Quote:
Originally Posted by
b1os 
Bump.
In the mood for black tea at the moment. Picked up some Earl Grey and black tea for drinking with milk from Mariage Frères.
Earl Grey Impérial
It's darjeeling based. Very intense bergamote aroma that's also very present in the brewed cup. Right now, I think something around 9.5 g per litre and around 3-3.5 minutes are best. 12.5 g, as suggested from Mariage Frères, is too extreme to my palate.
The tea that was recommended to me (for enjoying with some milk) was Pettiagalla OP1 ceylon.
It's good. I actually think that milk doesn't really benefit it, since it's not strong enough, so I drink it plain. I'm at 11g per litre and 4 minutes. I'll try the suggested 12.5g tomorrow.
I'll also smell and maybe try some scented black teas (I already have Marco Polo, which I like quite a bit) -- Pleine Lune, Thé au Tibet, Wedding Impérial or Fils de France. Anyone had any of these?
I tried the Marco Polo last month when I was in Paris (at their Louvre shop), and decided to buy some teas from their original shop in Le Marais. I bought some loose leaf Marco Polo, Paris Breakfast, and a Darjeeling that says "1625 Namring" on the bag. That Darjeeling is really nice, you only brew to 90c and steep for 2-3 minutes. I find myself drinking Paris Breakfast with some milk and honey in the morning. I think I prefer it to Marco Polo.
The best teas I had when I was in Paris was at a restaurant called YamT'cha that did a full tasting menu with tea pairings instead of wine. They even have a tea sommelier that explains each tea they bring to go with your food. This is what it looked like at the end of service:
