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Sipdown!! (209)

OMG this is like taking a bite out of a ripe, juicy peach. So flavorful and delicious. I am amazed right now. It is complimented by the smooth black base that I associate with Nina’s teas. Nearing the end of the sip, the apple and apricot appear as subtle notes to round the flavor. A very good cup, especially if you love peaches!

Thank you Sophie and Laurent at Nina’s Paris for this sample!!

I grabbed this one because of the marshmallow leaf. After Butiki’s Birthday Cake, I realized I LOVE herbals made with marshmallow leaf and I only ever find them at Butiki.

Tastewise, this is a delicious mint tea. It is not overpowering but rather a smooth and relaxing take on mint. The chocolate adds a nice creaminess and roundness to the flavor. Plus, this blend successfully uses chocolate pieces without being oily like many other companies (I am looking at you, Teavana! and DAVIDs!). Thank you Stacy for this awesome blend. You are truly a genius!

Sipdown!! (210)

The only other currant tea I have had was DAVIDs Currant Affair and that did not go well for me. I found it overly medicinal and so I sent it away. However, this one smelled amazing so I could not pass up a sample.

Tastewise, I am picking up some of the medicinal flavor of the red currant. It is nowhere near as unpleasant as Currant Affair though. That is probably due to the other flavors which are hiding within the cup. Caramel can be found among the mix as well as raspberry but at the end of the day the dominant flavor is the currant and that is just not for me. With that said, I do recommend this for anyone who likes currant as the flavor is spot on and complimented nicely by the other ingredients in the cup.

Also, I have found that I prefer these teas brewed slightly below boiling for two minutes. I was recommended to brew them for three but after two the teas have been flavorful and free of any bitterness and astringency.

Thank you Sophie and Laurent at Nina’s Paris for this sample. I am glad I got to give it a try.

I think I have gotten used to life with very few teas because between my trip to Nina’s yesterday and the arrival of my teas from my father, I was overwhelmed. I sat on my bedroom floor for an hour surrounded by teas just trying to decide what to have. I finally decided that I have had so much luck with the Nina’s teas I have tried so far that I would continue to go through their samples.

Prior to visiting their office, I checked out Nina’s Paris on amazon and this was among three of the teas (along with Je t’aime and Nina’s Japon) that caught my eye. The smell of this lived up to my expectation and so I asked for a sample. So I brewed up the sample (about 2 tsps) in 8 oz of just boiled water for 2 minutes. The result is a very pleasant strawberry tea. There is a sweet creaminess from the vanilla that mixes perfectly with a natural strawberry tang. Furthermore, the base is present but not competing with the flavors. All in all, not a bad cup. Would I order this one?? I am not sure but I would definitely not turn away a cup if it were being offered.

Thank you Sophie and Laurent at Nina’s Paris for this delicious sample!!

ETA: Sipdown!! (211)

Sipdown!! (177)

When I was at Nina’s Paris, I was given teas to smell and asked what I thought they were before I was told the ingredients. By scent, this was instantly recognizable as a Christmas tea. However, unlike many other Christmas teas, this has apple as opposed to orange and flowers instead of spices.

Steeped, the smell is all cinnamon but tastewise the cinnamon mellows. There is a subtle apple cinnamon flavor. I am not picking up any florals but since I am not a huge floral fan, I am happy about that. This is not bad but I definitely prefer the other Nina’s Paris teas I have tried.

Thank you Sophie and Laurent at Nina’s Paris for the sample :)

Sipdown!! (178)

I found a lot of the Nina’s Paris’ blends smelled strongly of rooibos which made me nervous but trying the different teas and tasting how delicious they were, I thought I should give the rooibos a try.

Tastewise, this is definitely creamy and there is a nice strawberry tang to it. What I am not loving is the rooibos I am picking up in the smell. I find that detracts from the tea. However, if I ignore the rooibos smell, it is just a nice cup of strawberry and cream. I am not sure if I will order this (because of my own issues with rooibos and not because of the flavors of the tea) but I am definitely enjoying this cup.

Once again, thank you Sophie and Laurent for allowing me to come to your office and try your teas. It was truly an amazing experience!!

ETA: The strawberry flavor comes out more and more as it cools!

This tea is amazing!! “Je t’aime” is definitely right because I do really, REALLY like this tea.

The smell of delicious vanilla caramel fills my nose as I brewed the cup. Tastewise, the black tea actually enhances the caramel flavor making it extremely rich and decadent. Truly one of the better caramel teas I have had. This one is a hit!

Thank you Sophie and Laurent at Nina’s Paris for giving me the opportunity to try this tea. I will definitely be buying more of this in the near future.

ETA: This resteeps quite well so I am enjoying another cup :)

I was given both a loose leaf sample and a sachet of this so I decided to use the sachet and try out this tea.

Dry it smells exactly like a fresh, ripe apple. Brewed, the apple smell mellows but it is still very present in the taste. Each sip is a delicious combination of a sweet juicy apple and a beautiful hint of rose florals. The base also comes through but in this blend it ties the flavors together as opposed to drowning them out. A very good blend and I am definitely glad I have more of this to enjoy.

Thank you Sophie and Laurent for the samples of this great tea!

This is the second cup that was made for me by the staff at Nina’s Paris. Usually I am wary of citrus teas but this smelled so amazing I could not pass up trying a cup. I ended up walking out with a tin.

This tea is grapefruit in a cup. The flavor is very present and distinct but not overwhelming or bitter like many citrus teas can tend to be. It tasted like the flesh of the fruit as opposed to the more bitter rind. Also, the taste was natural. A very good tea indeed.

Thank you Sophie and Laurent for your generosity!

THANK YOU LAURENT, SOPHIE, AND EVERYONE AT NINA’S PARIS FOR YOUR AMAZING HOSPITALITY TODAY!!

I had the pleasure of visiting Nina’s Paris’ Miami office today and meeting the amazing staff of Nina’s Paris. I enjoyed two cups of tea and was given many, MANY samples that I just can’t wait to try! Not just tea samples either. My mother was given small jars of jelly to try and she LOVED them. She doesn’t even like jelly typically but she liked these jellies. However, none of that compares to how amazing kind and inviting everyone was at the office. It was an amazing experience and I would happily visit them again.

As for the tea, it was very good. So good in fact that I bought a large tin to bring home with me. It has the typical roasty-toasty goodness of a genmaicha but the black tea helps to mellow everything out and provides a smooth foundation for the deliciously sweet vanilla and caramel flavors to shine. Amazing!