Dammann Freres

Fruity and floral but nothing earth shattering. At times when the fruity was more intense, I enjoyed it. When the floral was more intense, I was less enthused. It was nice and I would not turn away a cup if someone offered but I also would not pick this over something else…well most things….there are some teas this is better than

#adventageddon Day 11 – 1/5

I was skeptical about this tea when I saw it today; a green tea with kiwi, cucumber and apple!? What a weird selection for an advent calendar – that flavour profile feels so summery, and I couldn’t picture kiwi and cucumber going together. I had to wonder if this was maybe one of those cases where DF had excess inventory of a summer tea that flopped and they needed to use it up…

However, it was REALLY good! My sense of taste was a bit dull/muted all day today because of the cold I’m getting but I still found this cup really flavourful. It wasn’t really all that cucumber tasting, but there was a really sweet and juicy mix of kiwi and fresh green apple notes, with a bit of a crispness. It reminded me a lot of DT’s now long retired blend Kiwi’s Big Adventure – but more appley. I like the kiwi/apple combo a lot, actually!

So, I was really taken aback by this one – but it was a highlight of my morning and it did make me pretty happy!

Advent day 11! The flavor of this tea reminds me of the Sanrio stores I would frequent as a kid. Specifically, the Sanrio gum or candy that was melon flavored. This tea has the exact same flavor. Because of the nostalgia, I loved it! It was definitely a ‘happy green’ for me. Really enjoyed this, but it’s not something I would rush to repurchase.

This tea is driving me nuts because it is SO familiar but I can’t place why. Like I know I never had this tea from Dammann Freres before but I have had this tea before from another company and I just can’t figure out which tea it is making me think of. It’s nice though. Getting apple but also a lot of kiwi. Some fresh cucumber underneath. It is making me happy.

#adventageddon Day 10 – 2/5

Feeling under the weather today, so I’m thankful to see so many soothing mint teas and cozier genmaicha/toasted rice type profiles in today’s adventageddon selections!!

Started the day with Granola d’Hiver, which was soft and smooth with a toasty rice or popcorn type note and a little underlying sweetness mixed with a gentle, malty black base! I think I would normally want more punch to the flavor, but today I was thankful for something soft!

This morning I wrote my second exam out of 4. That means we are half way through my week from hell (4 exams in one week is not fun). This particular exam was a bit terrible since it was for Legal Ethics which are seemingly straightforward. Except the prof based the entire exam around one case we learned and half of the exam was about a youtube video no one in the class knew we had to watch. Thankfully we are all in the same boat so the curve will save us but that is a shitty way to be in an exam. Oh well, time to move on…

As for the tea, I quite like it. It is different than what I would usually reach for but it screams winter. I am getting a lot of black tea base that I don’t really love with fruitier flavors but it pairs nicely with the popcorn (that’s why I enjoy the Dammann popcorn tea). The combination of the two make for a breadiness and a nuttiness that does evoke granola a bit. The goji berries also gives it a touch of berry/sweet that adds another level on top of the popcorn and berries. It’s nice and definitely fitting for this chilly day.

#adventageddon Day Nine – 3/5

Wasn’t happy to see a Chai as today’s blend but I guess I was bound to pull one eventually. However, my mood immediately shifted after I opened up the outer foil because this chai mix smells like straight up black licorice! I can already picture hoards of people just loathing it because of that quality but it was really exciting for me because I don’t love most chai spice mixes but I do adore black licorice!

I’d have loved something in the blend to make the flavour a little thicker and molassesy, but that mix of fennel, star anise, and licorice root just melts my heart. It’s sweet and coating, and the bit of cinnamon and cardamom does make it feel like a Chai still and not just a licorice blend – but mmmm! Black licorice!!

As soon as I pulled this from the calendar I smelled licorice. Then i checked the ingredients and it had star anise and licorice root. Obviously not something to my tastes given my aversion of licorice so I added a splash of eggnog. It’s nice with the eggnog and ok but sweet and too much licorice for me.

Advent day 21! I also received this as a sample in my DF order with my advent, so tried this a few weeks ago. I’m lowering my rating, as I’m finding it has an odd mustard note?

I received this as a sample with my DF advent, and finally brewed it up. Really enjoying the crisp, tart raspberry. Very much a candy-like raspberry.

So something weird happened with the translation of this tea and it came up as Christmas carcass which I think is wrong. Although I oversteeped this and while I won’t go as far as to call this a carcass, it is definitely a whole lot of hibby and Christmas shoved into a mug. Let’s call it Christmas hostage since it seems like all the Christmas flavors are being held captive and unhappy by the hibiscus. It wasn’t as bad as this may sound b/c it had the typical Christmas spice and some fruitiness but the hibiscus really took over.

Advent day 8! This tastes just like a cherry jolly rancher. Nice, tart cherries combined with almond and ginger. I don’t get much of a gingerbread note, it’s definitely more of a straight tart cherry. I really enjoy hibiscus, so found this cup delightful. I’d consider repurchasing it!

#adventageddon Day Eight – 1/5

Very excited about this tisane because it’s a herbal version of one of my favourite Dammann Freres teas; Noel a Paris. Noel a Paris is a really scrumptious cherry and ginger black tea, and this tea of course follows suit – though I can see visually from the leaf in today’s sachet that it’s quite hibiscus heavy as well. I suppose that makes sense; you need some kind of herbal base and hibiscus and apple are generally the cheapest ones you can use that carry flavour well/have a degree of sweetness.

It’s really nice! I was worried it wouldn’t remind me of Noel a Paris but after taking a few sips I can confidently say that if I was blind tasting this I would probably automatically link it to that blend – I definitely wouldn’t mistake it for Noel a Paris because it’s a lot more tart/sharp from the hibiscus and there’s no black tea but there’s absolutely zero way I wouldn’t assume that this was at least drawing heavy inspiration from it.

I don’t even mind that it’s a lot more tart – it kind of plays up the cherry notes, and you have to get the body/fullness of flavour that would have normally come from the black tea from something and I think this is the smartest thing that could have been chosen!? I do wish a smidge more ginger came through though – the original is stronger.

All of that said, I think I enjoy this exactly as much as I do the OG! It’s really nice!

Advent day 7! Wow, this tea smells incredible. Really strong passion fruit notes in the dry leaf. Brewed, the jasmine is much more prevalent. The passion fruit is much more mild flavor-wise, with mild citrus and jasmine at the forefront. I really loved this cup, it’s actually one of my favorites so far in the DF advent.

This smelled amazing out of the package. Really, really good.

I was a bit worried about (1) the black/green combination and (2) the jasmine but I am actually really liking this one, especially when paired with my super intense gingerbread chocolate (like throat-burning ginger intense).

This tea provides a nice fruity compliment while still holding its own against the strong chocolate pairing. I do get some jasmine but the dominant note is more mango/passionfruit. People talk about this tea having citrus/blood orange and I really don’t get that as much as tropical fruits.

I don’t know if this is something I would go to a site to specifically buy, but I would add a bit to the cart if I needed to reach free shipping. It is quite nice.

#adventageddon Day Six – 1/5

I was excited to see this tea in the calendar – I actually almost just added a full size of it to the order I received my calendar in because I was so curious about it. I actually liked it a lot though, as with most carrot cake teas, I really wanted more of that tangy “cream cheese frosting” element that I think is so crucial to good Carrot Cake. A little hit of fruitiness to, like pineapple or raisin, could have been a nice addition.

However, the woody/honeyed note of the rooibos works really well with this spice mix to create the base for a nice warming spiced carrot cake, and there’s just a hint of carrot-y sweetness the solidifies the carrot cake comparison. It’s light but not weak, and I think the sweetness level is good too. Biggest win is just that it’s not overrun with a sickly licorice root note like the DT Carrot Cupcake blend.

Not my perfect Carrot Cake tea and I think I’m glad I didn’t order a full size – but I’m really happy I tried it and I liked the cup.

Advent day 6! I’m generally not a huge fan of rooibos. I find it tastes like stick water+whatever over ingredients are in the tea. However, this one isn’t terrible! It does have a nice baked good quality, and a wee bit of spice. It’s a really smooth mouthfeel, which I’m enjoying. Stick flavor is minimal, which is always a plus for me!

When I started steeping this it smelled overly nutty and I was worried there would not be a good balance of flavors. However, after the 4 minutes of steeping, the nutty smell mellowed and it was much more well rounded. Tastewise, this definitely evokes the idea of carrot cake. A little sweet, a little nutty, nice spice. I was quite impressed actually. Though it is much better hot than when it cools.

Advent day 5! Another very perfumey blend to my palate. I assumed it was another green earl gray, with perhaps some added lemon notes, because I’m not really picking up any of the notes described.

Advent day 4! The notes in this didn’t quite match the name (I was expecting something reminiscent of a baked good). I got a strong orange blossom note, which I usually love. But, in this it came across a bit too syrupy. The ginger was only noticeable in the aftertaste. I didn’t detect any rose. Not terrible, just pretty boring and somehow bland.

Fruity and with strong ginger flavor. Definitely getting the passion fruit. It’s nice. It’s a green tea so not something I would want stocked or reached for often but I certainly wouldn’t turn down a cup.

#adventageddon Day Four – 2/5

Today’s DF pick – another new one for me! Never would have known from the name that this was a rose/ginger/orange blossom blend, but I guess that’s true of most DF tea profiles and names. I think this is somewhere in the middle of the Dammann Freres offerings I’ve pulled so far; so decidedly average. The rose flavour was pretty strong for me and I really like rose teas (especially rose black teas) so I enjoyed that aspect a lot; the orange blossom wasn’t super distinct for me and I wish it had been a bit more pronounced. I didn’t think I’d enjoy the rose with the ginger but I thought it added character to the blend and the little bit of warmth at the end of the sip was enjoyable. Biggest fault is just that, despite solid rose and ginger notes, the blend just seemed a bit flat still – needed a bit more heat from the ginger or maybe just some sweetness or acidity to make those flavours really pop.

While making this tea, I might have pushed over the mug…and then didn’t process what happened right away so I kept pouring despite looking at the side of my fallen mug. Essentially I ended up watering my butcher’s block.

Anyways, I did manage to get the cup upright and the teabag in the cup and steeped a proper cup of tea. This is ok. I get floral and slight orange. A touch of earthy ginger. Ok, but nothing special.

#adventageddon Day Three – 1/5

First advent tea today – I thought I had maybe tried this before (perhaps in the last DF calendar I did a few years back) but I don’t appear to have reviewed it so I guess not!? Regardless, I knew I wouldn’t be into it as soon as I saw what today’s tea was – I don’t love green tea and I’m not big on bergamot either so it was just a bad flavour combo for me…

In the end the bergamot wound up not being too bad; light and fruity though leaning a bit on being perfumey. However, the green tea was just not good; kind of like lawn clippings.