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I’ve had the pleasure of trying many magnificent teas recently. This is another way that sustains a very high standard of a creamy chocolate black tea with clear citrus notes. The aroma is floral candy; the taste is a citrus chocolately black tea, and the after taste is where the coffee emerges a bit.

Another delightful beverage! Very good straight up but I think I like this one with the milk and sugar I added midway through.

I was so impressed by the flavor and the quality of other teas that I got from American Tea Room (plus their speedy delivery) that I wanted to try this. I am not disappointed. It is a sweet, rich caramel with a full body and a full taste. I added a bit of sugar mid-way through my first mug, plus some milk. I don’t think that the sugar is needed—it’s naturally sweet on its own. The milk seemed nice. I think that there is a natural milkiness in caramel candies, so it belongs.

All in all, I am not in the least bit disappointed. I keep evolving as a tea drinker and just a few days ago when I ordered this I was all about the sweet, candied teas and have since evolved into a purist. BUT I know that in the course of human events, I will naturally return to a love of the sweet, candied tea.

I came across a tea reference in a poem by WH Auden (Letter to Lord Byron, part III):

“For now we’ve learnt we mustn’t be so bumptious
We find the stars are one big family,
And send out invitations for a scrumptious
Simple, old-fashioned, jolly romp with tea
To any natural objects we can see. "

I like the idea of a “jolly romp with tea”. That’s what my life has been like lately!

Excellent! I love strong smoke and this is a fulfilling start to the day. I can just hear Paul Robeson singing the anthem “Peat Bog Soldiers”:

“Far and wide as the eye can wander,
Heath and bog are everywhere.
Not a bird sing out to cheer us.
Oaks are standing gaunt and bare.

We are the peat bog soldiers,
Marching with our spades to the moor."

I don’t know why drinking this tea makes me feel like I’m a peat-bog soldier, preparing to
resist tyranny, but it does. It’s good strong smoke in a tea with a lot of earthiness and a bit of saltiness.

Seven Cups sponsors tea tours of China. I wish I could go.
Delivery time from Arizona was 48 hours. Exceptional service from Seven Cups.

This is a very nice and elegant tea. I like the aroma and taste of melons of all types, and this has a good, true aroma. The taste is excellent as well with the green base being a true showcase for the melon. I did not pick up on the other flavors, but hoped not to.

The American Tea Room has some superb blends and excellent customer service.

I let this, my first cup of East Frisian, brew about 30 seconds too long so I might need to revise my review. I have not had this kind of tea before, but have read much about it. Getting it right is an art (or a science?) according to many people. Although I’ve overbrewed it, I can taste the delicious maltiness and can detect the aroma of good solid earth. I think that this tea is stolid and robust and quite strong, which makes it an excellent candidate for early morning and any other time in which more caffeine is essential. It’s not delicate, but it is tasty and it’s doing the trick. I’m sitting up straighter and feeling more alert right now.

I’ll be trying this again and will probably invest in a larger size. Thank you to Upton for providing so many sampler sizes and for speedy shipping.

SECOND STEEP: I can certainly understand why many people are so devoted to this blend. It’s strong and earthy and a great substitute for coffee, providing plenty of caffeine and plenty of flavor. I really like the addition of a bit of sugar and some milk to this tea.

“School mates, School mates! What became of the kids we knew? The boys in knickers, the girls in curls” sing Jim Copp and Ed Brown. “Photo de Classe” does have a nostalgic taste to it. It’s a light chocolate which allows the notes of the nuts and the orange to emerge. It’s got, of course, a natural sweetness and verve.

It is a delightful blend.

Early this morning I made some of this to put on ice in the refrigerator. It worked out well. The result is a nice clear iced tea. If I do this again, I will steep for one minute less or add a pinch less tea. I added two brown sugar ice cubes to the hot tea (it was in a 24 ounce pitcher so it won’t be too sweet). Trumpets did not blare; fireworks did not ignite, but this will make a perfectly serviceable iced tea for frequent summer consumption (for me the year has but two seasons: winter and summer).

This is one sweet confection! It smells a bit like one of those Easter baskets my parents would prepare when we were young—a melange of fragrances. The black tea seems to be a foundation for the candied fruity florals. This tea is a bit like the Easter Bunny on steroids of sweetness.

I am absolutely loving these Dammann Frères teas, but it is getting a bit cloying. They are so delicious and maybe I’m at the point today where I’m craving the smokiness of a Lapsang Souchang. I think I need to bring them out sparingly and not try to dash through them so quickly. I’m bedazzled by the wonder of it all!

I’m enjoying this “greedy blend”. The dry tea smells like dark, rich chocolate. Brewed, it is full and chocolate-y. I cannot really detect the other flavors side from a very faint whiff of almond. I added milk at the end and it tasted like a rich hot chocolate with black tea highlights.

It’s really enjoyable and makes me feel “greedy” as advertised. I might need to reorder this.

The dry tea smells bake-y and figgy and very much like a Fig Newton. The steeped tea is a medium black with a flowery figgy flavor. The aftertaste is very pleasant. It is like a fig-infused flower—but I cannot id the flowery taste precisely. Midway through the cup I added some milk and a little bit of sugar and that really did not change my opinion. The milk did not diminish the flavor. I am glad that I have this and will wait to judge it again when I feel more emotionally grounded.

5 minutes later: there is a very satisfying and rich aftertaste lingering on my palate. It must be this tea; my breath alone does not smell so sweet!

LATER: This tea stands up very well; I am enjoying it right now and revising its grade upwards. Since I wrote my original note I have been revising some tea grades based on those which I will NEED to buy again when my original stock is low. There are a lot of French teas which are very amiable but somewhat “same-ish”. This one has got a unique thing going with its strong fig taste. I prefer it with milk and a touch of sugar for full luxury.