1445 Tasting Notes
Mariage Frères Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 21
Yay! A smoky black tea! For me, this type of tea is the epitome of the fall and winter seasons – and my favourite cold-weather commuting tea.
This is one of the lightest lapsang offerings I’ve had in a long time; even my mom, who hates smoky teas with a passion, was able to enjoy this one. It would make an excellent beginner Lapsang Souchong (and for 11€ / 100g the price is right).
The tea contains the familiar lapsang notes of wood, sweet smoke, and black tea malt. What surprises me are the vivid flavours of woody cinnamon spice, gold honey, sweet potatoes, and a touch of cream. The spice level is such that I thought that the tea had been contaminated by the advent’s Chai – but the slots where nowhere near each other…
Whether the additional flavours are the result of a “happy accident” or the innate profile of a decent Chinese black tea, the result is delicious and I adore it.
Steep Count: 2
Flavors: Cinnamon, Creamy, Hay, Honey, Malt, Pepper, Smoke, Smooth, Spices, Spicy, Sweet, Sweet Potatoes, Vanilla, Woody
Preparation
Mariage Frères Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 20
More bergamot? I’ve had so much of it this week. So. Much.
White tea base with roses, bergamot, something to dye it red (hibby?), and trademark “red berry” flavouring makes for a particularly perfume-like concoction. The result is tangy, tart, hay-ish, bitter-floral, and vaguely berry-sweet. I like the smell better than the taste.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the “rhapsody” series MF showcased last year, and this is no exception, but I do have a slight weakness for the French “red berry” thing.
Flavors: Bergamot, Citrusy, Floral, Fruity, Hay, Hibiscus, Perfume, Red Fruits, Rose, Strawberry, Tangy, Tart
Preparation
7th Tea of Christmas 2022
Apparently I’ve tried this blend before! Huh.
Despite not being the biggest fan in principle – Carrot Cake blends are a massive nostalgic trip for me. The flavour profile, which this tea nails, is one of the first dessert blends I tried years ago (in a 100g tin); it transports me right back to my years living in Victoria.
Various spices, buttery cake flavours, and a hint of maple-like syrup and frosting goodness make for a cozy and hearty blend – and one I was grateful for after shovelling the drive-ways and sidewalk. We got hit with about a foot of snow last night and it’s both magical and physically exhausting. We don’t normally get that much snow here at once, and my hands are still in spasms (hurrah for a good workout); thankful to hold a hot mug of tea to help sooth them!
Steep Count: 2
Flavors: Allspice, Bread, Butter, Cake, Carrot, Cinnamon, Frosting, Maple Syrup, Nutmeg, Powdered Sugar, Smooth, Spices, Vanilla
Preparation
6th Tea of Christmas 2022
This is a nice breakfast combo! Either the maple-blackberry flavouring or oolong base is contributing to a toasty, dark sugar-malt note that I quite like. As the cup cools, a greener oolong note of floral-butter come out. It’s pure syrupy berry goodness that would go great on top of waffles or pancakes!
I’m sad that there’s no maple cheesecake oolong but this is more than a consolation prize :)
Steep Count: 3
Flavors: Berries, Blackberry, Blueberry, Butter, Floral, Malty, Maple Syrup, Molasses, Pancake Syrup, Smooth, Sweet, Toasty, Winter Honey
Preparation
Dammann Frères Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 20
Another green tea with fruit and bergamot flavouring… DF should’ve mixed up their selection a bit more this year (only green tea and tisanes remain, I believe).
It’s a nice mild bergamot, and not as jammy-sweet with the fruit as the last couple days – but still not my favourite. The green tea base has a more trampled-grass-field note then past days (Chinese sencha-like). The apricot flavouring is more tangy-sweet stone-fruit than under-ripe sour; the bergamot further brings out the tartness and brightness of the apricot. The vanilla adds an air of sophistication, and I’m glad to see it!
If this didn’t use Chinese Sencha I would like it more. The flavouring is good but I’ll never be a fan of that tea base.
Flavors: Apricot, Bergamot, Citrusy, Dry Grass, Floral, Fruity, Marine, Smooth, Stonefruit, Tangy, Tart, Vanilla
Preparation
Lol, I said the same thing about two fruity bergamot green teas in a row! And you’re right, there were a ton of black teas early on, so I’m not surprised there aren’t any remaining…
I think we might have one black tea left (an apple one?)! But tisanes are definitely the lion’s share of our future at this point :P
I’m okay with that, there’s one tisane that I’m counting on being able to try! :D
Oh, yeah, I’m excited to try them too! I’d probably never buy them on their own, otherwise :)
Dammann Frères Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 19
Bergamot, violet and the intensity of the fruity sugars makes for a particularly fancy floral candy tea. I think I enjoyed this one more this year than last but still not enough to entice me to buy more. I love floral teas but this one is almost too much.
Flavors: Bergamot, Candy, Floral, Fruity, Kiwi, Orange Blossom, Peach, Sweet, Violet
Preparation
Mariage Frères Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 19
Feels like I’m swimming in bergamot and other citrus flavours this advent season. I don’t hate it (in fact, I kind of love it) but I’m also low-key laughing to see even the chai throwing bergamot at me too. Et tu, Brute?
Besides that, I’m all for a chai on this snowy day. The cinnamon, clove, and peppercorn are most forward to me; next in prominence is the cardamom, and then the ginger. The bergamot makes a bright flash of a finish, with flairs of spicy zest, and is also very much there. It all makes for a surprisingly tasty and rounded chai, that doesn’t need a lot (or any) milk. Although, I expected nothing less after thoroughly enjoying most of MF’s past chai offerings.
Flavors: Bergamot, Bright, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Citrus, Clove, Floral, Ginger, Juicy, Malt, Peppercorn, Spices, Spicy, Woody
Preparation
5th Tea of Christmas 2022
Taken with milk. While still piping hot, this tea is all smoky rum and burnt sugar notes; the banana and any sense of sweetness is strangely absent, except in a vague savoury plantain kind of way.
However, when the tea becomes lukewarm (after around 20min) the profile does a 180. Caramelized banana pops out while the smoke and rum fade into the background -becoming more of a hot buttered spiced rum. Now that’s more like it!
Flavors: Banana, Burnt Sugar, Butter, Caramelized Sugar, Cinnamon, Earthy, Malt, Rum, Smoke
Preparation
I have never had plantain. Tea has made me try so many new foods. Maybe that should be something I shoot for in the new year – trying more new foods.
Mm, plantains are one of my favourite kinds of starchy side! I see them more as “platanos fritos” but they pop up in a lot of culinary traditions. https://www.laylita.com/recipes/fried-ripe-plantains-or-platanos-fritos/
Getting into tea, specifically the greener teas, taught me appreciate vegetables. I hated cucumbers before acquiring a taste for silver needle :)
Target makes a decent salted plantain chip
Mariage Frères Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 18
Despite being blue-dyed, the first steep had a profile of a delicious red oolong – notes of amber honey, flower nectar, and a hint of roasted sweet malt. The second steep tastes more like a milky green oolong – floral, buttery, silky, and rich. It’s quite lovely and I’m kind of curious about the discrepancy between steep one and two. I want to gongfu steep this one, despite the blue peaflowers, but not enough to pick up more. I have a lot of amazing oolong in my life.
Steep Count: 3
Flavors: Butter, Floral, Fruity, Honey, Malt, Milk, Nectar, Orchid, Silky, Sweet, Toast
Preparation
Dammann Frères Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 18
Same mango almond biscuit flavour as my much loved Mango Lassi – so that’s a plus! It also smells amazing.
Bai mu tan isn’t ever going to be my favourite white tea but the natural notes of blueberries, hay, and honey take the fruity flavouring in a ovverripe, jam-like direction. I actually don’t get much bergamot at all; I do get a citrusy strawberry-mango juice medley though.
I’d rather this have a black tea base. Or try it iced! It’s very sweet as is.
Flavors: Almond, Blueberry, Citrus, Floral, Fruit Punch, Fruity, Hay, Honey, Jam, Juicy, Mango, Musty, Strawberry, Sweet, Tart, Tropical Fruit, Woody
That sounds like a relly nice Lapsang!
Yeah, I thought it was lovely! Makes me crave a Dian Hong and other Yunnan teas too :)
Yum!