After I shared a surprisingly popular post about tea a couple of weeks ago, the wonderful indie perfumer Mandy Aftel kindly sent me samples from her own tea collection. I was thrilled and had a fine time trying each one.
I drank them without milk and without sugar (on my first cup at least) to get the true taste. All four teas are organic and use edible essential oils and absolutes on a base of premium tea leaves. Depending on what method of infusion you use, on the first steeping you can watch the leaves unfurl in the water. You can also re-infuse them several times, which is great. Below are my impressions of each variety.
Oolong Tea Rose & Ginger
This organic Tieguanyin oolong tea from Taiwan is infused with Mandy’s Chef Essences of Turkish Rose and Fresh Ginger. I thought I didn’t like floral teas, however either rose is an exception or this tea is so subtly flavoured/scented it’s a joy. I was also concerned the ginger might be overpowering but it added a lovely gingerbread background warmth. I think I might struggle with straight-up oolong but this combination of flavours gives it body and make it work beautifully for me. Now I’m looking forward to trying more rose flavoured teas.
Black Tea Cardamom & Orange
I love the scent of black tea, cardamom and orange so it’s no surprise that this turned out to be a hit with me. The cardamom comes through more than the orange but it’s a gentle backnote to the tea itself which is full, rounded and satisfying in the way black tea usually is for me. According to the website this is “Organic Red Pearls Black Tea, a rare tea from Fujian, is fully-oxidized Mao Feng tea leaves that have been rolled into small black pearls. They are then pan-fired where they develop a burnished sheen, toasty caramel-like aroma, and spicy, assertive — yet wonderfully sweet — flavor.”
Oolong Tea Frankincense GABA
An incense tea! I love incense so this was a novel and fun experience for me. The scent is fantastically resinous, rather than smoky and it’s the fullest oolong tea I can imagine. The oolong tea from Taiwan has fruit and honey notes and is infused with hojary incense. GABA is a natural enzyme that calms and relaxes which is a definite plus. You’d think it might feel strange drinking incense but doesn’t. It’s perfect for de-stressing after work on a cold winter’s evening.
Aged Pu’erh in Tangerine Peel
Until late last year I hadn’t even heard of Pu’erh. It’s actually a fermented tea from Yunnan, China. Here, the leaves are packed into the rind of a whole tangerine.and aged for four years. They take on the flavour of the tangerine and the citrus is enhanced further by the addition of Mandy’s Yellow Mandarin Chef’s Essence. I found the unique scent very comforting. It’s earthy and rubbery and laced delicately with citrus. Perhaps surprisingly, this tea is really refreshing and I found it easy to drink without sugar, which is rare. I also love that it comes in the tangerine peel.
Each tea composition is expertly balanced with essences and absolutes that complement and enhance the leaves; never overwhelming them. They are clearly created with the same care and artistry as the Aftelier perfumes. They’ve brought home to me just how closely smell and taste are connected and how making a cup of tea can become, in Mandy’s own words, “a time-stopping pleasure” during a demanding day.
Do you like the sound of any of Mandy’s teas? Are there any scented teas you currently enjoy?
A Bottled Rose 
Wow! What a review! I want them all! It was funny how, as I was reading, I thought: this one sounds great, probably this will be my favorite… my two favorites.., my three… I’ll make sure to order some soon.
LikeLike
It was like that when trying them, Undina. I really wasn’t sure how I’d get on with any of them other than the black tea but that wasn’t the case AT ALL. If pushed, I’d probably say the Rose & Ginger Oolong was my favourite, but only just. They’re all really special. I hope you like them as much!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wowza! The top two are most definitely calling my name. I love Mandy’s little boxes – you will want to hang onto that long after you have drunk the tea. Fascinated by the tangerine peel one – reminds me of a sixth former I had a crush on at school…I picked up some satsuma rind she discarded in the grounds and kept it in on a cotton wool pillow in a box not unlike the above until it went green and unsavoury, and even I had to admit that its keepsake days were numbered.
LikeLike
Yes, those little boxes are great. I seem to have a thing for boxes generally for some reason.
I remember the satsuma peel story but thought it was a he not a she?!
LikeLike
Haha, no, it was an all girls’ school. I switched my allegiance to boys at the earliest opportunity. 😉
LikeLike
Ha! We make do with what we have at the time… )
LikeLike
Heartfelt thanks dear Tara, I am feeling truly fortunate to have so much of your wonderful writing all at once! I appreciate your nuanced notes about how they each smell & taste — I myself have such a sweet tooth that I drink them all with large amounts of stevia! 🙏💜✍🏻☕️👃
xo Mandy
LikeLike
I had the best time trying them, Mandy and it’s expanded my knowledge and experience of tea so much. I will have to look into stevia too!
LikeLike
When you wrote about tea, I thought of these actually. I love the frankincense one especially.
LikeLike
That’s so funny Neil because I actually thought of you when I tried the Frankincense one.
LikeLike
Nice synchronicity
LikeLike
I knew you’d like it.
LikeLike
In terms of rose tea, I like Fauchon’s very much. And you still have to get to Mariage Freres!
LikeLike
Oh thanks very much for the rose tea recommendation. I was wondering if I should wait till Val and I hit Mariage Freres but that may not be until May. I’m definitely going to see I can order from Fauchon’s online.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was in love with their apricot for a while
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am teetering on the verge of tea obsession…
LikeLike
But how gorgeous..
LikeLike
Oh yes. I’m glad.
LikeLike
The black tea with cardamom and orange sounds very good and the Pu’erh tea, too. The tangerine peel is a bit off-putting to me, but there you go. I guess that’s just because I have had some organic citrus fruits deteriorating very quickly lately! Generally I drink unscented tea, but subtle flavour additions may be fun for a change. As long as the tea in the base is good, added flavour is fun to explore.
LikeLike
HI Ingeborg,
I wasn’t sure how I’d get on with scented/flavoured teas but they really have been fun to explore, it’s true. They’ve been a real game-changer for me and opened up a whole new world of tea for me to enjoy.
LikeLike
Pingback: Mood Scent 4 – Rainy Day Perfumes | A Bottled Rose