Dammann Frères

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Recent Tasting Notes

98
drank Caramel-Toffee by Dammann Frères
2201 tasting notes

Sipdown, 152. Sadness!

This tea is delicious and just makes me anticipate my trip to Paris this July that much more. It is really like drinking liquid toffee caramels, and that is without sugar. I am enjoying this last pot so much I may have to get more in Paris, even though I wasn’t originally planning on it. I already have a list of more than 2kg of tea that I want from them (since you can only buy in 100g amounts), so picking and choosing will be hard!

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

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98
drank Caramel-Toffee by Dammann Frères
2201 tasting notes

Oh my oh my. Dammann, I love you so. This tea is just so delicious.

First off, thanks to Shmiracles for sending me some of this. I had initially wanted just a sample of the Mariage Macaron tea, but she offered a sample of this one and I am SO GLAD I took her up on it. I should have known!

Dry, this tea smelled like caramel heaven. Once its steeped up it also smells like caramel heaven, but also a little nutty and a teensy bit fruity, almost like a caramel apple? Don’t know where that is coming from, since there isn’t any apple in this blend. I think there must be some fruity note in the base tea that is coming through.

The tea is suuuper smooth, sweet, and rich. It tastes like caramel in the sip, but the real treat comes immediately afterward when I could be convinced I just ate a sweet, buttery piece of toffee. I do get a hint of a fruity note still, but it is exceedingly light and it works with the richness somehow. This is one of those delicious cups of tea where I want another cup immediately after the first one is gone. Love you, DF!

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec
Shmiracles

IKR!!! this one is just awesome. capital A. i thought that maybe it was because it was the only tea i had opened while i was traveling, but even now, day after day, in the dullness of normal daily life, it stays at the top of the list.

Sil

this is in my travel mug today too…lol though i haven’t sipped it yet…i’ve been too busy

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73

Thanks Sil
This is different than I thought it would be! It has a medium-weak black tea base with a quesi-citrus flavor but there is also a bit of tart in there – maybe like a not-quite-ripe-yet berry of some sort.

It’s an interesting flavor and a nice change-up, tho.
Creative Flavored Fruity Black, really…not bad!

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drank Easter Tea by Dammann Frères
812 tasting notes

hmmmm, i don’t get the chocolate really but my sister was like “super marachino city!” and i was all AWWW cuz i basically bought it for her. she loves teas with flowers and rose petals in them.

also, dry in the canister, it definitely smell like wine to me. it’s a very true and strong wine smell. almost like a turned wine, like a white wine that has sat opened in the fridge too long. i certainly like it more than i expected to.

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first I’m VERY sorry for the onslaught of tea logging with just photos! i just got back from holiday and i documented all of the tea i drank and really want to get them logged before normal life catches back up with me and i forget the details. i will add tasting notes later but for now the pictures do a lot to help me remember what tea i had and what the experience was like.

this tea is one i purchased in bulk so it was an opened bag and i felt like i could enjoy it while traveling. i LOVED EVERY SINGLE CUP I BREWED! this was a great purchase. in fact visiting this store was probably my favorite. the place was so beautiful. (my boyfriend said it reminded him of harry potter) and the customer service was lovely. tea places have a tendency to be uptight settings. and i have a tendency to be anti authority. so it’s always a strange balance that is struck between me and my surroundings. add to that the fact that i barely speak any french and you get a strange dynamic. the customer service people at the store were professional but super helpful and friendly. i definitely wanted to go back and buy more. …i just couldn’t fit any more tea in my travel bags.

i will add another note.
this is the most saddest thing ever.
but when i left the states i had bad bad allergies.
and they went away when i got to Paris, however my sinuses themselves were still slightly infected and irritated.
those who are prone to sinus infections already know what this means…
I COULDN’T SMELL ANYTHING MY ENTIRE TIME IN PARIS! all the tea shops! all the pastries! all the fine beers and brewery’s in Brussels! i couldn’t smell any of it!!
it was a special kind of hell at times, but i made due. and made my boyfriend smell teas and tell me what they made him think of. haha he was at a loss but tried his best. and i am so grateful.

here is a cup i brewed in Hamburg
http://instagram.com/p/YRv-jpoc6V/

OMGsrsly

I’m loving the pictures! Makes me wish camera phones were more available the last time I travelled. :) This kind of documentation always brings back awesome memories.

Skulleigh

It would be awesome if we would post pics directly in the review. I like seeing the teas and the teaware!

Shmiracles

being able to document each cup with a great picture is really priceless. i did not have much access to internet while traveling, and simply keeping a list of teas i tasted would be very lacking since my memory is not very good. but a picture really helps bring the whole experience back to the forefront of my mind. i sometimes feel too reliant on my phone, but in honesty it’s really just a camera-that-is-a-sometimes-phone.
thanks for letting me know you enjoy the photos! cuz i worry it’s somewhat self indulgent of me, like making a family member torturously sit through a long travel slide show hah. you know the kind ;)
yay tea p0rn!

Ysaurella

did you buy it at Dammann Frères place des vosges or rue mouffetard or cour St Emilion in Paris ?

Shmiracles

place des vosges. http://instagram.com/p/X3I0MAoc24/
which i’m sure means they are used to bad french speaking tourists. but i considered them very patient considering tourists would probably make me feel very much the opposite.

Ysaurella

it depends on the person who serves tea. I had different experiences at this shop but anyway love the place :)

OMGsrsly

I travelled in 2001 with one crappy digital camera for 3 people, and I think I have 10 photos! Never again! Now I’m the person who will take 300 pictures on a 4 hour hike, so I get you. :)

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i was in Paris in the Dammann Freres tea shoppe with no sense on smell. i had been trying many different sinus remedies over the past few days and that morning i bought a nasal spray. i had used it a few times by the time i was tea shopping and it was SLIGHTLY working. i mean, i could finally slightly glean really strong scents. (whomp whomp)

so when i smelled this tea, i got a vague whiff of peaches and immediately started carrying my box to purchase around the store. now, i’m a gal who flocks to black dessert teas. but i think that is because of the weather. and as winter turns to spring all of my oolongs are suddenly more bright and brilliant and delicious than before! i knew i needed to buy an oolong. even if the dessert teas knew me by name.

this tea is beautiful. i KNOW i am bringing my shopping experience into my tasting, but i can’t help it.
also, idk why i smelled peaches. i blame the sinus goop. but now i know that osmanthe is a flower and this is basically a delicious take on a jasmine oolong.

i will post a picture of the store once my boyfriend uploads it.
until then i will fantasize about buying these 2 things someday… (not gonna happen)
http://www.dammann.fr/512-coffret-quadrille.html
http://www.dammann.fr/bols-tasses-mugs/984-impressions-de-printemps-tisaniere-verte-.html

Bee

Oh my god, the Quadrille Casket looks AWESOME.

CHAroma

OMG!!! I can’t wait to go to Paris in the fall! That green mug is beautiful!

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when i have a lot of teas i’m excited about trying i tend to brew small little 6 or 8 oz cups.
this one i brewed once, and then brewed again immediately. i just wanted to be sure is all.
i wanted to be sure that what i thought i tasted was really what i thought i tasted.
and i’m just gonna go for it and declare …Apricot.
i don’t even know why apricot.
i mean, no pineapple or mango. i feel like apricot.
APricot!

thanks Dinosara! it’s a euro tea adventure!

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as of today we’ve only been back 2 weeks, and yesterday my boyfriend was already googling all sorts of variations on “the cheapest way to fly to europe”.
it was inevitable.

oh Macaron Mangue Jasmin you are fairly stunning, but see, i have already fallen for another Dammann Freres (…or two hah). alas my heart is spoken for.

again i feel very lucky to have tried this tea and to have a couple more cups to go! i mean, have you seen their catalog it’s HUGEMONGUS! how would anyone expect a girl to get through that on her own. we all need the help of our tea friends don’t we.

Dinosara gave me this sample too. she showered me in the classiest of teas. (you should probably read her posts if you wanna actually know about the tea. she said it so well.)

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2013-05-05
a sample from the awesome Dinosara! and this IS a breakfasty kinda desert tea…
jammy dodgers! it’s jammie dodgers tea.
it just dawned on me.
YUM!
i’m gonna make a second cup and watch yesterday’s Doctor Who episode.
(after i rewatch the xmas episode and then rewatch the end of the previous episode, because Clara’s story is explained in there somewhere i’m sure of it.)

okay i re-steeped the pot. and i’m not a person who usually does that. like i basically never do that. so i’ll take that as an indicator that i like this tea even more than i realize i do.

THIS ONE IS A 100% BUY for me!

2013-05-28
having this again today. and again jammie dodgers!
it’s not a hit you over the head tea. it’s a hand holder. a smoocher. a keeper.
okay i’m creeping myself out too, but you get the idea.
a gentle tea. gently sweet and clear headed.
good with a biscuit.

2013-06-06
in case you were wondering, and i know you were, i’m still going to buy this tea. infinitely.
this is my last cup.
until we meet again!

Dinosara

This is one of my absolute faves!

Chelle

Adding to ever expanding wishlist…………….

ashmanra

I raved about this one so much that my eldest daughter made note of the name on her laptop and then ordered it for me even though the next gift giving occasion was a long way away! I love it.

Ysaurella

it’s a lovely one sure, agree

I ♥ NewYorkCiTEA

wishlisted b/c of your note ♥

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83

Okay so there is a certain orange flavouring in teas that I really dislike (when not paired with a black base, apparently). It’s kindof a spicy orange rind note, which I often find in teas that are a less than entirely fresh, but sometimes as an intentional addition.
This was the aroma/taste that hit me when I first tasted my tea. So not my thing!
But then, as I got through the cup, it kinda grew on me. I think that the blend of Ceylon and Chinese black teas must be a good match for that particular flavouring.
My cuppa had a smooth creaminess to it, and went down surprisingly easy without any milk or sugar, which I fully expected would be necessary given my flavouring bias!
It isn’t entirely orange, or orange rind though, and I’ve yet to put my finger on what that extra something is. Anyone have any thoughts?
Back when I was a tea newbie, I bought 100g of an orange flavoured mate without trying any first… and oh boy did I ever hate it. So gross, in my opinion that is. I did manage to find it a good home! Perhaps it was the combo of orange and mate I dislike. and orange and white tea! (yes I mean you…Tangerine somethingorother from Kally. Blech)
Anyhow, I’d definitely try this again, and could actually see myself keeping a stock in my cupboard. Not as my house “orange black” of course, as this one seems to stand on it’s own.
Thanks to my Mentor (in HR) for buying me a cuppa at Avenue Bistro Cafe :)

momo

It’s a blood orange tea! They taste so much better than regular old orange tea to me. They are sweeter, it sometimes almost tastes like there’s just a hint of red berries to them.

Indigobloom

Yeah I agree for the most part Momo, I was a little confused cuz the flavour is so familiar, and I dislike it paired with other bases! but oh yeah this was tasty :)

Indigobloom

I’ll look for the red berry part next time!

momo

I think a moro blood orange definitely has almost the tartness of a raspberry to it instead of just orange. I’d think that’s the type that’d be used in tea, I have a Fauchon one where the blood orange is just like that, soooo good!

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67
drank Violette by Dammann Frères
790 tasting notes

Ysaurella was kind enough to send some of this my way recently. :)

This is a nice, mild black tea with strong violet flavor. It is also sweet.

What it reminds me of are the violet candies you used to be able to get in 5 & 10 stores in small towns. http://chowardcompany.com/products.htm

I never cared much for the candy. As a tea, it is okay. Not bad, but nothing I’ll seek out to keep in the cupboard. I’ll share some of the sample I have left with my mom and her friend and it will all be steeped and enjoyed while it lasts. :)

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 4 min, 0 sec
gmathis

Interesting! I don’t think I ever saw the violet candies before, but the packaging reminds me of the Clark’s Teaberry gum on the candy racks at Horton’s Dime Store in Lamar MO, circa … (cough cough cough)

Nicole

I always get some of the violet whenever I run across it in the old stores and eat one and remember why I don’t like it much… :)

ashmanra

I tried the Choward’s Violet and Parma Violets. I might like Choward’s better, but I LOVE Choward’s Guava candies. GG, when I go back to A Southern Season I will try to remember to get you a pack!

Ysaurella

Nicole you’re right it tastes like a very sweet violet – in France we use to use violet in candies as well, in hard candies like this :https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violette_de_Toulouse_%28confiserie%29
this is a typical recipe from the town of Toulouse (south west of France)

Ysaurella

you can try it too with milk and sugar, it is nice

Nicole

I’ll give it a try with milk and sugar. I love the look of those candies! So pretty!

Oooo… the mango ones did sound appealing when I saw them on the site. :)

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92

I bought a sample sachet of this at Pacific Mall of all places, and saved it til today when I really needed it.
And guess what, it is super tasty. Intense on the sweet berry, which I LOVE!! Definitely some strawberry, and maybe cherry. Not sure about the currant.
Without any sugar or milk, I enjoyed every single sip even though I got an extra large cup, for maybe a regular sized serving of leaves. Oh yeah, so worth it. No idea what temp it was at either so I’m going to surmise that this blend can take a lot of abuse and still end up amazing.
I’d keep it in my cupboard if I could.
In some ways, it reminds me very much of Marco Polo. They are pretty much the same tea, only one has a whole lot more vanilla. Ok so that makes them pretty different in one very big way lol
Still, I doubt I’d carry both in my cupboard if I had an opp, since I’m not a huge vanilla fan and thus much prefer this version!
Also, Sil, did you give me a sample of this?? I can’t recall!!

cteresa

I like this very much as well, but to me it´s a totally different beast from Marco Polo, funny how we all experience things differently.

I got a tin of this without being too enthusiastic about it, but ended up loving it, and loving it better than all the other Dammann teas (even ones I was far more interested in before trying!) I have tried.

Sil

nope. I gave you others. I didn’t get to pick this one up, though it’s on my shopping list to try sometime.

cteresa

Sorry, I don´t understand – "nope. I gave you others. "?

Sil

cteresa – IB asked if this was one of the teas i gave her. :) I gave her other damman freres tea, which is likely what she’s thinking of.

cteresa

sorry, sorry, my mistake! I was not understanding, nevermind brain fart (it´s getting very hot, moved to iced non caffeine tea, and my brain is not adjusting…)

Sil

pas de problem! I feel the same way…and it’s already afternoon! :)

Indigobloom

cteresa, it’s really good! I don’t think I’ve had a berry tea that pops so nicely before. Yummm :D
Sil, aha! well if I ever see it again at p-mall, I’ll pick you up a sample. $1 for one bag, not too bad.

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89

No notes yet. Add one?

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

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87

This morning is my second brew of this sample, kindly sent to me by CTeresa.
I’m not sure how long exactly it steeped, probably way over the 5 mn period, which worried me, as I remembered the bitterness that Paris tea took after a too long steep.
None of this here, the tea seems brewed to perfection. Ah I really love the non-fussy and easy-going blend that will not hold it against you, if you treat them badly.
It’s indeed the perfect afternoon tea for people who are not that used to tea or when you just want something easy to drink in any circumstances; its flavors are very accessible, quite rich both in quantity and quality, none of them overwhelming.
For my taste, the caramel tone is a bit too strong; I believe I’d prefer a blend leaning more on the red fruits, like Marco Polo is, from what I remember. It’s however really lovely. And way, way better than Paris, from H&S, in my opinion.
I ’m not sure that I will buy it soon for me, but this would certainly make a perfect present. I totally understand how this blend could become an absolute favorite to many people.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 7 min, 0 sec
cteresa

We really are tea twins! Totally agree regarding Marco Polo and Paris (and also Kusmi´s St Petersburg. Yep, at a time I had all 4 of those teas in my kitchen).

Ysaurella

this is strangely a Dammann Frères blend I never tasted !

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87

First teapot from the generous sample sent by CTeresa.
At the first sip, vanilla popped in my mind, then definitely caramel, of the unsalted sort. At the middle of the teapot, I realized this tea would be perfect with Carambar and tastes as decadent as those sweets. I did not really identify the berries and fruits, except as underlying flavors in the background.
I really liked it, will probably enjoy a lot the remaining of the sample but will have to decide whether this tea should remain on my shopping list or if the caramel flavor turns too overwhelming for my taste in the long run.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec
cteresa

I got a tin of this and of 4 fruits rouges – this one first as I had much higher expectations of it, but somehow the one which I keep grabbing and doing is 4 fruits rouges! So dunno what to advice!

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84

Dammann Advent Calendar, Day 21

I totally thought I had never tried this one before, but apparently I have. You could have fooled me. Reading my old tasting notes, I think my sample before was not in the best condition, as it was contaminated on the first steeping and flavorless on the second.

Well, this is certainly not flavorless. I may not be super into flavored green teas at the moment, but I do like the blend of bergamot and peach here. And a hint of rose? Yes please. I bet this would be super delicious iced, which is how I do prefer my flavored greens. Glad to have gotten to try this one again and really appreciate it.

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84

Sipdown, 189.

The first time I had this tea, it was with somewhat contaminated water, though I still enjoyed it. What’s odd is that this time the tea seems less flavorful, although I know my water is fine. As it cools, a bright, citrusy hit of bergamot pops out, which is nice, and the violet grows as the cup progresses. I am also realizing that I am less and less interested in flavored greens these days, although it might be more of a base tea thing. I am only interested in some flavored greens, those with a nutty, buttery base. This is a fairly generic grassy green tea, and it just doesn’t do much for me.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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84

I will always take the opportunity to try Dammann blends I haven’t tried yet. This one has even been on my list, but it wasn’t a high priorty for ordering. But now thanks again to Ellen I have a sample yay!

Ok there is for sure something weird going on with some element here, but I don’t know if it is my brewing setup (recently cleaned, but not too recently), water (maybe?) or the samples. This does not have the same powerful salty flavor as the Nirvana tea earlier today, but it does have kind of an odd savory note. Fortunately for me, there’s plenty of lovely bergamot, orange blossom and violet as well. The savory note is fading as the tea cools as well. This is a very violetty tea blend, though it doesn’t assult you with violets. More just provides you with enough to roll around in. Don’t think I would restock this one (and I’m glad I don’t have 100g of it), although I am very glad that I got a chance to try it.

Preparation
175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec
Shmiracles

i tried to go through your reviews, but what are some of your favorite Dammann Freres? i hope to shop there soon :)

Sil

I am with you on that Dinosara! i want to try them all!

Dinosara

Shmiracles – Well, it depends. What kind of flavors do you like? I love floral teas and so most of the teas I’ve had from there are floral in some way. But I’ve also had some fruity ones and more traditional (like Earl Grey, Red Fruits). In my opinion you can’t go wrong with any of them. I love the black tea base that Dammann uses for most of their flavored teas which helps. :)

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95

Day 6.

This is one of my favorites. Today I am finding it with a bold black base. The citrus profile is also bold. It is not tart of bitter but also there is no overpowering sweetness. Because of this tea I had a period where I added an orange slice to my black teas. I am going to have to start doing that again.

Let the advent calendar continue…

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 15 sec
Ysaurella

this is indeed a very lovely tea

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95

Day 6!

This is one of the Dammann teas I have had before. This one tastes a bit different this time. I am unsure if it is scent contamination or just the time that has passed since I had this one. I am getting a much more floral fragrance and taste this time around. The black tea base is light to moderate. It is smooth with no astringency. There is definitely an orange flavor. It is sweet, maybe slightly tart, but it is not bitter. And it is orange, not orange peel, which is a refreshing flavor to have in a tea. I also feel like I am getting some jasmine (?), some kind of floral. Either way, it is still delicious. Because of this tea, I now often put a whole orange slice into my tea for pure taste enjoyment.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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95

Another sample from Sil. She spoiled me!

On first opening the little bag of this, I was a bit worried becuase I could smell an earthy aroma, which I associate with a pu-erh. I then looked up the description of this tea, and was greatly confused. Black tea scented with orange? That can’t be what I have here.

While brewing I could still smell the earthy aroma, I got from the dry tea. But after brewing and once it started to cool, there was that orange scent! It was a black base with a light orange scent. The taste is absolutely awesome. Very refreshing. I almost want to try putting orange slices into my black tea to see if I get the same taste.

Thanks Sil for this tea. I quite enjoyed it.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 2 min, 0 sec
Sil

this tea confuses me as well. it smells totally NOT how it’s described. Its actually stopped me from trying this so far hahahaha

Lala

It actually tastes quite good. Does NOT taste like it smells. You should try it.

Sil

haha yeah. there IS a reason i bought a whole tin of it – reviews had me thinking it was good but i just keep forgetting WHY i bought it when i smell it lol

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83
drank Nosy Bey by Dammann Frères
15006 tasting notes

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83
drank Nosy Bey by Dammann Frères
15006 tasting notes

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83
drank Nosy Bey by Dammann Frères
15006 tasting notes

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