The word “Thé”, calligraphed in Hindi, adorns the tin: Thé des Maharajahs belongs to the “Les Calligraphies du Thé” collection from Mariage Frères. This one is dedicated to India and, more precisely, the house says, to the carefree youth of the Maharajahs, in tribute to the splendour of Indian palaces.

The tea celebrates the union of the country’s two great tea-growing regions, Assam and Darjeeling. The first brings body and a malty roundness; the second, finesse and clarity. On this black tea base, the house has composed a fragrance of citrus and pastry notes. The full list of ingredients is printed on the tin.

On the palate, it tastes of a vanilla-scented hazelnut, sweet and round, brightened by a touch of citrus. The liquor is amber; the black tea keeps its structure beneath the fragrance, and the finish stays soft, with a little zest. A joyful and precious tea, Mariage Frères sums up, and the phrase captures this balance between indulgence and liveliness.

It is an afternoon tea, to be drunk plain or with a cloud of milk that brings out the hazelnut note. It goes well with a citrus cake, financiers, biscuits with mild spices or an Indian milk sweet. Lovers of indulgent black teas will find an everyday cup here.

It comes in a lacquered and screen-printed metal tin containing 100 g of flavoured black tea, an object you will want to keep on the shelf and happily give as a gift. Once opened, close it tightly, away from light and odours. For the dose and steeping time, our advisers in Bordeaux and Nice, at La Boutique du Thé, official stockist of Mariage Frères since 1999, will be happy to help.