There are teas one brings out for great occasions, and others that create them. Thé de Fête was composed by Mariage Frères in the spirit of lavish evenings, and the house regards it as an ambassador of the French art of tea. The present blend is a new version of it.

The base is a gentle black tea, on which the house composes sumptuous spices, citrus fruits and red fruits from distant lands. The declared ingredients are tea and flavouring; the blend may contain traces of nuts. Decidedly sweet, it predominantly evokes the vanilla caramel of crème brûlée, and with it a sense of childhood rediscovered.

The liquor is round and fragrant. The vanilla caramel opens, warm and enveloping, then the red fruits bring a tangy note that lightens it, and the spices, discreet, extend the finish. The citrus, as a thread running through, gives relief. The black tea keeps enough structure so that the cup does not slip into confectionery.

It is an afternoon and after-dinner tea, plain or with a cloud of milk, which brings out the crème brûlée. It accompanies a Yule log, a red fruit cake, or a caramel dessert, and also suits festive tables where no wine is drunk.

Allow 2.5 g for 200 ml of water at 95 °C and five minutes of steeping. Thé de Fête is weighed and packed to order in our shops in Bordeaux and Nice, from the 5 g sample to the kilo, in a pouch designed to preserve its fragrance. Store it in an airtight container, away from the spices in the kitchen.