Marco Polo

Ok, so I’ve been putting off rating this tea for a while. Because everyone loves it, and I initally didn’t find it particularly special. I wasn’t getting the amazing dessert overtones that everyone else got.

But, it’s been growing on me. And now, I really like it. Especially when I have it with half and half and sweetener. Fruity, smooth, and just pleasureable.

Yum.

The quiet life was nice enough to send this to me, in its own little sample tin (which I love, and will definitely reuse for travel tea afterwards). Another tea from my shopping list! I feel like I’m really doing some work on it.

Anyways, the tea itself smells fruity and sweet and chocolaty (is it supposed to? Huh) and reminds me somewhat of H&S’s Paris (which makes sense because I remember a few tasting notes saying that it’s probably a nod to Marco Polo anyways).

She was nice enough to provide the steeping instructions on the side, so I shouldn’t be messing anything up. Hurray!

I’m trying this plain first. Maybe I’ll add milk and/or sugar to the last cup from the pot, or just wait until next time.

The wet leaves smell just as delicious (and a bit stronger), perfumy and a bit like strawberry, with a good black tea smell in there as well.

First sip… I got black tea, and then a sudden aftertaste of strawberries. The tea taste is strong (astringent, but somehow ALSO very smooth), and is then followed by the berryness, and almost sweetness. The more I sip, the stronger the berry flavour comes (and the more it fades away from strawberry and joins just ‘berry’).

There’s an almost chocolatyness to it as well, I think. Hrm.

Added a bit of sugar and milk to the last of this cup. Okay, maybe too MUCH sugar. I realize I am not very adapt with sugar portioning. But there is definitely a sweetness and taste that isn’t from the sugar in there. The addition of the milk also makes it unbelievably smooth, almost silky. I think just milk and no sugar would taste very nice as well. Otherwise, I would have just jumped past the sugar for the honey, but I assume the taste of the honey would have overwhelmed it.

I went to throw the rest of this cup back and smelt vanilla. Mmm.

Back to no milk/sugar. And I think I can taste that vanilla I smelled a moment ago. I don’t know. Weird. Still, delicious.

I always wish I had more experience with flavoured teas, since most of the tasting notes I read rave about the flavour, and most of what I get is only in the smell, but I’m glad I got to try this anyways (and I still have a fair amount left in my tiny sample tin!). It is delicious and smooth, and the flavours are subtle, but actually there.

Edit: A continuation, as I resteep this. The smell is much stronger now, and I realize that it reminds me a lot of The O Dor’s Place Saint Marc. A lot!

The taste is a bit more evident, which is nice. Although the smell is really reminding me of Place Saint Marc. Berry and vanilla.

Mmm.

Well, that was unexpected. Of all the lovely Mariage Frères teas sent to me by Ysaurella and cteresa, I seem to like Marco Polo the best. I feel I’ve let you both down. :P I was really wondering, after disliking Harney & Sons Paris so much, whether I just was losing even my very picky liking for flavoured black teas, but apparently not. Something about the hint of toffee taste that stops the strawberry from being that sharp note that strawberry too often is in tea (for me, anyway). I say strawberry, but only because that was the predominant fruit. I might manage a slightly more detailed tasting note in the future, but this is as good as it gets at the moment, unfortunately. Thanks again, Teresa – this is delicious!

Ah boo to buying mandatory large packages of unfamiliar teas! I absolutely HAD to buy more Macaron tea and my mother wanted Wedding Imperial so we split shipping charges to order from Mariage Frerès. I figured I ought to get something extra to make the order efficient. I saw that this was a best seller and went for it.

At least it is palatable. It has a wine aroma from dry leaf to cup and I’ve already expressed my dislike for alcoholic-like flavors. Perhaps that is why this one is so popular though. Fortunately, for me, the wine notes aren’t too strong and there is a pleasant fruitiness about it. When it is very hot, it kind of gives off a perfumy aroma like the smell of department store samples in a catalogue. That wore off as it cooled and doesn’t come through in the flavor.

I’ll be taking a sample of this to my parents and if they aren’t so keen on it, I’ll have plenty for swapping! :)

Ok, maybe I’m losing my mind.

I received this from Ellyn awhile ago and haven’t logged it until now. I had a cup of it when I first got it, but I guess I forgot to really take note of the details.

I made some more tonight, and my mind was blown because it tasted exactly like a version of Monk’s Blend to me. (The two Monk’s Blend I’ve tried so far were from different brands and had slightly different tastes). Is that what this is? I haven’t skimmed down for the earlier reviews of this particular tea but this info was irrelevant to me the first time I drank it, now I feel it really compares to those other two teas, since I’ve gotten a taste.

Anyway, it’s creamy and fruity but there’s something unique about it. I am telling you it tastes like Monk’s Blend. I love Monk’s Blend!

Thanks for the sample, Ellyn!

This smells like chocolate with a little bit of brandy.
This tea has some of the “sparkling” feeling to it. It has a spiciness that lingers on for a long time after drinking, almost a white pepper kind of zing.
There is a nice smokiness that underlines the brandy type flavor.

A big THANK YOU to RICKY for sending this tea sample to me. I was really suprised as I wasn’t expecting him to send me any more teas. I was even more thrilled when I opened the package and it was sample of Marco Polo, which I have been wanting to try forever.

Upon sampling this tea and its yummy strawberry goodness, it erased any yucky memories of the overly salty crawfish that I had earlier at dinner. To me, this is a guiless, childish tea- reminding me of Frankenberry cereal or jujubees or jolly ranchers….

Unlike most other French blends I have sampled, this one is not some frilly perfumy, hot-mess, but a solid, true, and not really sophisticated strawberry flavor.

While looking through my little sample box to see what I should have, the bad of this stuck to the adhesive on the box and ripped open. For some reason, I always look over this, so I took that as a sign I should finally drink it. So far, I’m glad I did. It’s sitting next to me, and I’m getting some lovely smells. There’s a very sweet, creamy, vanilla smell, and under that a bit of a fruity scent. I wasn’t super careful with the steep time, so hopefully that didn’t throw off the taste too bad.
Hmm, I’m not getting as much flavor as I expected. Perhaps I needed to steep it for longer. I’m definitely getting a bit of sweet, creamy, fruity flavor, but it’s a hint. I have had this for a while, so there is a chance it could be old too. How disappointing, everyone else seemed to really enjoy this one! Oh well :(

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me a bit of this tea – it’s one that I’ve wanted to try for a while now!

The floral notes of this tea are very pleasant – sharp yet sweet, and an excellent contrast with the brisk flavor of the black tea and the sumptuous flavor of the fruit.

Delicious! I’m really glad I got to try this!