Dammann Frères

If you are a tea rose lover, you definitively need to taste the Dammann Frères Rose Tea.

It’s already a pleasure to open the tin, the smell is so wonderful, delicate, just like entering in a garden full of fresh roses – really.
The dry leaves are mixed with a very generous amount of petals, it is gorgeous.
The tea base is a success as well, a delicate Chinese black blend, very mellow, smooth, a perfect companion for the rose flavour.

Of course this is not a complex tea, this is “just” a mono flavoured tea but the choice of the rose flavour is a kind of miracle : so natural, so powerful.
DF website mentions they used Bulgarian rose flavour and this is a good choice : Bulgarian rose are among the best roses, not used in perfume industry but for essential oils.
Roses from Grasse (south of France) were the reference in high couture perfume industry (unfortunately they are so expensive now perfumers use most roses from Morocco or Pakistan)

The second steep is nice but not as amazing as the first one.

A great classic to get in a cupboard.

Sorry wasn’t able to find out a picture of thé Violette !
It isn’t sold on Dammann’s online website.

I bought it directly at the shop place des Vosges, so I’ll need to take my own pic of it .

It is a really pleasant tea.
First the scent of violet is fantastic, the liquor color is deep and we get immediately the violet note.

I had it in the morning , half of the cup plain, the other half with with black crystal sugar + a splash of milk.

I loved both methods.

This is nice but not on my Dammann top list.

It feels like forever since I’ve had a good solid Earl, mostly because that is true, it has been ages. But yesterday while I was running around picking up stuff for my new apartment I checked my PO box and found a lovely package from SimplyJenW. Yay! This was one of the teas that she sent me. I love Dammann Fréres but I have never tried an Earl from them so I am definitely excited.

Jen says that this seems like it has the same base as their Goût Russe, which is exciting because that tea is delicious. And so is this one! Geez, Dammann Fréres, why do you have to be so excellent all the time? This is a lovely Earl. It’s basically Goût Russe with only bergamot instead of a melange of citrus. The bergamot isn’t super powerful, but nor is it very weak. A perfect amount of bergamot to complement the delicious black tea base, which is that nice blend of Chinese black teas that ends up being warm and rich and just yum.

Thanks a bunch for sending me some of this Earl, Jen! It is definitely on my list of teas to acquire from DF. I have the most gigantic order ever planned once I somehow reduce my currently epic stash.

Tasting this one for the first time since bringing it back from France! Since it promises marzipan and biscuit flavours I’m holding off on a treat on the side of this one in case it interferes with the tea ;D

The aroma is really complex, slightly fruity or floral but there’s a hint of something else in there— likely the poppy as I’ve never tried a tea with poppy in before. On the first sip it’s really quite floral. Cornflowers and peonies and what might be the poppy are wonderfully bold on the first sip, and beyond that… rich vanilla and a stubborn almond aftertaste on the tongue! The more you drink the more the floral flavours give way and settle into the cakiness instead, and with a touch of milk, it’s like a luxurious dessert.

The marzipan and biscuit aren’t as strong as the flowers, as advertised, but it’s a wonderful cup nonetheless! Next time I’ll try to get fewer flowers in the cup to see how it compares…

Had this in a restaurant at a Hilton (in Houston, TX) and enjoyed it black, without any sweetener or milk. I steeped it for about 4.5 minutes, and it developed a nice deep amber/auburn liquor and a pleasantly mild bergamot aroma. A bit tannic in the mouth but overall very drinkable. I used to drink Earl Grey quite a bit when I was younger, and have switched in general to Irish Breakfast or English Breakfast (or Twining’s Lady Grey) but may try more Earl Greys straight now, just to have a point of comparison. I’ve heard some people like their Earl Grey with milk, but others are firmly opposed to adding milk to it. For me, the jury is still out on this… would love to hear other’s opinions. All in all, a nice Earl Grey tea that I would gladly drink again. Might edit this review once I have some comparison points with other Earl Grey teas. For now, I’d rate it about a 75.

The rest of my weekend is filled with a bunch of studying for a big exam on Monday. This cup of tea is keeping me company while I work! The dry leaf smells incredible… a deep berry scent. It’s really beautiful and reminds me of something from my childhood. The fruit flavors are not overwhelming and mix nicely with the light tea base. There is a bit of a tart finish. I’m not sure if this is from the fruit or the tea leaves… but I don’t mind. This is refreshing and sweet! It’s a gorgeous tea that is just perfect for a summer night!

Another tea of the afternoon…..

This is the second tea in my recent Dammann Freres order. I am always on the look out for a good Earl Grey. It is definitely my tea preference in the warmer months. I was looking for an Earl Grey at Dammann that was available loose (because the loose teas packaged in a bag are a great value in my opinion!), and this is what I picked because it seemed the simplest Earl in their current offerings. They do have one with Yin Zen white tips in the black tea blend, but this one just looked prettier. In sachets, they also have a plain Earl Grey. Since the blue flowers in this one are cornflowers and not lavender, I figured I would be safe (as lavender is usually a turn off for my palate.)

This is really good! I would call it lower on the bergamot intensity, but not as low as something like Earl Grey Supreme from Harney. It is more like a mellow version of bright bergamot. Let me explain that! My favorite Earl Grey has bright notes of bergamot…kind of an in your face bergamot that leans slightly orangey. You definitely know it is there. That version works because it is on a slightly stronger tea base. Since the tea base here is a little more relaxed, and the bergamot level is perfectly matched to the strength of the base, it is a more mellow and relaxed version of my favorite. No hints of floral on the perfumey side which I don’t like at all, but leaning slightly to the orange side of bergamot. I now count this one among my favorites.

Usual mug method.

Iced tea of the afternoon……

I think this tea is past its prime. This really does not surprise me, as it has been around these parts for over a year and a half. Flavored teas just kind of lose their oomph after a while. Maybe I need to stick to a year or less from here on out. I know a fresher batch of this would be appealing, but this one falls under ‘harder to obtain’ and is not worth the stress. It is also a great reminder to drink up the tea when it is fresh.

Still, it makes a great iced tea!

Second tea of the day…..

We have snow! It is not the first official snow of the year, but this one might stick for more than a few hours. It is not the greatest timing for me as Tuesdays are kind of hectic with all the places my music playing children need to go. We will just have to take our time getting there!

I do rather enjoy this tea. I have a good amount in my stash, so I am not worried about running low any time soon. However, the difficulty in obtaining this one will make me think twice before reordering. I have another tea in my stash that is a close second to this and available with ease. How boring is it that ease of getting the tea affects whether I will buy more or not. Maybe by the time I need more, it will be easier. (Please Dammann, start taking Paypal!) Or maybe I will just plan a trip to Paris!

Such bright notes of bergamot and orange. The tea base is solid. Yum.

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the morning…..

This one is still one of my staples. I was getting so low, I decided it was time to check out my options for purchase. In looking over the “new-and-improved-since-my-last-purchase” website at Dammann Freres, the prices have gone up as well as it being very challenging to navigate for a non-French reading customer. From what I could figure, they are out of it in loose leaf anyway (price went from about $6 US to just over $8 for 100 grams). The price of the tin is just over $14 as of this month, too (Dec. 2012). There were a few other Dammann teas I would have loved to try, but I looked for a US outlet. The one place I could find it loose online in the US was also out of stock. I ended up ordering a few tins from a vendor that seems to deal mostly in coffee, but the price of the tins was not much more than the price on the Dammann Freres site, plus it was not too hard to purchase enough to get free shipping. So glad I have more! Has anyone else ordered from Dammann recently?

This is a lovely orangey bergamot tea with a rich base. It is similar to Harney’s Diamond Jubilee, but I prefer this one ever so slightly more. Yum!

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the morning…..

I am down 100 grams of this in a month and a half. Right now I am glad I bought a tin and a 100g refill and am calculating how soon I will have to order again! I am not particularly fond of the shipping cost from France, but the exchange rate has been such to make it a fairly good deal if you purchase a bunch. There are a few more teas from Dammann I’d like to try. My first small order arrived without a hitch in about a week and a half, so a bigger order will be in my near future! This tea makes me happy!

Usual teapot method. All sipped up in record time.

Tea of the morning…..

I am so glad to be home from a short trip to the lake. We had a lovely time with family, but it was so hot! Temps were over 100 deg and that is hot for this north east Ohio gal. Plus, the water is not ideal for making tea, so I was drinking mostly bagged tea. I missed my tea bar. (I am not sure what else to call it, as it has all my tea making stuff and a stash of more loose leaf than I can reasonably drink!)

Since I have been home, I have had some of this, plus Diamond Jubilee from Harney & Sons. I am trying to get a read on their differences since Harney will be offering Diamond Jubilee in loose leaf soon. This one is very light bergamot and orange, and Diamond Jubilee is a light bergamot (as opposed to very light) with sweet grapefruit. For me they are different enough. I do seem to be going through the Gout Russe pretty fast, too, so hopefully the Diamond Jubilee loose will help slow that down a little. I can’t afford to be ordering from Dammann Freres more than a few times a year.

And Happy Anniversary to my Jim. We are celebrating 18 years today!

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the afternoon…..

I almost typed “second tea of the morning”, but we are getting a slow start today. Yesterday was full of activity, and it ended with going to the Drive In Movie to see “Brave” and the “Avengers”. If you know anything about that kind of movie watching, it means a late night as the second show did not even start until nearly midnight. We are moving a little slow today. The kids slept in until noon. Ahh, Summer. But man we need to work on readjusting our schedule a little!

It took just a little over a week to receive an order from Dammann in Ohio. They provide great tracking, but unless you know French, you will need to type a few things into Google Translate. There are a few fields on the page returned from tacking that did not translate in my browser. I did have to sign for mine, so that is also something to keep in mind.

Onto the tea…I purchased a tin/caddie as well as a 100g bag of Gout Russe. Originally, I was thinking that Gout Russe (the tin) and Gout Russe Douchka (the loose version) were two different teas, but it seems they are the same since the tin actually reads Gout Russe Douchka, too. I wish I had ordered something different, but I do love this one, so I am sure I will drink it. The bags for loose tea are not actually sealed, but the roll up kind with a long bendable tab. They did send a few sachets for sampling.

Wonderful China black tea base with orangey citrus done so well it almost leans slightly foral. I love this!

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the afternoon…..

This one is from Dinosara. Thank you! OMG! This is so right up my alley! It is a good tea base and a super yummy citrus flavor. I am guessing it is orange and bergamot. It is just a little more lemony-but-not-quite-lemon than an orange tea would be. It is also nice to have such an orangey tea without spice! If there was an easy way to get some of this (besides Dinosara’s generosity!) I would be buying some. I guess for now it will just go on the list in hopes that I can get more one day. For now, I have about two more sachets and I will thoroughly enjoy them.

Usual mug method with a sachet.

I redid this one this morning, this time with a new filter in my water. It’s definitely better. This has always been a somewhat subtly flavored tea, and I do think it has faded a bit, but I can now taste the maltiness of the base tea and the bright citrus of the flavors. Overall, a much better experience.

What the what? This tea (#84) does not have as much flavor as I would expect, even given it’s age. I am wondering if my water filter is shot. The unfiltered water here has a tendancy to strip all flavor from my teas.

Well, I will change the filter and hopefully everything will be fine and dandy. I really don’t think this tea has suddenly lost all flavor.

Dammann Advent Calendar, Day 6

Am I good or what? Yesterday I said I wouldn’t have Goût Russe as my citrusy tea because they would probably have it in the calendar, and sure enough, it was today’s tea! I have this tea in loose form but it’s at work and I’m at home, so I drank my advent sachet.

As soon as the water hit this I got a wave of memories (yay limbic system LOL). I first had this tea in Mongolia and I drank it nearly every day, and it still brings me back. I love the blend here; a fantastic Earl Grey variation with a tasty base blend.

Mmm, now this one is delicious. I haven’t had this tea in a long time and at first I thought my love for it may have waned, but not the case. Still a tasty, citrusy tea, lightly flavored, on a nice malty base. This one takes me back to when I was in Ulaanbaatar since that was the first time I drank this tea, and I drank a lot of it. I may be able to transition this tea to a smaller tin soon (and use it’s tin for one of the new 100g of tea that will be coming in with my next order), so I may be drinking more of this one!

I drank this yesterday as part of my chronology but never logged it.

As always, it remains a favorite. I like the black tea blend on this tea, which is really essential for enjoying this tea because the flavoring is rather subtle. Nice orangey citrus to keep things interesting. This tea also always reminds me of Mongolia because I first bought it as a box of sachets in a grocery in Ulaanbaatar and drank it often at my hostel there.

Dammann advent calendar, day 6. This is another tea that I already have in my collection, so once again I used my loose leaf and reserved the sachet for another time. The first time I had this tea, I had bought a box of wrapped sachets in a grocery store in Ulaanbaatar. Those were fantastic sachets to travel with, and I have always thought about buying more of this tea or another. I do love my wrapped sachets for traveling.

This tea is still lovely. I love the blend of the citrus fruits, and the yummy black tea base. I should really pull this tea out more often!

I had an anxiety-filled morning during which I had to write an email to my advisors requesting to delay my dissertation defense, which was emotionally draining. Everything worked out, but at the time I was very stressed. I wanted something in the morning that would be comforting, and I grabbed this one out of the box it is currently residing in.

I am all out of sachets of this tea (that I had bought in Mongolia), which is a shame, because it is a tea I love to take with me while traveling. It is delicious and comforting, with a yummy black tea base and citrusy notes that complement it so well. A delicious tea that is comforting but also that I can just drink without thinking about it too much.

The best thing about the hotel I’m staying at is free made-to-order hot breakfasts. I like starting my day with fresh fried eggs! Also, this tea. I decided to make good use of the tiny cups here and steep a sachet of this one. These sachets are slightly smaller than really works in my travel mug… They do ok, but I have to steep them a while. But the 6oz cup, sure, it worked fine. Perhaps a bit strong (Dammann sachets are probably best for 8oz cups) but still smooth and flavorful. Wish I could easily find Dammann sachets in the states because its great to have a “fancy” tea to indulge in while traveling.

This is the first time I’ve ever had this tea loose. Azzrian posted a coupon for Fab.com and they had a few Dammann teas listed; this was one. I have had sachets of this tea for a while now, but never loose. Now I have a whole tin!

The flavor certainly translates. This is a tea that tastes barely flavored, but the base tea is very tasty itself so I really like it anyway. It is citrusy but in a very subtle way. Very nicely blended.

Backlog, had this one this morning with free hot water from the coffee shop. It was not as flavorful as usual, but I don’t know if it was the water or if there was just too much water for this sachet. I think the Dammann sachets tend to be smaller and only for a smaller cup, so they’re not quite big enough for my travel mug, which I believe is 16oz.