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Un Crime Exotique


Tea and petite fours, originally uploaded by arora_anshu.

I imagine that this is what Alice in Wonderland has experienced when she opened the bottle that said “drink me”. Succession of decadence pours effortlessly out of Un Crime Exotique, as if the occident and the orient have simultaneously decided to pack their most refined treats into one little bottle, with an endless supply of surreal liquid fantasy.

Star-anise infused pastries. Madeleine steeped in steamed milk. Dim-sum sponge cake soaked with jasmine tea. Gingerbread baking in the oven. Black sesame and honey. Osmanthus incense burning and Japanese body incense sprinkled on a sleepy skin with penetrating camphor and sweet cinnamon and vanilla. Milky bubble tea.

This is a comfort scent if there ever was one. Soft, soothing, mysterious, imaginative and like no other. Uncork that bottle and experience a stream of pouring thick lactonic vapour, floating above, transporting me to a place where there are no worries and only rewards, only tea and desserts and none of the savoury prerequisites. Truly an (exotic) crime.

Notes: Chinese Osmanthus, Gingerbread, Tea, Cinnamon, Star anise, Mate Absolute, Vanilla Sugar, South Sea Island Sandalwood

Chartreuse Eau de Vie Tisane


Licorice meets flowers in this unusual tisane that’s described as a “luxury digestive tonic”, and was inspired by the Green Chartreuse liquor. Like its namesake, this tisane is prepared as an either cold or warm cordial and has a sweet anisic flavour, which comes from the fennel and anise seeds. Combined with milky chamomile flowers, it is sure to soothe the digestive system, yet thankfully it escapes the familiar baby-colic-relief brew because of the presence of other unusual elements, most importantly French tarragon, which contributes a quirky and refreshing, slightly minty and sweet clove-like character that is a departure from the familiar licorice and anise flavour; and lemon verbena, which is invigorating and balances the richness of the licorice. To top this off, osmanthus flowers and lavender buds add a perfumed element that complements the chamomile and adds not only to its therapeutic, soothing effect but also to its rich, sweet floral bouquet.

Chartreuse Eau de Vie tisane is available directly from Inner Alchemy Tea Co. in Vancouver (604) 731-1529 and is also sold in select Farmers’ Markets around Vancouver during the Spring, Summer and Fall. It costs $16 for a 2oz tin.

P.s. Like most antique liquors, Chartreuse liquor originated in a form of a medicinal concoction created by monks in a monastery of the same name. This one came from France, and for centuries is prepared by monks of the Carthusian Order who to his day are the only ones who know its secret recipe. Its origins are dated as far back as 1605, and its secret formula containing some 130 herbal extracts withstood many historical challenges including several expulsions of the monks from their monastery, restrictions from the French government, and the ruin of the distillery itself.

Tea Rose


Dewy Tea Rose, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

As if my tea obsession is not already enough, I have been recently obsessed with tea roses. There is much to be said about the sheer bliss that rests upon me when I burry my face in a gigantic hybrid tea rose. The cool petals in the summer, sometimes covered in dew, other times with dust, and always makes a rose garden shine with beauty. I always felt that tea roses are more rosy than any other kind. Rosa damascena is more full-bodied and wine like, Rosa centifolia (cabbage rose) a little lighter, and Rosa odorata (the Latin name for tea roses) is definitely the most peachy-perfect of them all. To my nose, anyway.

As it turns out, what makes tea roses smell the way they do is their orange colour, due to presence of beta carotene, and also a type of ionone, which is what make it smell as fresh as a cup of green tea.

I tried to recreate the experience by creating a tea rose soliflore, using two China roses - Rosa odorata and Rosa rugoza essential oils, highlighted by osmanthus and black current buds for extra fruitiness, and grounded with cassie absolute and green tea CO2 and just a touch of vanilla. The result was very much to my liking: cheerful and light rose with none of the muddiness that can so easily darken an all-natural rose fragrance, with ionone and tea depths that make it interesting and long lasting and quite diffusive.

Tea Rose is now offered as a limited edition via my Etsy shop.


Ineke's Garden


Angel's Trumpet, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

It was a cold-gray-wet mid-November day in 2007. Ineke and I sat at the Starbucks across from Vancouver Public Library (the main branch, which Moshe Safdie has humorously designed to resemble the Colosseum and give my city an imposed air of culture). This was my first time smelling Evening Edged in Gold and my immediate reaction was that of familiarity. I couldn't quite pinpoint it at the context, so Ineke mentioned the influence of the grand woody-floriental scents from the 90's - Feminite du Bois and Dolce Vita, both with a pronounced cedarwood and fruity notes.

Months later, Ineke kindly sent me a sample of her new opus (by the way - Ineke has a new and beautifully packaged sampler set, with all her 5 fragrances, titled “Volume 2” and meticulously wrapped and packaged in their miniature matchbox-like case within a larger drawer-type box), as well as the three floral bases used in the perfume. Two of the bases are ones that Ineke has created “from scratch” so to speak, using flowering plants in her garden as a reference and inspiration.

Although these floral bases play a modest role in the formulation percentage-wise (the woody and musky notes play a more dominant role here, accounting for more than half of the composition), they sure are what sets Evening Edged in Gold apart from, say, Dolce Vita and Samsara.

The Angel’s Trumpet (aka Datura) base is reminiscent of lilies and reminds me greatly of the lily-and-orange blossom saturated Lys Mediteranee, yet with a far more pronounced lily-of-the-valley note (most likely from Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol and other muguet molecules).

The Midnight Candy base is a lot less floral that I expected it to be and smells very candy-like indeed, and has a dusky, smooth ripe-plum-like texture which goes very well with the more complex, apricoty-osmanthus base (Ineke used both osamnthus absolute and an osmanthus base for Evening Edged in Gold - I have to say I personally prefer the absolute as it is).

The Angel’s Trumpet I’ve taken pictures of (see above) did not have much of a fragrance (at least not in broad daylight). Keep in mind that I've met in in mid-day; according to Bill (Ineke's husband and business partner), it is at night time when the flower releases it's lily-like scent into the air, and the yellow variety is the one to look for (the bush I've found being peach coloured may not be as fragrant but I'm bound to check out if it's still in bloom this very evening).

Midnight Candy is the flower that “stars” in this fragrance’s packaging. Unfortunately, I haven’t smelled it either. Again, according to Bill this finicky dusky flower will only show off its olfactory capabilities on a hot day after 4pm. In a cooler day it won't be as generous sharing its fragrance. I am very curious to hear if any of you who have tried Evening Edged in Gold are familiar with these two fragrant flowers and could “find” them within Ineke’s perfume. I would love to hear from you more about the plant inspiration for this perfume.


Zaluzianskya capensis. Midnigth Candy. (Nattstjerne-balsam), originally uploaded by Tess_.

Tirzah Tea Time


Tirzah Tea Time, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

Escaping the wet snow outside, I entered Dawna’s cozy apothecary-kitchen. The table was already set with a bamboo tea tray and a glass plate laden with linden and tiny orange-almond cookies. Through the kitchen window, embraced with a yellow curtain, we could still see the snow falling straight to the ground, uninterrupted by wind.

Tea time with Dawna is always special. And when there is a new tea-blend involved, even more so. This time, the occasion was our shared tea-tasting ceremony of Tirzah – the new perfumed tea blend Dawna have created to accompany my linden blossom soliflore. Back in June 2007, when Tirzah was lauched, Dawna has created a limited edition blend of one tin only which she named Flora Linden (which is now available as a limited edition tea directly from Inner Alchemy Tea Co.) . It was lovely and floral, but we felt that it was time to re-visit this concept and re-create a tea that is more representative of Tirzah’s woody-floral-green freshness.

Dawna surprised me with orange-almond cookies that were made by Elsa’s Story in no other place in the world but Nahariya – a beautiful beach city which happens to be the nearest to my village in the Western Galilee… She also surprised me with some ideas for our next tea collaboration: a yerbamate-based tea blend to accompany Gaucho (to be released in Spring 2008). The beautiful dried herbs she showed me all resonate deeply with the green yet sweet coumarin qualities of Gaucho… Aside from peaking your curiousity, I will say no more.

The kettle boiled, and Dawna carefully measured the temperature of the water to ensure the delicate sencha leaves that create the base for Tirzah will not get overexposed to heat and release too much bitternesss. Moments later the clear glass teapot was filled with a gentle brew of flowers and leaves. The hops flowers blossomed in the water, floating beautifully like little ballerinas with green organza dresses…

The tea was than strained and a pure, light green liquid was poured into the delicate clear-glass tea cups. While we waited until the tea cooled down a bit in the cups (which brings out the flavours better), we enjoyed smelling the gentle steam emanating from the cups and marveling at the connection between the tea and the perfume that inspired it. Both have a delicate, lemon-woody-floral feel to them. The greenness is spring like and fresh, and delicate and gentle rather than brash and sharp as greens can often come across.

The tea is very pure and delicately smooth on the palate. Tirzah has a unique floral bouquet, interlacing linden blossoms and leaves, hops flowers and the honeyed, fruity-apricotness of osmanthus blossoms. While the lemon peel has a definite presence in the immediate experience of the tea, it is more floral and woody than being remotely similar to a lemonade… And the sencha leaves (two different kind of organic green Japanese sencha tea leaves were used) create a sophisticated, delicately-green, smooth and only ever so slightly tannin backdrop to this tea-tapestry.

Tirzah tea is perfect and pure and should be served with no additional sweeteners that will mask the subtle complexity of its floral notes. Though I might add that the orange and almond cookes served on the side were fantastic, they are by no means necessary for enjoying this beautiful tea.

And not just because I can, not just because it's the week of the Carnival in Brazil (the one I missed out on...) but also because I find this music to beautifully portray the peacefulness of the tea... And if you have Caetano Veloso & Gal Costa's album "Domingo", that would be even a better accompaniment for this tea...



Tirzah perfumed tea is a delicate floral blend based in organic Japanese sencha green tea. Ingredietns: Organic Japanese sencha tea leaf, Wild Linden Blossom Wild Linden Leaf, Organic Lemon Verbena Leaf, Organic Lemon Peel, Wild Osmantus Blossom, Organic Hops Blossoms. All botanicals are guaranteed certified organic or wildcrafted in a pristine environment and tested for chemical residues. Each tin contains 50gr of loose leaf tea. To prepare: bring water to a boil. Wait a few moments before steeping the tea leaves. Steep 1-1/2 teaspoons in 8oz of boiled water, for 1 minute (if you prefer a stronger tea, you may steep it for 1-1/2 minutes, but no more than 2 minutes to prevent the tea from becoming bitter). Tirzah tea is best served unsweetened, and its flavour improves even more when it cools down to room temperature. It is an excellent meditation tea as well as a light rejuvenating tea to be enjoyed throughout the day.
We are now pleased to offer Tirzah for an introductory price of $20 (regular price is $30), when you order it along with Tirzah perfume as part of our Tea Time Gift Set.
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