Aftelier, an indie perfume house specializing in all-natural fragrances, has introduced a line of scented teas which currently includes Matcha Chai, Rose & Ginger Tieguanyin Oolong and Frankincense GABA Oolong (all three are organic). Matcha Chai is the newest addition, and it’s scented with natural essences: vanilla absolute from Madagascar, organic cinnamon from Vietnam, organic pimento berry from Jamaica, and organic cardamom from India. The tea itself is grown in Nishio, Japan.
Rose & Ginger Tieguanyin Oolong is based on Muzha Tieguanyin oolong tea from Taiwan. “This full-bodied oolong opens with ripe fruit notes and finishes with a smooth aftertaste, blending beautifully with the spicy rose flavor that Mandy creates with our Aftelier Chef’s Essences: Fresh Ginger and Turkish Rose. These tightly rolled leaves unfurl during the first steeping, and may be re-infused up to 4 times, retaining their fragrance.”
Frankincense Oolong is created with tea from Nantou, Taiwan and high-quality frankincense essence. A full-bodied tea with fruit and honey notes, accented by the peppery and balsamic frankincense.
Matcha Chai retails for $30/25g, while Rose & Ginger and Frankincense teas are $25/30g. More information is available at Aftelier Organic Teas webpage. Via press release
15 Comments
Ann: Frankincense tea?? What would that taste like? Rose and ginger sounds delicious. October 9, 2013 at 8:32am
Martha: I’m with you. Frankincense tea, hmmm… October 9, 2013 at 8:42am
Victoria: I’ve tried frankincense scented water in Oman, and the flavor is peppery and balsamic. Very refreshing. I imagine with the right choice of tea it could be interesting. October 9, 2013 at 8:57am
key change: Wow, rose and ginger? It sounds like a unique combination. Super super expensive though! whoa. October 9, 2013 at 9:26am
Victoria: The combination sounds fantastic! I don’t have access to these teas, and I don’t think I’ve come across this flavor pairing in other tea brands, so I might have to add a bit of rosewater and ground ginger to my cup of oolong and see how it works. October 9, 2013 at 10:37am
Aisha: I would love a cup of matcha chai right now, please and thank you. 🙂 October 9, 2013 at 9:48am
Victoria: So would I! It’s been getting colder and colder here, so something warming is in order. I might go for the ginger-cinnamon tea I described in my recent post on tisanes and add some cardamom to it as well. It’s so cold in my office. October 9, 2013 at 10:38am
Aisha: Oo! That sounds yummy! We’ve been having very strange weather for October. One day it’s in the 70s and sunny, and the next it’s in the 50s and rainy. But either way, I drink hot tea and coffee year-round. 🙂 October 9, 2013 at 11:08am
Victoria: Me too, even on hot days. It seems odd, but it works well, especially if you select a delicate tea. Many green tea varieties are not brewed in boiling hot water anyway, so it also helps. October 9, 2013 at 2:18pm
Anne of Green Gables: Me too… I can never forget the taste of matcha I had in Kyoto. I came back to the small inn I was staying after a long day of sightseeing and one of the staffs offered me matcha and dorayaki. The bitterness of matcha and the sweetness of red bean were a perfect combination. October 9, 2013 at 11:29am
Victoria: The bitterness of matcha makes such a perfect sense when you have it with something sweet (but preferrably not too strongly flavored, since it has its own delicate taste). What a beautiful memory, Anne! October 9, 2013 at 2:16pm
Hannah: I’ve had the rose and ginger and frankincense. I got samples of them for Christmas a few years ago, along with two others. I think they were linden and jasmine/mint. I think the rose and ginger was my favorite.
Matcha Chai is a weird name. “Chai tea” is like saying “thé tea” October 9, 2013 at 2:53pm
Victoria: In the US, chai refers to spiced teas like Indian masala chai. Chai is just a word for tea, as you pointed out. I guess, in this context, matcha masala chai would be correct, but maybe a bit clunky.
How was the frankincense scented tea? October 9, 2013 at 4:05pm
Austenfan: I’ve been wondering all day where I had heard of these teas before. But have just remembered: Robin ( over at NST) reviewed them a while ago. Not the Matcha Chai, but she mentions the other two.
I just include the link:
http://www.nstperfume.com/2011/07/15/two-teas-from-aftelier-with-a-quick-aside-about-rococo-floral-chocolates/ October 9, 2013 at 4:48pm
Victoria: Thank you! It seems that Matcha Chai is brand new; others have been around for a while. Still curious about the frankincense tea. October 9, 2013 at 4:56pm