FRANCE
Le palais des Thes tea kit
In September 2014 Le Palais des Thés launched “La QuintEssence du Thé”, a small tool box for teaching tea tasting. The kit was developed by a team of professionals that included Carine Baudry, graduate of ISIPCA, the International aroma, flavor, and perfume college in Versailles, who has been in charge of Le Palais des Thé’s Tea School in Paris since 2003, and Clothilde Dutry, barista and tea taster, who owns “Ici & Ailleurs” a terroir tea, coffee, chocolate and sugar counter in Rouen. The QuintEssence du Thé contains 5 little bottles containing the five basic tastes, 14 flasks containing other aromas and tastes often found in different teas, a color/flavor wheel, taste evaluation sheets, and instructions for use. Targeted at new fine leaf tea lovers, the device allows tasters to gradually improve their flavor and taste assessment and to then fully appreciate the character of many different fine origin teas. The kit costs $69 (€54,90) and is available from laquintessanceduthe.com