In the Thé des Signes collection, Mariage Frères dedicates a tea to each sign of the Chinese zodiac, and goji berries are the common signature. The Tiger, regal and courageous, has been given a black tea speckled with golden buds, enriched with notes of cedar balm and pine needles, on a base of sunny bergamot. The house itself, founded on 1 June 1854, was born under this sign.

The declared composition is black tea, goji berries and flavouring, with possible traces of nuts. The tea is housed in an artisanal pagoda-shaped box in a deep fuchsia, lacquered and screen-printed in France, containing 100 g. The box carries a list of the years of the Tiger, from 1914 to 2046, so that you can find your own year or that of a loved one.

The cup is woody, original and a clear amber. The cedar and pine give a dry, elegant, resinous freshness, which the bergamot brightens with a citrus note; the goji berries add a discreet fruity touch, and the golden buds give the black tea its roundness. This is a flavoured tea that moves away from the usual flowers and fruits, and it will appeal to those who love smoked teas without wanting their intensity.

It is best enjoyed in the afternoon, plain, with pine nut biscuits, a walnut cake or dried fruit, and it also suits the end of a winter lunch. Given to someone born in the year of the Tiger, it serves as a birthday card.

Measure out 2.5 g of leaves per 200 ml of water at 95 °C and let it steep for five minutes. La Boutique du Thé, official stockist of Mariage Frères since 1999, offers the Thé des Signes Tigre in its shops in Bordeaux and Nice; once the box is opened, keep it closed and away from light.