Phénix

My Third tea, Phenix was chosen largely at random. I had yet to see the english tea book yet, so the only way I would have any guess to a tea's nature was if i had seen a sample of it in the shop room. That particular day I didnt feel like struggling through a conversation of overly polite (i.e difficult) Japanese, so i did not ask the waitress to recommend or comment on any teas. Phenix was an interesting name, and with nothing more to go on I took a gamble.
I was neither wowed nor unhappy with Phénix. It was enjoyable but was 'meh' compared to my previous experiences with Marco Polo and Wedding Imperial. I was so neutral about its flavor and bouquet that I took only minimal notes. Phénix is a decent if uninspiring tea. Its aroma was mellow, its flavors a bit too subtle to really stand out. I could definitely taste caramel and vanilla, but whatever other flavors the blend had were too muted to directly identify. Revisiting the book at website, I learned that Phénix was supposed to be a caramel/vanilla blend with a touch of honey. It was not, however, unpleasant in any way. In retrospect, many teas that attempt a honey flavor often turn out bitter or harsh, so the fact that Phénix was neither may show that I am judging it to harshly. Ah well.
Overall, Phénix gets a middle score from me. It was neither amazing nor awful; right down the middle a mediocre blend from Mariage Freres. Were it a less expensive, I think I would enjoy this tea as a quite relaxing drink. As is, my recommendation would be to save your money and buy a tin of Wedding Imperial if you are looking for a warm caramel tea.