Buds of mother-of-pearl and misty grey, whose dry fragrance evokes candied kumquat and wild blackberry beneath a veil of liquorice: Saphir Himalaya is a blue tea from Nepal, a spring-harvest oolong that Mariage Frères presents as a grand cru and describes as celestial.

It comes from eastern Nepal, a region renowned for its teas, and from a small, confidential plot situated between 1,000 and 2,000 metres above sea level, on Nepalese foothills that the house describes as wrapped in pure air and drained by crystal-clear water. It is a plain tea, with nothing added, and our product sheet confirms the absence of the fourteen allergens that must be declared.

The infused buds evoke indulgent blue plums, with fruity and woody echoes. The liquor, golden amber, opens on a note of frosted vanilla and angelica, which gives way to the memory of toasted meringue. The aromatic footprint is intense and long-lasting. On the palate, a subtle creaminess recalls mango blossom honey, and a milky thread of sweet almond extends the finish.

It is drunk during the day, plain, and preferably on its own, so that you can follow the evolution of its palette from one infusion to the next: the buds withstand several steepings, and each reveals a different facet. If you wish to pair it, a dried fruit pastry or a poached pear will do it justice.

Allow 3.5 g per 200 ml of water at 95 °C and four minutes of steeping. Saphir Himalaya is sold loose leaf, weighed and packed to order in our shops in Bordeaux and Nice, from the 5 g sample up to the kilo, in a bag designed to preserve its aromas.