1429 Tasting Notes

52teas 12 Teas of Christmas 2023 – Day 10

Again, not loving rooibos much lately, but Anne does a lovely soda tea. It’s convincingly effervescent, tangy-sweet, and crisp. Not too sweet though – more like an Italian soda, or tonic water with a dash of citrus. This blend is pleasant iced or cold steeped.

Flavors: Berry, Citrusy, Cranberry, Crisp, Drying, Effervescent, Floral, Fruity, Mineral, Sweet, Syrupy, Tangy

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85

Mariage Frères Advent Calendar – Day 23

Bumping my old rating up a notch. This year it lives up to its “sublime” namesake. I was choked when I finally resteeped it to the point of death this morning. Can’t recalled the last time I had such a smooth, silky, creamy flavoured green tea that manages to convincingly play the role of a rich, fruity dessert – without tasting artificial and heavy-handed.

Flavors: Berries, Candy, Creamy, Floral, Raspberry, Red Fruits, Rhubarb, Silky, Smooth, Strawberry, Vanilla

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drank Canissoun by Dammann Frères
1429 tasting notes

Dammann Frères Advent Calendar – Day 23

I’ve never heard of this dessert but this flavoured rooibos makes me want to try it! This caffeine-free beverage tastes like nougat or a marzipan candy – with bits of melon and orange. It’s unique, round, and works surprisingly well enough with the base that it almost tempts me to give rooibos blends another shot at life in my stash. I can actually envision myself drinking this in the evening…

Flavors: Almond, Candied Fruit, Citrus, Floral, Fruity, Marzipan, Melon, Nutty, Orange, Sweet

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78
drank Christmas Tea by Dammann Frères
1429 tasting notes

Dammann Frères Advent Calendar – Day 24

Annnnd… this wraps up my Dammann Frères advent (and I’m now all caught up with my notes)! While I’m more familiar with this company’s teas than I was three years ago, this advent continues to please me with its offerings of mostly flavoured teas. It’s a lovely balance of familiar and new-to-me samples.

In no particular order, some of my favourites this year’s advent: Blanc d’Oranger, My Tiramasu, Oolong Châtaigne, Noël à Pékin (always), Oolong Passion de Fleurs, and Canissoun. Coming as no surprise, oolong and fruity teas are my typical favourites, but loving the coffee dessert blend was a shocker.

Anyways, this tea… While I initially didn’t care for this cherry-flavoured Christmas tea overly much, with repetition comes that welcome familiarity. It’s like fruit cake in more ways than one. I shared a pot with my mom and she particularly enjoyed it.

Flavors: Cake, Candied Fruit, Caramel, Cherry, Citrusy, Fig, Fruity, Malt, Maraschino, Orange Blossom, Pineapple, Smooth, Sweet, Syrupy

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drank Noël In Love by Mariage Frères
1429 tasting notes

Mariage Frères Advent Calendar – Day 24

It wouldn’t be a proper Christmas Eve without a blue oolong that tastes like biscuits, brioche, nut butter, cream, berries, and assorted fruits – including melon. This tea tastes like a million things (ok, maybe only 13 things); I can’t pick out all (or any) of the notes for sure, but it is tasty. Just a bit of a mind game with that blue colour.

Steep Count: 3

Flavors: Almond, Berries, Biscuit, Bread, Candied Fruit, Citrus, Creamy, Floral, Fruity, Hazelnut, Jam, Melon, Mineral, Nuts, Red Fruits, Sweet, Vegetal

Preparation
145 °F / 62 °C

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Mariage Frères Advent Calendar – Day 22

I still don’t like this one so much. It’s the hibiscus.

Flavors: Bergamot, Citrusy, Floral, Hay, Hibiscus, Tannic, Tart

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Mariage Frères Advent Calendar – Day 20

Lovely white tea with floral and stonefruit notes (cherry, plum). It also as a dash of maple, which rounds it out nicely. The hibiscus contributes nicely to this tart-sweet profile while creating a pleasing blush to the tea. Not a bad Rhapsody at all! Very spring-like.

Flavors: Cherry Blossom, Floral, Fruit Tree Flowers, Fruity, Hay, Hibiscus, Maple, Plum, Stonefruit, Sweet, Tangy, Tart

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Mariage Frères Advent Calendar – Day 21

This is a beautiful goji berry flavoured green tea. It’s fruity, buttery, and nutty. I also pick up sunflower notes, which is always a warm, cheerful thing to taste at winter. Overall, it reminds me a little of another of Mariage Frères tropical fruit green blends, Locombia Colombia because of the sunflower-ness); I liked that tea quite a bit.

I see MF has a zodiac series – all of which heavily feature goji berries. Interesting choice! I also like the advent’s reference to the upcoming new year here.

Steep Count: 2

Flavors: Butter, Floral, Fruity, Goji, Grassy, Nutty, Pollen, Red Fruits, Silky, Smooth, Summer, Sunflower Seed

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drank My Tiramisu by Dammann Frères
1429 tasting notes

Dammann Frères Advent Calendar – Day 22

I tend to side-eye coffee teas but I ended up enjoying this one! The coffee is light, fluffy, chocolate-y and dusted with cinnamon. It’s the brunt of a profile that’s cake-like, topped with a boozy-sweet maraschino. It’s tasty and I essentially inhaled it.

Flavors: Biscuit, Cake, Cinnamon, Coffee, Creamy, Dark Chocolate, Fruity, Malt, Maraschino, Smooth, Sweet

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drank L'Oriental by Dammann Frères
1429 tasting notes

Dammann Frères Advent Calendar – Day 20

The dominant note for me is the peach. It’s a juicy, dynamic peach though – with citrusy elements from the strawberry, passion fruit, and pineapple. Dammann Frères does fruit flavours well but this isn’t my favourite by them.

Flavors: Citrusy, Fruity, Passion Fruit, Peach, Pineapple, Stonefruit, Strawberry, Tropical Fruit, Vegetal

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Profile

Bio

I started my Steepster loose leaf adventure back in 2012. I can’t say I’m completely new anymore, but I still view oolong as a magical, extraterrestrial creature that unfurls in water.

My favourites are teas like Milk Oolong, Silver Needle,and Japanese Sencha/Gyokuro, or fruity and floral flavoured ones. However, I generally enjoy ALL the teas, including a good old cup of Earl Grey or Breakfast blend.

FAVOURITE INGREDIENTS/NOTES:

DESSERT FLAVOURS
Vanilla, Maple, Caramel, Butterscotch, Cream, Toffee, Nougat, Marzipan, Butter

FRUIT & BERRIES
Citrus Fruits, Passionfruit, Banana, Pineapple, Melons, Blackberry, Raspberry, Currants, Elderberry, Persimmon, Rhubarb..

SPICES
Ginger, Turmeric, Clove-forward chai, Cardamom

AROMATIC & HERBACEOUS NOTES
Sandalwood, Frankincense, Juniper, Eucalyptus, Mints

FLORALS
Lavender, Jasmine, Rose, Lilac, Violet, etc.

VEGGIE/GRAIN NOTES
Spinach, Grass, Hay, Cucumber, Rice, Sweet Potato

Less Preferred Flavours/Ingredients:
Stevia, Apple, Cocoa Nib, Almond, Licorice, Cinnamon-forward blends, Chinese Sencha

Subjective Rating System:
I don’t give a lot of low ratings out, since a) I tend to grab tea I know will appeal to me, and b) I don’t have a lot of strong dislikes.

90-100: Favourites. The Desert Island Teas.
80-89: Loved teas. Possibly staple-worthy.
70-79: Good teas, but I’m less likely to repurchase. Minor quibbles.
60-69: Ok teas. Likely a few preference and/or quality issues.
50-59: Cup of meh. Will do in a pinch.
11-49: Varying levels of undrinkable tea.
1-10: Nightmare tea from the chaos realms. This tea is the embodiment of the primordial swamp, an unholy abomination. It’s very gross and I’m almost positive it doesn’t exist.

Location

BC, Canada

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