I posted earlier about the tea I had at Giverny cafe in Nagasaki. Well, as I was leaving, I realised that they were selling Mlesna Tea so… I bought three (which already shows a lot of self-control on my end). These three teas were technically already in the previous post, but I’ve been sharing them with family and friends and wanted to talk about them a bit more.

Peach Earl Grey

I’ve always said I’m not an earl grey person and then found exceptions to the rule, probably because the excepts manage to soften the bergamot (or use real instead of artificial bergamot). This Earl Grey… didn’t even feel like an Earl Grey. The minute you open the tea pouch (the tea pouches are resealable, which is great for me), you’re hit with the scent of peach. I could make out a faint bergamot note, but the peach is the star of this show and it shows in the brewed tea. This tasted more like a peach black tea, sweet with just a hint of the citrus bergamot note. In terms of taste, the tea was very consistent over multiple steeps.

Tulip Rose

Even though the name of this tea primed me for something floral, I felt it was a more fruity tea! The rose note really only becomes noticeable in the brewed tea, and I never really got the tulip note. In fact, this tea reminded me a bit of Lupicia’s Rose Royale – I don’t think it’s an exact match, or maybe I’ve made a mistake in my memory, but this feels like more of a fruity rose tea than anything else.

I did think the floral notes are slightly stronger when the tea has cooled down, so I also tried cold brewing it. Basically, I think it feels a bit more floral when cold-brewed, but mostly because what I categorised as “fruity” wasn’t as strong. It was definitely easier to think of this as a floral tea compared to when I first had it hot.

Rose Champagne

In a slight twist, the rose champagne was the most floral of the three teas and its scent reminded me of perfume. Because the floral rose note was stronger, the tea didn’t feel as sweet as the other fruity teas. But I also understood why this was a champagne – while drinking this, I felt it was similar to a “flat” champagne. So… I brewed it using soda water as well! I must say I love it a lot more like that – one teabag is enough for a one litre bottle and the “lift” from the bubbles really complements the flavour.

Out of the three, I think my favourite is the Tulip Rose, probably because it’s so unlike its name and more fruity than anything. I’m not as big a fan of the Rose Champagne, though I think it’s the most accurately named tea, because the scent can be a bit much. All three teas are very lovely, though, and it makes me want to get more Mlesna tea soon!