Enthusiastic and flamboyant, the Rooster wakes the world: that is the portrait Mariage Frères paints of the sign, and the tea it dedicates to it is meant to mirror its character. Thé des Signes, année du Coq, belongs to a festive collection that pairs each of its teas with the personality of a sign of the Asian zodiac, a gift for those born under the sign and a gourmand lucky charm for everyone.

It is a blue tea, that is to say an oolong that is partially oxidised, with mellow notes, perfumed and sprinkled with blue flowers and goji berries, the red fruit that is the signature of the collection. The ingredient list names blue tea, goji berries, blue flowers and a flavouring; it appears in full on the tin and on this page.

The liquor is golden, with the bluish highlights given by the finely cut flowers, and its shade varies from one infusion to the next; turn the closed tin upside down and shake it for a few seconds before measuring, so the petals are evenly distributed. On the palate, the buttery softness of the oolong opens; the blue flowers give a gentle, fresh fragrance; the goji berries bring their fruity, lightly sweet accents in the finish.

It is drunk during the day, plain, with a fruit pastry or on its own, and it is shared at the Asian New Year as at any other time. Years of the Rooster: 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029.

It is presented in an artisan lacquered tin, screen-printed in France, whose shape evokes the Temple of Heaven, containing 100 g of scented blue tea. Allow 3 g per 200 ml of water at 95 °C and 5 minutes of steeping. The blend may contain traces of nuts. Thé des Signes Coq is available from La Boutique du Thé, official stockist of Mariage Frères since 1999, in Bordeaux and Nice.