition of not one, not three, but seven citrus flavors—grapefruit, sweet lemon, Clementine, sweet orange, lime, mandarin, and of course Bergamot—makes this tea a dream come true for lovers of tanginess. However, to others the combination of slightly bitter black tea and sour flavors might make lips pucker, so indulge in another long-standing Russian tradition and stir in some honey while it’s hot.

The 1842, 29th August blend was next (by the way, don’t you just love these names?) probably because it’s only three days from my birthday. An ambitious medley of green tea, orange blossoms, almond, lime essence and rose petals would have been a fine gift for any Virgo, but I found a flaw—the mere complexity of the taste. The green tea’s presence is still too strong to be in harmony with the others, and I believe it was the lime’s acidity that soured the experience a bit for me. I truly believe, however, that this could be a great tea with some tweaks.

Last of all was Melange de Galice—which, compared to the first two, seemed a startlingly simple tea, just Bourbon vanilla and peaches on a background of Chinese black. But from the first sip, I knew this was it. Maybe I have a weakness for peach-infused teas—Tazo’s Giant Peach and Honest Tea’s Peach Oo-La-Long come to mind—but then there was the light accent of vanilla, like a shot of sun on a cloudy day, brightening the proceedings yet not intruding on the deep, dark flavor of the tea. And the smell—oh, the smell! Summery and sweet from the peaches, with the vanilla adding a creamy note so you practically forget you’re making black tea until you actually drink it. I highly recommend THEODOR; you’ve never had anything like it before!