Happy Saturday! I hope this review finds you well! L’ATELIERduThé is a tea company that has three focuses within its business: making great tea, having a strong eco-conscious mindset, and tying it together with great customer service. They sent me 5 teas: Pink Panther, James and the Giant Peach Tea, Tipsy Green, Organic Ginger Power, and La Rose D’argent.
Analyzation of the Teas:
Pink Panther: This tea was quite interesting to me, in a good way of course. They recommended two tsp for a cup of tea, which I normally use one tsp for a cup of tea. I, of course, did as recommended and was pleasantly surprised. The aroma of this tea was quite fruity and smelled of strawberries (I expected no less). The overall flavor was delicate and fruity, with the black tea taking more a back seat than I expected. It did not necessarily taste like a black tea, with barely any tannin taste or astringency. I think my next move with this tea will be to cold-brew it (I barely have time to even think about cold-brewing, so it will have to be scheduled one day) as I think it will bring out the strawberry flavors even more.
Region: Yunnan, China | Elevation: 800m
Ingredients: Black Tea, Dried Strawberries, Natural Strawberry Flavour
James and the Giant Peach Tea: This tea smelled quite heavenly when pouring it out. The aroma included subtle notes that I only associate with oolong with a slight fruity sweetness at the end. My mouth started watering before I took a sip. I have been drinking more and more oolong teas lately, so I was beyond excited when I saw this one in the box of teas sent to me. The taste was quite subtle as well with a hint of sweetness resting on the middle of my tongue. It was very smooth and palatable, with no signs of astringency. There was a fruity aftertaste that lingered in my mouth. This tea had quite a calming effect on me and my body, as I could feel the tea glide down my throat and almost feel goosebumps or a like feeling throughout my body as well. I am trying to be more observant of the effect that tea has on my body. I actually made some of this tea and brought it to my leadership class for my small group. Needless-to-say, it was devoured in seconds and was declared amazing.
Region: Fujian, China | Elevation: 800m
Ingredients: Dried Peach, Oolong Tea, Natural Peach Flavour
Tipsy Green: I really enjoyed this tea, it was quite light and refreshing with a bit of vegetal or grassy notes behind each sip. I think this is a great green tea for beginners or those who might not handle teas that are more grassy and vegetal, as my mom was one who probably would like this (green teas are not her favorite). The overwhelming feeling that I had with this tea was calm and serenity. It was so light that I was able to just focus on the tea and how it made me feel. I want to continue testing out this tea and seeing if I can get a bit more strength to the tea.
Region: Fujian, China | Elevation: 800m
Ingredients: Green Tea
Organic Ginger Power: The aroma of this tea was not super gingery as I expected. Instead I had a gust of a spicy black tanniny tea. The color was a beautiful orangey, amber and was captivating as I poured out the tea. As I tasted the tea, I really wished for more of a ginger presence. The taste was beautiful but not the ginger power punch I was expecting. There was an underlying spiciness to the tea, which calmed my slightly-sore throat. It was quite the welcomed feeling as it felt as if the tea broke through any pain and coated my throat almost.
Region: Yunnan, China | Elevation: 500m
Ingredients: Ginger*, Black Tea* (*Organic)
La Rose D’argent: This tea was quite lovely and light. The aroma was like walking through a flower trail or garden, with my nose picking up many rose hints. I could taste almost a natural sweetness lingering in my mouth, almost like mild honey or nectar-like. I completely devoured this tea, which was sad because I had only a small sample of it. I also did feel quite relaxed during and after the tea, with my entire body feeling like it was ready to melt into my couch and blanket. I could taste a slight astringency to the tea, but barely any bitterness.
Region: Yunnan, China | Elevation: 1000m
Ingredients: French Rose Petals, Chamomile, Silver Needle Tea
Analyzation of the Pricing:
Organic Ginger Power is priced at $10.99 (Current on sale for $8.95) for 40 grams of tea. Tipsy Green is priced at $8.95 (Currently on sale for $5.50) for 40 grams of tea. La Rose D’argent is priced at $14.99 (Currently on sale for $12.78) for 30 grams of tea. Pink Panther is priced at $11.99 (Currently on sale for $8.95) for 40 grams of tea. And finally James and the Giant Peach Tea is $11.99 (Currently on sale for $9.49) for 15 sachets of tea. I believe these are fair prices, especially when discounts are factored in (like the $10 off pop-up I keep getting when I am on the website doing my research).
Analyzation of the Packaging:
Their eco-conscious mindset is evident within their packaging. Their packaging is 100% biodegradable as it is made with recycled paper, while their tea sachets are made with a bio-degradable corn-fiber material. I really liked the packaging that the tea came in, but I do have one complaint. The tea “tins” are absolutely beautiful, but if the tea is not packed in the correct way, the tops easily fall off. This made me a little unsure about an airtight seal and keeping the tea fresh, but I do forgive it to a certain degree since they are environmentally friendly. I do absolutely love the coloring and branding of all of the packaging, with its bright colors. The box that everything came in was also beautifully colored and branded.
I hope you all enjoyed this review, it was definitely delicious to do. I enjoy it when companies decide to take a stance and provide environmentally friendly packaging and such. It really intrigues me and makes me want to learn more about how we can be more environmentally friendly in normal every-day tea-drinking life. Definitely food for thought. Happy Brewing!
-Danielle