Apple, cinnamon, almond, pink berries: these are the scents of Christmas desserts, and Mariage Frères has placed them, for Noël Amour, on a precious white tea made of delicate buds. The tea is housed in a white collector's flask with a double lid, decorated with golden drops, containing 25 g of white tea, a size for giving and sharing.

White tea is the most delicate of teas: buds simply withered and dried, without rolling, which give a light and gentle cup. The declared ingredients are white tea, apple, cinnamon, almond, pink berries and flavouring; the blend contains almond and may contain traces of other nuts.

The liquor is clear and fragrant. The apple opens, sweet and fruity, then the cinnamon warms, the almond gives a pastry-like roundness, and the pink berry, peppery and floral, marks the finish. The white tea, in the background, brings its velvety softness and lightness: it is a festive cup without heaviness, which the house intends for moments of sharing with family and friends.

It is an afternoon and after-dinner tea, to be drunk plain, during the end-of-year festivities. It accompanies an apple tart, a gingerbread, bredele, or a chestnut Yule log. The buds can withstand a second infusion.

Allow 5 g per 200 ml of water at 85 °C and five minutes of infusion: white tea calls for a generous dose and soft water. Close both lids after use, away from light. La Boutique du Thé is official stockist of Mariage Frères since 1999, in its shops in Bordeaux and Nice.