Dammann Freres

It has been a while since the Dammann Freres teas arrived and I’ve got so much tea to taste it’s taken me a while to get to writing about them, and partially because of that (or maybe because I didn’t realize it at the time I was picking things to sign up for before Doulton so graciously placed the order), I was not aware that three of the Dammann Freres teas I have include fig as an ingredient! This is, believe it or not, fig 3!

The leaves of this tea are so light in color and so green, I had to look it up to remind myself what kind of tea it was. I thought it might be a flavored green tea. But no, it’s a flavored black! It smells interesting, sort of like a perfume but not in a bad way. Citrus, flowers and — yeah, I can smell the fig! This time it is more of the pastry fig than the fresh, but still sweet and mouth watering.

The aroma has a fresh quality to it which is surprising when you consider the smell of the dry mixture. The tea is light bodied and fresh tasting, too. It has a quality in the taste that reminds me of the way Premier Figuier, the eau de toilette by L’Artisan, smells, with some citrus added in.

I need to try this again when I have a quiet moment. It’s a bit of a zoo here as it is almost bedtime for the younger set. But so far, I like.

I’ve gone my whole life without fig flavored tea, and now I’m having two back to back. This was yet another of the teas I’m sharing with the Dammann Freres buying co-op thanks to the efforts of Doulton, hereinafter referred to as “Fig 2.”

The dry leaves of this one have a deeper and somewhat musky smell, and there is more going on than mere fig, though the fig contribution to the fragrance is every bit as fresh and juicy smelling as it was in Figue Fraiche. I can smell a citrus note (must be the clementine) and I can smell something bake-spicy which must be the nutmeg.

The tea’s aroma is muskier as well. The citrus moderates the fig some, and makes it seem more earthy. Fig 2 is more fig pastry-like than fresh or baked fig, which was Fig 1’s domain, but still quite nice.

I can definitely taste the Yunnan’s contribution here; it brings a full-bodied depth to the tea and gives it a malty, carmelized sweetness with a bit of astringency. The flavors blend well with it, and don’t hide behind it, but it is an interactive base rather than a passive one. The flavors swirl around in it so that sometimes they are the stronger flavor, and sometimes the tea base itself is, which makes it an interesting, mercurial drink.

I’m enjoying it quite a bit.

Another from the Doulton-organized Dammann Freres shopping spree.

Wow. The dry leaves smell like fresh figs! Fresh juicy figs, not the drying and overly sweetened stuff that goes into Newtons (although I have to admit I have a weakness for that as well). It’s amazing.

The tea’s aroma, if anything, makes the figgy smell sweeter. It’s warmth makes the figs seem baked, but doesn’t change the fundamental character of freshness that I’m getting. Fresh baked is still pretty fresh. The tea has a really nice biscuity quality, with some floral notes as well.

The figs aren’t as present in the taste as they are in the aroma, but they’re still there, and they have a fresh, fruity aspect to them. It’s a deeper, rounder fig flavor than I expected, again much more reminiscent of the fruit itself than of anything made with it.

I haven’t had figs in tea before (at least knowingly) and it’s a pretty unique taste. But one I can totally get behind.

Finishing the last of the sampling of this tea that Doulton sent me.

I think I like this cuppa even better than the first time I tried it. I didn’t go latte this time, and I think that may have made the difference – without the milk, I get more of the caramel flavor – sweet and very good! It reminds me of sweet, caramel brittle (or… toffee).

And just because it is so good and making me reminisce about happy times at fairs and such – I am going to increase the rating.

This tea smells yummy! I tried it first without any sweetener, and then added a little bit of raw sugar and found that this brought out the caramel-y goodness. This would also be very good as a latte with some steamed, frothed milk… but I don’t really feel like getting out my frother, so I think I’ll just drink it as is… it’s really good this way.

It’s hard for me to drink another caramel tea without comparing it to my Sweet Caramel o’Mine, because, well… I really like my Sweet Caramel O’Mine. :) But to be fair, I will try to leave that bias at the door.

This is a very good tea. The black tea base is smooth and rich. It is a non-assuming kind of black tea, that is, it doesn’t try to overwhelm the flavor of the caramel toffee. I love the buttery notes here. It reminds me a lot of a piece of… well, caramel toffee! Once upon a time, I used to make my own (when I didn’t have kids and a lot of other responsibilities that kept me from doing things like that) and this reminds me of that fresh, buttery toffee.

This one called to me today, along with the Caramel-Toffee, another from the marvelous Dammann Freres buying group Doulton organized.

The chocolate in the dry mixture has a somewhat less intense nose than does Florence, which is what this seems to be asking to be compared to out of my recent tasting experience. They’re both chocolate and nut mixes, though different nuts and Charlotte has some flowers added as well. While the chocolate in Florence has a deep, dark smell, this one has a lighter, more milky smell to it. I can smell the almond, too. It is also a less intense fragrance than the hazelnut of Florence.

Although I feared that steeping might dilute these more delicate fragrances too much, the tea’s aroma is quite nommy. The fragrance of the tea has filled in any gaps that might have needed filling. It’s a deeper aroma now, chocolate and tea, with a very high floral note and a slightly less high almond note.

I don’t think this is as chocolately as Florence, or as nutty. But that’s ok. This has what, for lack of a better phrase, I keep referring to as that “black tea French blend thing.” It’s very obviously tea, a smooth, deep, tasty black tea, with a sweet, chocolatey taste at the tail of the sip and an almond overlay that sits over the taste from beginning to end. The fact that the chocolate is a less intense part of the flavor profile makes it possible to enjoy this without evening thinking about adding milk.

It’s definitely yum, but it’s not so much a Florence alternative as it is something that can peacefully coexist in a chocolate/nut/tea lover’s cupboard along with Florence.

Tomorrow is my son’s birthday and I although I took the day off of work, I was scurrying around pretty much all day making preparations and it was every bit as stressful as going into the office. I considered taking a nap when I got home, but instead, it appears I will be drinking tea.

I got some cool little tea storage cans, and I decided that ritually transferring my Dammann Freres teas that Doulton so lovingly packed up after our buying fandango into these little tins would give me a great opportunity to sniff all of them and decide what one to taste next. I had to peel her labels off and stick them onto the tins (this one has a lion on it, my totem animal or at least one of them) because they’re so adorable. Anyway, this one called to me. It has an amazing, amazing smell coming out of the dry leaves. It’s a thick, rich, caramel that you can almost see melted and dripping over ice cream. Yum!

The aroma of the tea has a milder caramel smell, and the tea’s own rich, dreamy aroma comes out as well. Rich is a word I think I’ll be using a lot here. Just a warning.

I love the way this tastes. It’s… rich. It’s sweet, but not too sweet. It’s deep. It’s a seamless blend with the tea. It’s smooth. It has that French black tea blend thing going on that makes you want to take a spoon to the leaves. They seem as though they’d melt on your tongue like mousse. (Though I wouldn’t try this at home, or anywhere for that matter.)

A good, comforting choice to punctuate a hectic day before the hectic evening picking up kids, getting them fed, getting homework done, etc. starts.

Doulton – thank you so much for this sample… I’m so happy to be trying it… I love Oolong, and I love chestnuts… what a perfectly lovely tea this is!

I have tried a few chestnut teas. This one really captures the flavor of the warm, roasted chestnut. It has a very creamy, rich flavor which compliments the flavor of the dark oxidized Oolong tea. It has a very comforting flavor – it’s one that I would really love to have during a cold winter evening while curled up next to a fire in the fireplace.

I finished up the sample that Doulton sent me in the Shakespeare box. ::Sigh:: I shall miss you lovely tea! I really got the apple and cinnamon this time around, and it’s still very yummy. TG

Doulton’s Shakespeare: A Tasting Note in 5 Acts
Act I scene 8

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
Romeo and Juliet Act II scene 2

Recently I’ve spent some time contemplating pricier “hoity-toitier” teas vs. their more reasonable counterparts. I was never one to be swayed by trends in my school years. I never wanted to purchase the jeans for their brand. So, why do I suddenly covet these more expensive teas? Am I being lulled into a tea popularity contest? And the conclusion I’ve come to is that I think that I’m being true to myself. I think that if a “hoity-toity” tea didn’t taste good to me, then I’d admit it to myself and others. And likewise, if I found a tea that I love that everyone else despised then I’d feel confident in my declaration of love.

All of that is to get to my notes on this remarkable tea. This is my second French tea and I am in love. I am just astounded by the magic that is created with these teas: I open the packet and am completely overwhelmed with potpourri! Yet when it steeps and then I drink it, it has become the most wonderfully complex cup of yum. The only thought on fragrance of the dry leaves was that I thought that it must have anise in it. It is an anise-based potpourri.

Oh, but the joy in this cup! There are all these flavors working harmoniously together so that they become greater than their parts. I can’t even tell you what those parts are until I read the description and then things crystalized in my mouth. And I’m pretty sure that I’m not being swayed by the description. I didn’t have to convince myself of a single one: they’re all there and I’m in awe of how well they work together. Oh, and this tea is smooth like silk. No dryness or astringency to be found. The cinnamon does start to make its presence known more as the cup cools. But it’s still delightful. And to clarify: there is no anise in here. What I believe my mind did was confuse good cinnamon with anise. Strange, but true.

I think that I now understand “afternoon” teas. This one is too genteel for my mornings. But for the afternoon? Perfect. The thought of having this tea later on in the day would help me get through even the roughest workdays.

So this became Romeo and Juliet for me. It is heart-achingly romantic with so many beautiful moments. But then I only have enough tea left for one more pot, and thus my heart breaks. It is so tragic! TG

This is another delightful DF tea from the Doulton order….

As Liberteas mentioned in her notes, the dried and brewed tea are both fragrant. And like most flavored French teas, these make a wonderful afternoon treat especially with a dash of sugar and milk. With a combination of honey, strawberry, fig, and lavendar, who could resist this perfumed concoction? I primarily tasted strawberry and honey and fig. The lavendar was hardly detectable. But as with most French blends, no flavor stands out strongly but seem to blend in magical ways….

I asked the owner of a tea house for a fruity tea and from the first sniff, knew this tea would be amazing. A strong black tea with great fruit balance.

SIPDOWN #2 for the day! GONE!

I’ll miss this one…smells more like chocolate than it tastes but it’s yummy regardless. There really isn’t a flavor that stands out in front of the others – they all blend well!

tasting the black tea and orange flavors today but no chocolate. Still yummy!

Had a cuppa this earlier this morning…

Smelled more like an orange cookie this time around. It was lovely! YUM!

Another one from Doulton! I was spoiled!!!! Thanks!!!

This is a medium strength black flavored tea. I can taste the nut and hint of chocolate. There is a sweet citrus which I could account for the blood orange! YUM! This is D-lish!

Very sorry to see this one disappear from my stash…tear

I finished up my stash of this the other night…I got 4 infusions out of that and thought it was great for a black flavored tea! The Caramel, Apple, and Citrus ingredients blended together to make for a candy-like treat. This was quite juicy and a memorable tea. Upping a few points for the rating!

YUM!
NomNomNom.

Caramel, Apple, then Lemon…light on the cinnamon…VERY light on the Cinnamon…it works VERY well tho!!!!

This smells beautiful! Another Doulton goodie!!!!

At first I was thinking I was smelling BING Cherry, but then realized it was apple…then when I tasted it I could taste apple and lemon but knew there was something more in there…I then read the description and noticed CARAMEL…Yup! I can taste it…

This is just a neat mix of flavors and I’m such a HAPPY Tea Drinker right now!!!! Thanks again D!!!!

Sipdown no. 4 of April 2019 (no. 53 of 2019 total, no. 541 grand total).

I love the name of this, but unfortunately the tea was just very good, not spectacular.

As I’ve been revisiting my teas working from the lowest rated up, I have been trying to pay particular attention to whether I ought to change the ratings on some of them. In some cases, that does seem warranted, either upward or downward. In others, the tea is exactly where I would have placed it were I trying it for the first time. This one’s rating seemed to me pretty spot on.

Also, it is starting to bother me that most of my lowest rated cupboard occupants are fruit blends or herbals. Particularly the chamomile blends. I have been focusing on sipping those down for a while now and I can’t seem to make a dent in them. Sigh.

This morning I felt like giving myself a treat, so I decided to depart from my morning habit of attempting to drink up some of my starter teas before my tastebuds are fully awake and drink something new and likely to be quite nice. So I reached into my box ’o goodies from the French buying co-op that Doulton organized and picked this out.

The name of this one is so romantic. Makes me think of sidewalk cafes; lofts on the West Bank; misunderstood, tortured souls bursting with angst. In other words, being in my 20s and an American in Paris. ;-) Or maybe Rimbaud and Verlaine.

All of the flavored Dammann Freres teas smell divine when you open them up. Like walking into a pastry shop. They look rich and dark and beautiful. Steeped, this one smells like apples with a touch of cinnamon and caramel. There’s a lemony high note that seems ornamental rather than necessary to the substance, like a grace note.

What a nice way to start the day. Apple pie fans should like this one. It’s tea, but it’s also apple pie flavor, and the flavor emanates organically from the tea rather than feeling pasted on or dropped in. It’s not overly strong, nor is it too subtle. It’s mostly apple and cinnamon, but like the best apple pastries, it is well balanced between the two flavors.

I got this tea mostly so I could compare caramels. I’d thought I shouldn’t give up on caramel flavoring after my bad Necessiteas caramel apple experience so I decided to try a number of caramel flavored teas to get a sense of the possibilities. This isn’t really a caramel tea. The caramel is around the edges giving the flavor a depth, rather than a sweetness. But it is still a very nice apple pastry tea.

I had two cups, so I could stay in Paris just a little longer.