78 Tasting Notes
Day 1 of the 2020 Dammann Freres Advent Calendar. It has been such a crazy unusual year that I needed something that felt familiar to make me feel grounded this holiday season, and make my husband, daughter and I smile every morning as we all start our day online. And this white cherry tea was a lovely way to start. Sweet cherry candy with a hint of spices. A little bit like an echo of a Thanksgiving cherry pie. I love Dammann’s Christmas Tea, which tastes to me like a Scandinavian Christmas bread, but this white one is straight on cherries whereas rather the black version brings in candied pineapple, orange and caramel in addition to the candied cherries. This one was light and straight forward but I enjoyed it. Plus I liked the fact that it has hardly any caffeine since my cupboards are filled with black and green teas I can’t drink in the late afternoon. Both my husband and daughter who are confirmed cherry enthusiasts have happily added it to our “purchase list”.
Day 6 of the 2020 Dammann Freres Advent calendar. I tried this tea a couple of years ago, but I had completely forgotten that I liked this tea! So it was a delightful surprise to smell the orange and spices when I opened the little packet this morning. The scent was so Christmasy on this cold gray rainy day, it cheered me up. And once brewed it was just as lovely.The orange and spices are well balanced for my taste and the cinnamon doesn’t overpower the nutmeg and cloves. The perfect cup to sip as you decorate the Christmas tree… I definitely enjoyed it! it reminded me of my childhood’s Pain d’epices with an orange twist.
It’s too bad you can’t buy it in 50 gr increments. I can’t imagine drinking this tea outside of the month of December, but I would love to have a little bit of it then. I might have to find someone to split it with next year, so I can enjoy it.
I liked this one more than I expected. The combination of orange/citrus, blackcurrant and red fruits was lovely in fact. The citronella and bergamot were both very light which I really appreciated. Overall, it was a dainty and feminine cup of tea I thought. Very enjoyable!
Flavors: Fruity, Orange, Orange Blossom, Red Fruits
Oh my goodness, how I love this tea! Such a delicious dessert tea; it’s beautiful to look at with its flowers and it smells so good. Brewed at 195, it’s almondy pastry or cookie mixed with poppy candy. It’s fruity/raspberry-ish, and floral, and has that almond/marzipan taste I love so much in dessert teas.
I think if I had to give a Dammann Freres tea as a gift to someone who is not that into tea, this one would be one of my top 5 if they had a sweet tooth. I can’t imagine them not loving the taste of a raspberry tartelette on an almond butter crust in a cup!
This was one of the first teas I ever received in a swap from teaequalsbliss and I loved it so much that my daughter bought it for my birthday that year! It really was an amazing tea.
Such a sweet thing for your daughter to do! It’s teas like this that motivated me to give tea a try. All the deliciousness of a dessert without all the calories, :p Eventually, I’d love to learn to love the natural teas, but my palate is just not there yet. I still want my pastry in a cup at this stage.
ooh, adding to my wishlist for my next order!
I hope I’m not over selling it, but it’s such an easy one to love, I hope it’s a hit for you :)
EmmaM – I drank this today because of your tasting note. It turned out pretty much how I remember it. You love it more than I do. haha. :D
*Meaning I pulled it out of my stash to revisit because of your fantastic note about it.
Oh no, I’m so sorry. Lol. But at least I’m glad you reconfirmed your thoughts. I’m probably an easy customer when it comes to dessert teas :)
I’m partial to Dammann Freres, anyway; they seem to hit my sweet spot a lot. :)
This is my second sample of this tea (Day 7 in the After Holidays calendar) and I have to say I enjoyed it much more the second time so I upped the rating. In truth, I think my issue the first time was not so much the tea but my not being in the habit of drinking chai tea or even spicy teas in general.
As it is, while it’s not my usual cup of tea, it’s actually lovely —especially as it cools and with a little stevia. The ginger-cardamon combination is well done and it’s not at all in your face. It’s light and approachable. And I didn’t find it vegetal this time, just spicy and light. It is probably exactly what a chai tea is supposed to be about: spices.
I think I might have changed my mind about this one!
Flavors: Cardamom, Ginger, Spices
Based on the ingredients, I knew this was a ways away from my usual fruity teas or dessert teas, but this was a fun sample to try. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. And I think if I wasn’t feeling well, I might reach for it.
A delightful surprise from Le Calendrier de l’Apres from Dammann Freres this year. This was Day 2.
I tried to find a translation for “Coup de coeur” in English but it’s giving me “heart stroke”. Not at all the feeling this tea gives me!!! But in French it means “Wow, I love it!” —much more in line with where I was going! ;p
Dry, it smells heavenly: fruity and fresh. Delightful kiwi. It’s quite strong and direct.
Brewed, the kiwi is softer but still deliciously present, and the green tea is most definitely there. I brewed it at 185 F for 2 min and 15 seconds because I was afraid it might go all wrong for me (I’m not a green tea person) and I’m glad I did. The kiwi flavor danses very well with the green tea. It’s both vegetal and fruity, but the green tea does not overpower the kiwi. It’s more that they make each other better.
I think someone who loves green tea would still love this one because the fruit doesn’t drown the sencha either. It’s very balanced.
I love the brightness of the kiwi and it reminds me a little of what Lupicia would create (minus the oolong slant): clean, fruity, fabulous tea . So delicious, I did not want my cup to end!
I bet it would taste fabulous iced (if I knew how to do it and make it come out right)
Flavors: Fruity, Tropical, Vegetal
Preparation
This is one of the teas I most want to try from DF! :D
It came in my calendar or I would gladly share it! When I go to France, I think I will get some. Maybe I can send you some then?
Oh you’re so sweet, don’t worry about me! I’m hoping there might be some interest in a Dammann Frères group order later in the year. ❤
My favorite carcadet so far! This was a lovely cup!
I was not a big fan of any of the carcadet from Dammann’s Advent Calendar, but this one from Le Calendrier de l’Apres is actually delicious. The hibiscus is softer than in the other ones I have tried, and the raspberry is clean and bright. Dry, it smells like a delicious raspberry candy, but in the cup it’s more natural. The passion fruit is a little less present but it’s a lovely addition, making it feel a little bit more tropical. A great blend for something sweet and fruity in the evening. Simple and delicious. A trip back to childhood. Coup de coeur.
Flavors: Fruity, Passion Fruit, Raspberry, Sweet
Advent Calendar Day 24
I cheated as I ordered this one as a 100gr bag when I placed my order for my advent calendars so I could have it all season long. It was actually my husband’s pick since he loves fruit cakes while I had picked Noel a Prague. But I’m so glad he suggested it because I really like it. At first I wasn’t sold on it. It was definitely dessert-ish and Christmasy but I wasn’t sure if I would want it a lot. As it turns out, the more I had it, the more I reached for it throughout the month of December. It’s a delicious tea!
To me it is very reminiscent of the flavors you find in a Stolen or a Norwegian Christmas bread: candied fruits with a bit of caramel sweetness and cake-ish background. It’s not a tea I would crave in the summer, but it felt so right around the holidays when you yearn for those sweet flavors. I can’t pick out the pineapple as easily as I do the candied cherries and oranges, but it’s very smooth and delicious (and not fussy at all in terms of brewing). Definitely one we are likely to reorder next year in the fall!
