In Tibet, a major stage on the ancient route that set out from Yunnan, roof of the physical world and one of its great spiritual centres, tea is king and is always prepared with majesty, Mariage Frères reminds us. Thé au Tibet is the tribute to it: a silky, perfumed and floral black tea, which the house sums up in these words, “an ode to taste, a summit”.

The blend combines a Chinese black tea with Bourbon vanilla, jasmine, mandarin, rose and bergamot. The declared composition is tea, flavouring and vanilla; the blend may contain traces of nuts. It carries the house’s Jardin Premier label.

The liquor is amber, round and enveloping. Five scents follow one another without jostling: the vanilla gives sweetness and texture, the jasmine and rose the floral note, the mandarin a fresh, sweet touch, and the bergamot the zest that brightens the finish. The Chinese black tea, naturally mellow, lets itself be flavoured without disappearing, and the cup, very fine, the house says, lingers long on the palate.

It is drunk in the afternoon, plain, with a vanilla pastry, a citrus cake or butter biscuits, and suits those who enjoy rich flavoured teas without heaviness. A cloud of milk makes it more indulgent; plain, it keeps all its nuances.

You will find it loose leaf, weighed to order in our shops in Bordeaux and Nice from the 5 g sample to the kilo, or in a 100 g black metal tin, airtight and lidded, slipped into its gift box. Allow 2.5 g of leaves per 200 ml of water at 95 °C and five minutes of steeping, then keep the tea away from light and strong odours.