A bouquet for birthdays, and for every other day too: Birthday in Love belongs to the In Love collection from Mariage Frères, and its case, highlighted in gold and scattered with large raspberry-red flowers, announces the celebration before the infusion. The case holds 30 round cotton muslin tea sachets, sewn in France, making 75 g of tea.

The base is a Darjeeling, a black tea from the foothills of the Himalayas whose leaves are picked and worked by hand. On this elegant leaf, the house has layered the zesty brightness of bergamot, then Damask rose petals and the floral perfume of jasmine. The declared ingredients are tea, rose petals and flavouring; the blend may contain traces of nuts.

The cup is clear, golden, and very fresh. The bergamot opens, as in an Earl Grey, but the rose and jasmine join it straight away and soften it, while the Darjeeling brings underneath that fine, slightly fruity note that is its own. The whole is bright without being heavy, and the finish stays floral.

It is an afternoon and teatime tea, which goes with a birthday cake as well as a simple slice of fruit loaf. It is drunk plain, to preserve the flowers, and makes a highly fragrant iced tea if left to cool after infusion.

Place one muslin in 200 ml of water at 95°C and leave to infuse for five minutes. The cotton lets the leaf unfurl far better than a paper tea bag. Once the case has been opened, keep it closed and away from strong odours. La Boutique du Thé has been an official stockist of Mariage Frères since 1999.