Tea Review - Thés N°25 Collection by Palais des Thés

If you live near to a Palais des Thés shop it is not too late to purchase a Christmas tea in time for the celebrations later this week. I had the opportunity to try two of the Thés N°25 Collection: Black Christmas Tea (Thé Noir N°25) and Christmas infusion (Rooibos N°25). Both the tea and the infusion are blended with citrus and spices. The citrus pieces are real and prominent. We ate a few of the peels and zest. The rooibos blend is a good way to include young children in tea drinking during the holidays; as an herbal, it is naturally caffeine free.

Since reading the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith I have become a fan of rooibos. Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi drink a lot of redbush tea or rooibos. The Palais des Thés rooibos blend is best when made with two heaping teaspoons to eight ounces and steeped for five minutes.

My favorite of the two teas is the Thé Noir N°25. Open the bag and you smell a masala chai. I prepared it similarly: in a glass teapot, two generous teaspoons, eight ounces of water, steeped for five minutes. The liquor was smooth with a creamy almond note. The tea is full-bodied but not astringent and drinks well with milk. I'll be drinking this tea throughout the season.

Thés N°25 courtesy of Palais des Thes USA.