The scent of tea leaves is created by hundreds of aroma-molecules, and each variety has its unique fragrance. Terroir plays a role as does the method of curing the tea leaves. For instance, steamed Japanese teas like sencha and matcha have grassy, spinach-like aromas thanks to hexenal, while mildly oxidized oolongs share aromatics with lilac blossoms, roses and jasmine (nerolidol, cis-jasmone, linalool). The smoky profiles of teas like lapsang souchong are created by molecules like pyrazines, longifolene and guaiacol. In an interesting twist, guaiacol, along with certain types of pyrazines, is what gives roasted coffee its distinctive scent, which is why smoky teas are recommended to coffee drinkers wanting to expand their horizons. With such a rich palette of aromas, the tea accord is a fascinating exercise for a perfumer.
In my recent article on the development of Bulgari’s Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert, I described how Jean-Claude Ellena discovered a novel accord and created a modern classic. Since Bulgari launched the perfume in 1992, it became the green tea of fragrance. However, tea accords aren’t limited to delicate green blends, and when I began researching my article, I realized how many fragrances successfully incorporate a tea effect, both light and dark. I decided to make a list of the most interesting examples, in 10 different styles.
Moroccan Mint Tea : Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca
One of my favorites is Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca, created by Mathilde Laurent. It’s a cologne that blends a citrus note with green tea and a generous dose of mint . The effect is icy and refreshing, without any toothpaste associations. You can also discover Mathilde Laurent playing with the mint tea note in Cartier Roadster, where the traditional fougère accord of bergamot, lavender and cedarwood is given an edgy twist with mint.
Osmanthus Oolong: Hermès Osmanthe Yunnan and Parfums d’Empire Osmanthus Interdite
Oolong and osmanthus, flowers of a Chinese olive plant, share so many fragrant components in common that their association is classical for a reason. They create a natural harmony. In the compositions blending tea and osmanthus notes, the effect is less pronounced, since tea accords are a result of a perfumer’s fantasy. That being said, Hermès Osmanthe Yunnan and Parfums d’Empire Osmanthus Interdite are two excellent examples. Osmanthe Yunnan is the most wistful and elegant of the two, a silk scroll vignette to Osmanthe Interdite’s watercolor etude. The only downside is that such ethereal beauty is too evanescent and Osmanthe Yunnan is frustratingly short-lived. Osmanthe Interdite brings the whole Chinese garden to join the osmanthus for tea, and the effect is lively and dazzling.
Rose Tea: Les Parfums de Rose Un Zest de Rose and Eau d’Italie Paestum Rose
I’ve been drinking tea with rosewater ever since Andy shared his simple and fragrant recipe, but the combination can also be worn. Les Parfums de Rosine Un Zest de Rose is a delight on a warm day–a melange of white rose petals, lemon peel and green tea. Even if you think you hate roses in perfume, I recommend trying it. Eau d’Italie Paestum Rose is for those who like their tea black and their roses red. It layers incense, sandalwood and cardamom for richness, although the final result has an interesting transparency thanks to the radiant woody aromatics.
Tea and Fruit: Lanvin Éclat d’Arpège
This combination of wisteria, lilac, peony and green tea has been one of the top-sellers in Japan, which isn’t much of a recommendation for those who like their perfumes buxom and rich. The lovers of fresh, clean blends will appreciate the charm of Éclat d’Arpège. It’s one of the best creations by Karine Dubreuil. Do ignore its flankers, however, especially something bizarrely called Éclat d’Arpège Eyes.
Violet Yerbamate: Armani Privé Iris Céladon and Annick Goutal Duel
Yerbamate has nothing to do with Camelia sinesis leaves, but in perfumery it can be used to recreate the effect of green tea. It also marries well with floral notes. Armani Privé Iris Céladon pairs yerbamate with iris, while Annick Goutal Duel with violets. Both have a crystalline clarity reminiscent of jade, and while their drydowns are soft and musky, there is not a hint of the dreaded fresh laundry effect.
Tea Smoke: Bulgari Black and Three More
Bulgari can’t atone for its crime of discontinuing the masterpiece that was Bulgari Black. On the other hand, life goes on, and if you enjoyed the smoky, burnt rubber heart of Black, you can try another of Annick Ménardo’s creations, Le Labo Patchouli 24. It’s softer, heavier on caramel notes, but the character is similar.
Otherwise, you can consider Santa Maria Novella Nostalgia, leather cured in enough birch tar to make one fear the arrival of the Cossacks. Or Comme des Garçons Tea from Series 1 Leaves. It smells smoky, dark and brooding.
Genmaicha : Ormonde Jayne Champaca
Toasted rice mixed with green tea, genmaicha is my favorite morning beverage. It has a savory edge that I have always suspected would do well paired with a flower. In perfume, such a thing has been done and it’s Ormonde Jayne Champaca. Champaca builds its story around a magnolia note redolent of dried apricots and suede and adds rice nuances to give the perfume more depth. Tea is part of the illusion made by the notes, rather than by a specific material, but it stands out clearly in the top.
Jasmine Pearls: Caudalie Thé des Vignes
Caudalie Thé des Vignes is a jasmine tea accord accented by orange blossom, fruity grape and ginger. Simple but charming. Otherwise, there is always the classic Thé Pour Un Été from L’Artisan, jasmine tea on ice that has a cult following but smells bland to me.
Darjeeling Tea: Bulgari Pour Homme
Next to the exuberant and lush Pour Femme version (signed by the great Sophia Grojsman and Nathalie Lorson), Bulgari Pour Homme can appear as too well-behaved and handsomely predictable. Yet, this floral musk with a polished woody drydown smells elegant and complex on skin. It also hides a deliciously rendered darjeeling tea accord.
Masala Chai: L’Artisan Parfumeur 32 Venenum
Masala chai is an Indian tea made with milk, sugar and an array of spices like cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. The best example has been Bulgari Omnia, a spiced tea accord set into dry, elegant amber. Unfortunately, Omnia has been discontinued and whatever has taken its place doesn’t hold a candle to the original. L’Artisan Parfumeur’s 32 Venenum is a recent discovery. It’s a composition around the notes of toasted rice, masala tea, and creamy sandalwood. Venenum is bracing, uplifting, more like a cologne than a plush blend one would expect from such a list of ingredients. I liked that perfumer Daphné Bugey decided to surprise us. Along with Bulgari Pour Homme, it’s the most conventionally masculine fragrance on my list, although tea scents usually have an androgynous quality.
Another L’Artisan perfume with a masala tea accord is Dzongkha, a creation by Bertrand Duchaufour. L’Artisan nailed the tea category, didn’t it? Unlike most other spiced tea compositions, it’s cool and introspective, with iris and mossy woods toning down the heat of spices.
Bonus: Eau de Gaga by Lady Gaga
Perfume snobs miss out on all the fun. Good fragrances can be found in all categories, including the maligned celebrity genre. I could care less for Lady Gaga, but I love her second perfume, Eau de Gaga. It’s an elegant green tea fragrance in the same airy style as Bulgari’s Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert but at a fraction of its price and with a crisper, brighter character.
More on tea perfumes: Bois de Jasmin’s Tea Collection. Also, to complement tea perfumes, please take a look at Andy’s 5 part Tea Primer.
What are your favorite tea fragrances (and of course, teas)?
Photography by Bois de Jasmin
77 Comments
rosarita: Thanks for this post! I am a fan of several on the list. One of my favorite tea scents is Bulgari Au The Rouge with it’s rooibos note. My mother enjoys rooibos tea and likes a dab of Bulgari now and then. August 4, 2017 at 8:05am
Victoria: Oh, rooibos is my omission, but if I made that category, I would have included au The Rouge. August 7, 2017 at 1:18pm
kat: I’m wearing Bulgari’s Thé Blanc today – which is an odd on-and-off scent for me (unlike Thé Bleu that never falls out of favor). For months I couldn’t get near it finding it cloy and overpowering. I even contemplated selling it. And yesterday when I walked past the bottle I got a whiff and suddenly knew it was on again. No idea how long the love affair is going to last this time but I’m enjoying it immensely right now. August 4, 2017 at 8:08am
Victoria: au The Blanc starts out with a note of wet paper, but I admit to liking it. August 7, 2017 at 1:19pm
Mariann: The Bleu as my favorite as already been mentioned. I would add Tibetian Mountain Temple to the chai section, thats what I get rather than the incense I was expected. Another good one that I cant wear unfortunately is Masques Russian Tea. I tried the Jo Malone limited editions but didnt get on with them at all. August 4, 2017 at 9:07am
Victoria: I haven’t tried Tibetian Mountain Temple. Sounds good. August 7, 2017 at 1:20pm
Austenfan: And what about Eau du Fier for smoke? Such a shame it didn’t sell and could no longer be made. Interesting list and I’m one of those incorrigible Thé pour un Eté lovers. August 4, 2017 at 9:19am
Victoria: I was thinking about it and really wishing it were still around. Isn’t it fabulous? That combination of smoke and apricot-osmanthus was heavenly. August 7, 2017 at 1:20pm
Austenfan: I’m so glad that I got a bottle when I did (2009). It’s a one of a kind fragrance and yes that combination of smoke and distant fruit is wonderful. August 7, 2017 at 1:50pm
Victoria: Remember, you recommended that I visit the exhibit of Jan Weissenbruch’s paintings? Well, I realized recently that Eau du Fier makes me think of his combination of light and shadows, especially a painting called “de Waltoren te Culemborg.” I have it set as my screen saver. August 7, 2017 at 2:12pm
Austenfan: I’m glad that you enjoyed that exhibit so much. I did as well although I’m a bigger fan of his nephew’s work, J.H.Weissenbruch, also a master in the use of light.
I don’t know if Fier reminds me of that particular contrast so much, to me it’s more to do with the contrast of very bold and very gentle, more musical if you will. August 7, 2017 at 3:29pm
Victoria: I’ve seen his nephew’s work since then too, and yes, his use of light is even more spectacular. August 10, 2017 at 4:05am
Furriner: I’m coincidentally wearing Tea for Two, which I haven’t worn in a bit. I like tea notes in perfume. Thank you for this post. August 4, 2017 at 9:36am
Victoria: You smell good! August 7, 2017 at 1:21pm
spe: My favorite tea is Chinese Keemun (sp?) and also the pedestrian Red Rose. I also enjoy the Angel green teas that unfurl in hot water. More for how they look than for how they taste.
Not a huge fan of tea perfumes (isn’t Tommy Girl supposed to be one of them?), although I did wear Eclat D’ Arpege many years ago off and on. I considered it more of a floral and didn’t pick up on the tea note at all. Most tea perfumes seem to have a timidity that doesn’t work for my personality or lifestyle, but it’s amazing to read about how has this category is. Thank you for bringing it to our attention. August 4, 2017 at 9:50am
Ariadne: Red Rose tea is excellent! August 4, 2017 at 10:30am
spe: Keemun Congou is the complete name. I get it at a tea place in Pike Place Market. A lovely basic black tea.
Red Rose is the Lipton of Canada. But I really like it.
Perhaps I like tea fragrances more than I thought – I wore Herba Fresca nonstop for a year right after it came out. Can’t go back to it due to bad emotional associations during that time. August 5, 2017 at 12:57am
Victoria: That one of my favorite markets! August 7, 2017 at 1:28pm
Victoria: Yes, Tommy Girl is supposed to be one of the green tea benchmarks as well, although I just don’t care for it that much. It’s too bright for me. But the idea and execution are excellent. August 7, 2017 at 1:22pm
KatieAnn: This is a lovely list of tea perfumes. I didn’t realize how varied tea perfumes could be. As far as drinking tea, I love jasmine green tea and Early Grey. Early Grey lavender is also a favorite. Just recently I tried Sloane Fine Tea Merchants’ Peaches and Cream. It’s a Bai Mu Dan white tea “blended with the succulence of ‘water honey peaches'”. I drank it iced and paired it with a rosewater macaron. It was a nice refreshment for a hot summer day. Really, I’m more of a coffee drinker myself, but I do love my tea from time to time. You mentioned genmaicha. I love it too. It’s flavor is very satisfying and deep. August 4, 2017 at 10:25am
Victoria: Genmaicha is a type of tea I never tired of.
Now, the tea you’ve mentioned sounds so wonderful, and I imagine the accord in a perfume. August 7, 2017 at 1:22pm
Laura: Lapsang Souchong: L’Artisan Parfumeur Tea for Two.
Roasted Yerbamate: Annick Goutal l’Eau du Fier. August 4, 2017 at 10:28am
Victoria: Great choices! August 7, 2017 at 1:23pm
Ariadne: Ditto on The Rouge for me. I wear this when I know I will be in close quarters with others and am not sure if all tolerate perfume. No one ever complains but may ask what kind of tea I am drinking. Nothing can beat a hot cup of Lapsang Soochong on a cold evening. August 4, 2017 at 10:28am
Victoria: Very comforting. August 7, 2017 at 1:23pm
Cornelia Blimber: Interesting post! Un Zest de Rose is one of my favourites, and I have a bottle of Osmanthus (The Different Company) which reminds me somehow of tea. Also colognes with verveine give me an association with tea, I don’t know why.
I am certainly not a tea-drinker, I tried lots of tea, but no, not for me. In my beloved Victorian novels people are drinking tea all the time, and inspired by that, I am in the mood for a cup of Twining’s English Breakfast.
The only tea I love is ginger tea. Give me coffee! strong coffee with lots of sugar. August 4, 2017 at 10:50am
Victoria: I like everything, both tea and coffee. August 7, 2017 at 1:23pm
bellaciao: I had a lovely summer a few years back drenched in Un Zeste de Rose! So crispy and refreshing in hot hot weather! I am currently wearing Gun Powder Cologne by Urban Scents which is a bit reminiscent of JC Ellena’s Osmanthus variations but with slightly more sillage.
And then there would be Russian Tea by Masque Milano, my late summer-early autumn treat, for September. This one does not believe in less is more:)- August 4, 2017 at 10:54am
Victoria: I definitely need to try Gun Powder Cologne by Urban Scents! August 7, 2017 at 1:24pm
Safran: I currently love to wear tea scents, my favourites are Yu Son by Altaia and Nomad Tea by CdG. I also like Le Labo’s The Noir, which is on my wish list. August 4, 2017 at 1:13pm
Victoria: Thank you for mentioning Nomad Tea by CdG. It was another one of my choices. August 7, 2017 at 1:25pm
Penelope: I bought Annick Goutal ‘L’ile de thé ‘ last summer but decided it wasn’t for me. In the very hot weather we have had lately I tried it again and liked it. I seems to work better on very warm skin and I find its citrus and green tea accord very refreshing. August 4, 2017 at 2:20pm
Victoria: It’s pretty, but for me it was a bit on the sharp side. Still, I can imagine that on a hot day, it’s very pleasant. August 7, 2017 at 1:25pm
Sarah marie: Red rose tea is my every day tea and has been since I was ten. But a really good Darjeeling loose leaf tea is amazing. The smell is beautiful, like grapes and champagne. I’ve recently discovered Jennifer lopez Still, which is sort of a soft earl grey tea. Surprising little gem in the cheap celebrity perfumes! August 4, 2017 at 5:56pm
Victoria: And Darjeeling exists in so many different varieties, not to mention the different times the leaves are picked. I also love it. August 7, 2017 at 1:26pm
Edward: Hello everyone. This is very timely post since just recently, I craved for a new bottle of a tea-based scent. I love Guerlain’s Teazzura but eventually decided to buy my second bottle of Bulgari The Bleu. Teazzura disappeared on my skin after 30 minutes. Sigh. August 4, 2017 at 6:14pm
Victoria: Teazzura didn’t last long enough for me to figure out whether I liked it or not! August 7, 2017 at 1:27pm
Maria: Thanks Victoria!! I’m a tea lover ( it was the love of tea that opened the rabbit hole of parfums for me) and you make me realize that tea smell is the base of a parfum I love: Bulgari pour homme. I’ve always thaught it was a very musky parfum, but now I can feel the tea on it!!
Thanks Andy for your recipe! I’m kind of a tea purist but rosewater and Darjeeling, and on the other side black tea and apricot jam sound like a fantasy garden. I will try them for sure! August 4, 2017 at 6:43pm
Victoria: I usually prefer good tea on its own, but it’s fun to experiment, and a bit of rosewater really does wonders. August 7, 2017 at 1:27pm
Alicia: Ah, Victoria, how many temptations to be found in your post! So many enticing fragrances that I don’t know at all, presented together with much beloved ones. As usual, I will fall into temptation. Besides EPaTV, Thé Bleu is quite charming. My beloved Black is gone (although I have kept three bottles which should last for quite a while). I have always admired Paestum Rose, but never thought of tea when wearing this dark rose, although you are right and my nose was distracted. Tank you so much for this list of delights. I drink large amounts of cold tea in the warm seasons, although in cold weather I am a coffee drinker, with an occasional sinful cup of Spanish chocolate (no one prepares chocolate as thick and succulent as in Madrid. It seems as if a spoon can stand in its creaminess). It seems to me that there are very few perfumes inspired by coffee. My Spanish grandfather always finished his dinner with a cup of black coffee with a large dose of cognac. It smelled wonderful. August 4, 2017 at 8:41pm
Gabriela: Hi Alicia!
Are you from Madrid? I live in Barcelona and feel lonely in the perfume world as there is no perfume community around. Let me know if you ever come round and we can exchange perfume samples! August 5, 2017 at 9:12am
Alicia: No, II am not from Madrid, Gabriela. My maternal family is Spanish, and my grandmother prepared the best chocolate in the world. My husband was from Barcelona, a city I love. I don’t remember the name of the place where I had in Madrid my chocolate con churros. Sorry, Gabriela. It shouldn’t be difficult to find, since it was a very traditional place, something like Botín for dinner. It would have been delightful to exchange perfumes with you, thank you for the thought. Now I live far away from Europe, in New York and California, depending on the season. August 5, 2017 at 1:38pm
Gabriela: By the way, what’s your favorite place in Madrid for a hot chocolate? August 5, 2017 at 9:13am
Victoria: You’re making me crave a cup of hot chocolate! August 7, 2017 at 1:27pm
Jessica: So funny — I just recommended Eau de Gaga to someone today.
I enjoyed this list and I wish we could meet for a cup of tea! August 4, 2017 at 10:43pm
Victoria: How would I love that! Hope that it can happen soon. August 7, 2017 at 1:28pm
Jillie: So many goodies! Now I am gasping for a cup of tea, but can’t make up my mind what to have ….
In the heat I am fond of L’Artisan’s The pour un Ete – it’s so light with a touch of citrus and has a delicate jasmine floating through it. Not as loved generally as Tea for Two, but …. different teas for different moods! August 5, 2017 at 4:15am
Victoria: I wish rhubarb tea you once sent me could have been made into perfume. August 7, 2017 at 1:29pm
Aurora: What a great list. I see some favorites: Omnia really is almost as comforting a chai tea. I also like some of the Elisabeth Arden offerings: I have Green Tea Exotic at the moment and the regular Green Tea: so refreshing and you finish with a flourish: Eau de Gaga. August 5, 2017 at 5:34am
Victoria: Wasn’t Omnia wonderful? I don’t know why it was discontinued, but perhaps it really was a marketing flop. August 7, 2017 at 1:30pm
OnWingsofSaffron: I recently first tasted a Taiwanese tea called “Gao Shan”, also called milk oolong. And indeed, it has a creamy, nearly condensed milk-like taste, with a flight of fancy maybe a dulce de leche. How exciting: a pure tea with a milky taste: wonderful! August 5, 2017 at 11:43am
Victoria: Sounds so good! Did you find it in Brussels or someone brought it to you from Taiwan? August 7, 2017 at 1:30pm
OnWingsofSaffron: Actually, I have left Brussels and moved back to Cologne in the meantime.
I bought this tea at a wonderful tea store in Cologne: Teehaus Cöln (www.teehaus.com), which I can recommend unreservedly; I know it now for around 15 or 20 years?
It seems that Gao Shan is a real highland tea growing way up in the mountains—very romantic!
When reading about this tea, a reference to mango and peach is also made. However, I find it taste of condensed cream. August 7, 2017 at 1:38pm
Victoria: Thank you very much. I’ll definitely have to take a look. Taiwanese teas are my favorites, hands down. August 7, 2017 at 2:09pm
rainboweyes: I’m a great fan of milky oolong too. I need to try Saffron’s recommendation, somehow I completely forgot Teehaus Cöln but yes, it’s an excellent source! My husband is from Cologne, so I used to visit very often in times “before kids” 😉
You need to be careful when buying milky oolong, though, as some of them are quite heavily, artificially flavoured and tend to have a prominent, synthetic taste. One of the best qualities I’ve had so far came from a small tea shop in Regensburg:
https://teehaus-bachfischer.de/milky-oolong August 8, 2017 at 11:15am
Victoria: Excellent, thank you very much! August 10, 2017 at 4:15am
rainboweyes: I’ve just checked on the oolong assortment at Teehaus Cöln and I must say I’m really overwhelmed. They don’t seem to focus on my favourite Ceylon and Assam tea but their oolong assortment is very impressive. Some oolongs are almost the price of a perfume bottle but I’m sure they are worth it, especially if you’re a tea enthusiast. I will be ordering some next week when I’m back in Germany. August 10, 2017 at 1:11pm
Victoria: I also looked online and was tempted to place an order. August 11, 2017 at 3:32am
Marlene: Ah,yes. Tea. That wonderful drink that picks me up in the morning and lulls me to sleep at night. The stuff of civility and wars. Earl Grey is my poison here. The Earl of Harlem,a smoky Earl Grey marketed by Harney and Sons is a great cuppa. On my vanity is Earl Grey and Cucumber by Jo Malone. Not as long lasting as I would like,but I can smell a bit of bergamot. Coffee is nice,but tea soothes and seems to be always in style. August 5, 2017 at 11:19pm
Victoria: That tea collection from Jo Malone was fun! August 7, 2017 at 1:31pm
Richard Goller: What a wonderful selection for all tastes, Victoria. Glad you included Eau de Gaga. The celeb fragrance category has some treasures, if we are willing to put aside our snobbery. R August 7, 2017 at 11:11am
Victoria: It’s really worth trying. 🙂 August 7, 2017 at 2:06pm
Jillie: That would be so refreshing. I have never smelled it, but I wonder if the Hermes Eau de Rhubarbe Ecarlate would be close? Probably not – the tea doesn’t contain white musk! August 8, 2017 at 12:44am
Victoria: If it had a sharper tea note, it would be very close. August 10, 2017 at 4:09am
Klaas: Hey Victoria, thank you so much for this post….I love tea! It is the most comforting thing on earth 😉 Darjeeling is my absolute favorite, but I’m very undiscriminating when it comes to tea…..I’ll drink (almost) everything.
However, when it comes to perfume I’m much more of a snob. I’ve tried two lovely tea scents recently: Ceylan Philtre (Atelier Cologne) and Tea Tonique (Miller Harris). And although I find them both quite luminous, refreshing and very ‘tea’, I also find them too one dimensional and linear. They basicly just sit there on your wrist. No FB material as far as I’m concerned.
I’ll defenately try some of your suggestions, Tea for Two sounds interesting. Atelier also does a Oolong based cologne, it is unfortunately unavailable in Amsterdam. Do you know it? Kind regards! August 8, 2017 at 6:25am
Victoria: Oolang Infini by Atelier Cologne? Yes, it’s very good, but somehow the drydown is very thin.
Thank you for your additional suggestions and such nice mini reviews. August 10, 2017 at 4:11am
Klaas: PS: any thoughts on Imperial Tea (By Kilian), anyone? August 8, 2017 at 9:30am
Victoria: Polished, elegant, boring, expensive. I liked it and wore my sample, but it was just too pricey to invest into a bottle. August 10, 2017 at 4:14am
rainboweyes: Beside oolong my most favourite kinds of tea are Ceylon and Assam, with their malty caramel notes. A cup of Assam tea with some brown sugar can make the most stressful morning a happier one 🙂
When it comes to tea-themed scents, though, I’m not a big enthusiast – I actually only have one in my perfume wardrobe: Osmanthe Yunnan, one of my all-time summer staples. August 8, 2017 at 11:29am
Victoria: Your description of Assam is irresistible. 🙂 August 10, 2017 at 4:16am
Andy: Catching up on my blog reading after having to take a long pause–couldn’t help but comment on how much I enjoyed this and the recent FT article.
I couldn’t agree more with all your fantastic and even unexpected choices of evocative tea fragrances. As for Bulgari Black, you’re right, Bulgari can’t atone for its discontinuation, and I am planning to hoard a small stock while it’s still around, because I just can’t move on from it. I do need to seek out their Thé Noir entry to the cologne series, just because I continue to appreciate the other fragrances in the group so much.
In the Osmanthus-Jasmine-Oolong category, Amouage Journey Woman is another one I like a lot. I find it less tea-like than, say, Osmanthe Yunnan (and simply less transcendent) but charming and transporting too. As I’ve likely mentioned before, the bath oil formulation of JM White Jasmine & Mint is another jasmine tea favorite of mine. August 8, 2017 at 4:04pm
Victoria: Thank you, Andy! I was hoping to see your input. I actually have a small bottle of JM White Jasmine & Mint, so I should revisit it. August 10, 2017 at 4:18am
Tam: Stash tea makes a coconut oolong tea I love. It has a creamy taste on its own. I also enjoy Dzonkand. and The´ Bleu. Must try Paestum Rose! Thank you everyone for all the wonderful suggestions! August 8, 2017 at 8:38pm
Victoria: That sounds like an interesting pairing–coconut and oolong. August 10, 2017 at 4:19am
SHMW: Favourite perfume with tea is OJ’s Qi, followed by their Champaca. I love the glowing depth of Qi with light notes that float over its core and I also enjoy Art collection 08 by Jacomo. This is supposed to be based on chai which I have never tried, instead this reminds me of drinking tea while making rich fruitcakes with all the almond blanching, fruit soaking with the smells of the spices and citrus peels…. mmm August 9, 2017 at 5:38pm
Victoria: It does sound delicious. August 10, 2017 at 4:22am
Justyna: I always say, that a good tea is like perfume for the inside 🙂 I am enjoying your blog immensely! I own a good few bottles, even 2 are my own compositions in collaboration with Polish perfumeurs. I compulsively order sets of fragrance samples from niche producers on Etsy, and then get one bottle of one I like the most…
I think D&G’s L’Imperatrice (3) would also fit in the fruity tea category. Have you tried? February 12, 2021 at 2:26pm