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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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