1649 Tasting Notes
DF Advent – Day 14
All caught up!
Like 4 years ago, this mostly tastes like cherry Jolly Ranchers on a woody, sparkling light black tea base. At least it’s not overpowering. And again, I swear I taste orange. It might lean a little more gingerbread this year but gosh, I can barely taste it.
Flavors: Candy, Cherry, Orange, Tea, Viscous
DF Advent — Day 13
Not a fan of yerba mate but this was of a gentler spirit than others I’ve had. Tastes like leafy alkaloids and vaguely grassy with some dampened smoke peaking through. I’d rather go for Dammann Frères Mate Cacao Amande, which is equally as gentle with a more pleasing flavor.
Flavors: Grass, Smoke
DF Advent — Day 12
I’m not sure what rhubarb is supposed to taste like but I enjoyed this oolong. It was softly viscous, a bit tangy, lightly floral and? I don’t know I’d say elderflower and apricot but Souffle d’Été was easy to drink and made me happy in the moment. Would gladly try again especially in late spring!
Flavors: Floral, Soft, Tangy, Viscous
DF Advent — Day 11
Rooibos Oriental has a really smooth red rooibos taste that doesn’t come across as medicinal to me. It’s more like cedar with black currant. Woody yet smooth. The flavorings are supposed to be passionfruit, bush peach and strawberry. Dammann Frères has a great passionfruit flavoring but I don’t taste it here. What makes itself known, however muddled the fruitiness presents, is the peach and strawberry combination. This tastes like the 1980s to me, which has happened with another fruity rooibos from August Uncommon whose name I can’t recall. Rooibos Oriental is fine enough but nothing I’d want to keep on hand, considering I prefer unflavored rooibos.
Flavors: Black Currant, Cedar, Fruity, Peach, Rooibos, Smooth, Strawberry, Woody
DF Advent — Day 9
I enjoyed Christmas Tea Vert the first time I had it several years ago. Back then, I noted that it tasted strongly of bubblegum (I actually enjoyed that!). This year it wasn’t playing that way, which doesn’t bother me, but I feel that this year’s iteration probably tastes more true to the desired outcome. It was a mix of softly blended cinnamon, almond, vanilla, apple skins and orange oil on a dry grass-toasty Chinese sencha base. Real easy-going tea for my palate. Wouldn’t mind having this around next year.
Flavors: Almond, Apple Skins, Cinnamon, Dry Grass, Orange, Orange Zest, Toast, Vanilla, Vegetal
DF Advent — Day 8
Didn’t write any notes for 4 Fruits Rouges as I was in a rush getting ready for work in the morning.
Anyway, this tasted like quintessential European red fruits mix. Good balance of a lighter black tea and tart red fruits.
Flavors: Balanced, Cherry, Raspberry, Red Currant, Red Fruits, Strawberry, Tart, Tea
DF Advent — Day 7
Jasmine was barely perceptible once brewed and the green tea wasn’t much to talk about. I was really looking forward to jasmine green tea mixed with cinnamon and cocoa but all I tasted were the warming tastes of cinnamon and cocoa, neither of which were overpowering. Oh well. This combination certainly has potential, though!
Flavors: Cinnamon, Cocoa
DF Advent — Day 6
Really nice chamomile — fluffy and fresh. Somehow the texture of this was viscous, unlike chamomile alone. Perhaps due to the apple bits? I could smell the mentholic sage from the plumped up, steeped sachet sitting next to cup on the nightstand, but it was not present in actual aroma or taste. Ginger was entirely absent.
Flavors: Apple, Chamomile, Pollen, Smooth, Sweet, Viscous
DF Advent — Day 10
Conceptually, I enjoyed the idea of the mix of tastes, but Tourbillon was so overwhelmingly perfumey that it produced a slight headache. Too bad, as this was much like orange blossom water, which I love, and had a strong buckwheat syrup-caramel aftertaste. Indeed, a whirlwind.
Flavors: Alcohol, Apple, Baby Powder, Buckwheat, Caramel, Chestnut, Orange Blossom, Overripe Cherries, Perfume, Viscous, Wood, Woody
DF Advent — Day 5
Not sure what panettone tastes like. Regardless, this was fine if not disappointing. It smelled great, like white chocolate orange chip cookies but was a bit watery in taste and it produced a drying catch in my throat. The most memorable part of the taste was of jeweled, candied orange.
Flavors: Biting, Bread, Orange, Sugar, Watery, Wood
Glad I’m not the only one who’s never had panettone.
They come in all different types of flavours, but basically like an eggy/custardy sort of cross between a brioche bread and cake is how I’d describe it? Someone brought one into work a few days ago that was rum raisin which was very good – but other flavours I see more popular in the grocery store would be orange w/ either nuts or spices, pistachio, chocolate chip, and even lemon.
Also it’s seemingly a pretty French European “dessert” – I’d heard of them before, but it wasn’t until moving to Quebec that I actually saw them widely available for purchase and here they make these MASSIVE front of store displays with giant pyramids of them.
