Thé À L'Opéra

Mariage Freres' Thé À L'Opéra or Tea at the Opera is a flavored green tea.   By the looks of the leaves, it is likely a sencha with red berry flavoring.   The smell of the leaves is sensual and lovely, including sweet strawberries, caramels and chocolates.  However, the steeped tea is not as adorable and does not evoke feelings of a night at the opera.  In fact, the artificial aftertaste brings to mind plots of soap operas.

But Thé À L'Opéra excels when pairing with pastries and desserts.  Its slight sourness and astringency cut through the richness of pastries and desserts, such as Bourbon pecan pie and New York cheesecake.   Its aftertaste also becomes less noticeable.

L'Opera tea

Type:  Green     Blending Country: France    Preparation:  85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:   Red berry, caramel and chocolate aromas overpower sencha's grassiness.
Wet Leaf:  A faint grassy note hides under berry candy notes.
Liquor:      The amber tea has light astringency from green tea and sourness from berry flavoring.  It is quite refreshing but leaves an artificial aftertaste.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5