Dammann Freres

Finally! My inaugural tea of the Doulton-engineered French buying extravaganza!

MmmmmmMMMMmmmmmMMmmmm.

And that’s just the smell of the dry leaves. Amazing raspberry. Reminds me of the filling in linzer tarts, which I used to get from a little pastry shop in Cambridge, MA. I can smell it from several feet away; if I stick my nose into the bag (that has an adorable little giraffe sticker on it :-)) it becomes extremely concentrated. Dark chocolate color leaves with flecks of lighter brown.

The variety and complexity in the aroma becomes more apparent after steeping. I can smell some vanilla, and berry, but I’m also getting a note that seems lemon or orange. Some citrus in any case.

The taste has wonderful berry things going on. It’s not the Kool Aid of some berry teas I have tried, it’s more of the kind of berry note you’d find in a nice wine. It adds a tiny bit of tartness to the tail of the sip. Vanilla is there, but not a strong presence. I’m trying to figure out what berry I’m tasting and I think it’s mostly raspberry and strawberry, but what a contrast to the strawberry of other flavored teas. It’s subtle, but deep and smooth. Apart from the tart berry-tail, the tea is medium-sweet. Not sugary like some blacks. I can see what they mean when they say caramel, though it isn’t the sweet caramel of the Sugar Caramel Oolong. It isn’t bitter either, it’s just a number of notches down from carmelized-sugar sweet. There’s a fresh note to the finish which strikes me as floral.

Note to self: try more leaf next time. I used about 1.5 tsp in about 8 oz water. I think it could go stronger and perhaps unfold even more.

Chocolate perfection in a cup.

This chocolate blend is unbelievable. Smooth, decadent, sugary heaven! Both the leaves and the liquor smell like chocolate cotton candy. It might sound crazy, but I distinctly smell that “spun sugar” smell. Very intriguing. I tried the tea plain at first, but I just knew in my heart that it needed milk and sugar. I couldn’t have been more right. Haha! It’s not a rich as a cup of hot chocolate might be, but it’s damn close. The almond is slightly present but everything takes a back seat to the chocolate. I had to google “helianthus” to see what kind of flavor it might yield. Turns out that helianthus = Sunflower. I learned something new. I can’t say that I particularly tasted notes of sunflower…unless I automatically associated it with the general nuttiness of the almond. I’m so happy with this tea. Charlotte au Chocolat is masterfully blended. Today was truly a “tea experience”. All of you Florence lovers really need to try this tea.

Thank you so much Doulton!!! What a gem!

The tree murderers are here and my nerves are shot from the incessant chainsaw sounds coupled with the wood chipper! I also saw some fallen branches on my rose bushes! They may look puny to a tree murderer but I fuss over those roses sometimes twice a day! I hope they are not damaged.

I thought a nice French flavored tea with some half and half and sugar would be calming so I made a pot of this. I am tasting a chewy slightly burnt caramel/smoky Yunnan and figs. At one point I actually felt around my mouth with my tongue for the little seeds you find in fig preserves! I definitely taste cooked figs not fresh ones. I think milk and sugar are the way to go with this one – I’m getting a really nice pastry like flavor as well. The clementines come as an addition in the fig preserves (of my imagination ;) and not a distinct, separate taste. I don’t taste any of the other flavors listed.

This is another one that brings me back to my childhood. Around the holidays we always had dried figs and cookies with fig preserves inside. Barely sweet and very delicious. Not like Fig Newtons at all. This tea reminds me once again of holidays as a child.

Well, so much for my smell accuracy … this came to me by way of Lori in a little care package, so there was no package description to read. When I steeped and sniffed this morning, the first two flavor words that came to mind were “darjeeling” and “pineapple.”

Not even close, according to the manufacturer description—green with strawberry, passionfruit, peach. But it’s a beautiful gold color and light and fruity. Something that would definitely fit a Mother’s Day high tea in the garden with gloves and feather boas.

Similar to figs, this is flavored with a lightly sweet, mild flavor. This tea is very pleasant. Not much more to say though….

Doulton mentioned this was similar to fig newtons…but my own experience w/fig newtons are those Italian fig cookies flavored w/anise. And of course, this tea is not similar to those cookies at all…

I steeped this tea for 3 1/2 minutes, and I think that was too long for my taste. There is a bit more bitterness to this tea than I like. I also think this tea is much better iced than hot.

As an iced tea I can taste the peppery notes from the Yunnan, which I wasn’t getting when it was hot. Very pleasant. A hint of citrus and definitely a sharp floral note. Not getting as much lavender as I would like, nor am I getting much of the fig.

Overall, I like this tea quite a bit, although I think Noël en Provence is still my favorite (thus far!) from Dammann Freres.

Many thanks to Doulton for this sample! I was looking for something a bit different this morning and the smell of this package just appealed to me. It was very much like chocolate but with an indefinable something else.

1st Steep: 5 minutes, Water temperature around 190F
I love the deep red of the liquor. The taste is malty and chestnut (I’ve never had chestnuts before but that has to be what it is). I could almost swear there’s a hint of white chocolate in there as well.

2nd Steep: 5 1/2 minutes, water temperature around 190F
The liquor is a bright amber this time. It’s still malty and tastes of chestnut but has a lighter body and is a tad sweeter.

Definitely a good morning tea. Very glad I picked this one out this morning.

Another very appreciative THANK YOU to Doulton for making this tasting possible!

One thing about these teas from Dammann Freres – at least the ones I’ve had so far – they all smell amazing! This one is no exception. The dry leaf possesses a very fruity aroma, yum! I can smell the strawberry and the fig! I can also smell subtle hints of the lavender.

But… the brewed liquor smells even better! It doesn’t happen as often as I’d like it to, where the brewed tea smells as good or even better than the dry leaf. It’s so nice when I happen onto an exception!

The taste – lavender is much more pronounced in the flavor than it is in the aroma. The black tea base is very pleasant – smooth, brisk, and pleasantly astringent. The strawberry and lavender together creates a very unusual – but enjoyable – flavor. The fig is also very nice. Not particularly strong but it is delicious.

So far, this is my favorite tea that I’ve tasted from Dammann Freres!

Thank you Doulton!

The aroma of this tea is very inviting. The strong citrus fruit fragrance mingles with a soft yet fresh grassy scent of green tea, with hints of spice and flower lingering in the background. It’s positively lovely!

The flavor is quite nice, as well.

The citrus flavors are strongest. The grassy notes of the Yunnan green tea are slight but very fresh tasting. I wish that the spices in this blend were a bit more pronounced. The peppery notes do come out to play in the finish, though, but this tea is not nearly as spicy as the description might lead one to believe.

Overall, though, it’s a very pleasant tasting tea.

This tea courtesy of Doulton!

The dry leaves smell great; the brewing leaves smell INCREDIBLE! I smell melon, something like strawberry, green tea, and something almost creamy.

Steep 1: The fragrance is divine. The taste is so good. A great green tea flavor balanced with what I can only describe as strawberrytropicalfruitmelon and cream.

Steep 2 (4 min): I am almost enjoying the fragrance as much as the tea!!! Such pleasant sipping. More melon-y this go ’round.

Steep3 (5min): More goodness. Is that banana?

I am giving this a rating just a touch lower than the cherry because I enjoy cherry flavors more, but this is yet another super enjoyable French Green Tea. I just love how balanced the flavors are, and how nicely the green tea comes through. I’m hopelessly addicted!!

I was sent this tea by Doulton (Thanks so much). I was in search of a black tea in my cupboard and decided to go dig through my stash and here I found this little gem of a tea. I didn’t know anything about it besides the name and who blended it but while steeping I noticed an interesting smell filling up my kitchen. I then sipped and boy was I surprised it is this wonderful cup of black tea with hints of peach. I really do not get much more than that taste wise but the thing that really impresses me is this is a strong black tea that has NO astringency a very smooth cuppa. Thanks Doulton! :)

Thank you Doulton

This tea smells amazing! The fruity aroma is very strong. The blood orange is the most pronounced scent, but I can smell that there are other fruits there, and upon closer examination, I could detect a distinct berry-like scent as well as that of peach. I knew there was something else there too, but I wasn’t sure what… so when I checked the Dammann Frères website, I saw that this is a blend of blood orange, peach, strawberry and cherry. It was the cherry that I couldn’t discern, but now that I know what it is, it seems very clearly to me to be cherry.

As other Steepsters have noted, the flavors are quite a bit softer than the aroma would lead one to believe. But that doesn’t bother me at all, because I like that I can really taste the tea in this blend. The fruit flavors are there though, don’t get me wrong. I really like the balance of flavors in this cup. I like the sweet fruity flavors, the strong black tea presence, and the slight sharp note that I detect in the finish that I contribute to the sunflower petals.

A beautifully flavored tea!

had the last of this tonight
3 tsp, 750ml, 212 F, 3:30
black tea with the smell of fig
oh the subtle flavors of the french

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 tsp
Water: 22 oz filtered, boiling
Tool: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer in cup
Steep Time: a little over 4 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: orange, fig
Steeped Tea Smell: black tea
Flavor: smooth black tea
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: none
Liquor: translucent brown

I really didn’t get any of the flavors listed strongly in the scent or the flavor. I think perhaps a longer steep or more leaves are in order.

As it is I find it a smooth black tea, nothing special.

Post-Steep Additives: none

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/dammann-freres-loose-leaf-black-tea-des.html

having my last pot of this :(
Breville one-touch 4tsp tea, 800ml filtered water, 212F, 4 min
I’m drinking this on the room temperature / colder side
(i didn’t get out of bed on time)
fruity, smooth, vanilla after taste
more subtle than is my favorite teas, but a very delicious and enjoyable blen
thank you Doulton for arranging this mass tea co-op buying, i am sad to start seeing the ends of my teas

Steep Information:
Amount: 3 tsp
Water: 22 oz filtered, boiling
Tool: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer
Steep Time: a little over 4 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: sweet and fruity
Steeped Tea Smell: black tea, cherry
Flavor: black tea, sweet, fruity
MilitiaJim: vanilla
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: astringent, fruity
Liquor: translucent dark orange-brown

As I said earlier, my taste buds appear to be ignoring vanilla lately. This is sad as I love vanilla.

This was a lovely scent, a blend of sweet fruits that makes your mouth water. The flavor is more subtle than the scent, but still smooth and a very nice cup of tea.

Post-Steep Additives: German rock sugar
Less astringency

Resteep: 4 minutes
Slightly weaker, but still delicious

As I drink the second pot (I was expecting some help, but apparently all 44 oz are all mine) I noticed that the tea is silky smooth – not buttery, but when I swallow there is a silken residue in my mouth and throat for a moment. I was too busy chugging and noting before to get that feeling.

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/dammann-freres-loose-leaf-black-tea_16.html

First of the Damman Freres teas brought to us courtesy of Doulton. Again, many thanks for making this tasting possible. It seems the French can do no wrong with their blends!

Ahhh…now this is the epitome of flavored green tea for me. Smells like cherry blossoms and vegetal green tea. Like walking along a path in high grass and you come to a cherry tree and the wind gently wafts the delightful fragrance under your nose making you want to follow its trail and find it again. This was quite a delightful cup. More on the floral side for me then on the fruity, but the fruit was there in a soft representation of cherries. Glad I got to try this and have enough for several cups.

enjoying a nice cup of tea after a homemade breakfast this morning 1-2 tsp tea for 2 minutes, boiling water, a spoonful of honey in a large coffee mug

Steep Information:
Amount: 2 tsp
Water: 2 zarafina cups filtered
Tool: Zarafina black-loose-medium
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: apple, spice, black tea, sweetness
Steeped Tea Smell: caramel, apple, spice, maybe cherry
Flavor: black tea
Body: Medium
Aftertaste: bitter
Liquor: translucent dark reddish-brown

I did something wrong, the tea smells fabulous, but is weak and a bit bitter. I think I need more leaf, and less time?

On the other hand both the tea and leaf smell so fabulous I am happy to just sit here and sniff….

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: zarafina 1 c, same 2 tsp, black-loose-medium
stronger body, astringent, less bitter, black tea, hints of apple and spice

Next time 2 tsp / cup and some sugar

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/dammann-freres-loose-leaf-black-tea.html

When I won Doulton’s Dragon Ball giveaway, she also sent me some other samples! How generous! From the selection that she sent, it looks as though Doulton purposely sent me teas that she thought I would like. Either that or she’s psychic! Thank you, Doulton!

This was my first experience with Dammann Freres. It sounds like a really wonderful tea; I love apples, lemons, and caramel. The strongest smell I got while steeping was the cinnamon. I’m not nuts about cinnamon, but smells can be deceiving. I should probably mention that I took this without milk or sugar.

This is quite different than anything I’ve had before. First I taste the lemon, then the apple. I’m not getting much caramel. Thankfully, the cinnamon is just on the back end, and very lightly so. I didn’t think I liked cinnamon teas, but the cinnamon that is present in this works very well. If it wasn’t there, there would be this big void at the end of the sip.

Thanks again, Doulton! I love trying new teas, and especially new companies!

My grandfather was never big on holidays, especially Christmas. The only two things he did every Christmas was buy Baccalà (salted cod) and chestnuts, so that he could have two things he enjoyed in Italy during the holidays here in America. I haaaaaaaated when the Baccalà came into the house – I thought it stunk to high heaven, especially since my grandmother had to soak it repeatedly before she could cook it, but I loved when we put the chestnuts into the oven. The shells became partially black and smelled so good. When you took away the shell (watch! still hot!) the chestnut was so tender and meaty and like nothing we ever had the rest of the year. I loved when we made the chestnuts.

This tea is so close to the warm roasted chestnuts. The woody oolong goes so naturally with a chestnut tea. I had only had one other chestnut tea which was a black tea, and it was all wrong. Too harsh, too cloying, too artificial, and trying to fix it by adding milk and sugar made it nothing like real chestnuts. This tea replicates that barely sweet nutty flavor so convincingly.

Steep 2: Mmmmmmm. Just as good. I almost want to bite down because there has to be chestnut meat there!

(do these French teas not quit or what!?!?! I am again going to save the leaves for some afternoon steeping)

I’m going to take the remaining sample of this tea home, put it safe ’n sound in a tin and mark it for Christmas Eve. Thank you Doulton for this trip to the past.

EDIT: 4 lovely steeps! and I found these articles about chestnuts & Italy fascinating:
http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0282.htm
http://italophiles.com/castagne.htm

drinking the last of it, thanks again Doulton, i am glad i got to order this :)
de-cupboarded sniff

made in my breville with auto start, green, medium
drinking now on train in
still reminds me of spring cherry from republic of tea
needs sugar
next time mild
(like 4 tsp to <10000 ml but >750ml)

Steep Information:
Amount: 4 tsp
Additives: none
Water: 22 oz filtered, boiling, then let set until approximately 170-180°
Tool: Cast Iron Teapot with Mesh basket strainer in cup
Steep Time: a little over 3 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: DELICIOUS, fruity with some vegetal scent
Steeped Tea Smell: fruity, cherry, green vegetal tea
Flavor: sweet, vegetal, slight hint of floral and fruit
Body: Light
Aftertaste: bitter
Liquor: translucent yellow-green

This tea brings immediately to mind spring cherry green tea.

I believe in my excitement to try this tea I used too much leaf and / or perhaps water that was too hot.

I unfortunately decided to break into this tea (it smelled so fabulous I could not resist!) after 6 o’clock pm. I do hope it won’t keep me up all night.

Sadly right now I must award it only 2/4 leaves. I do believe once I tweak the steep it will be a 3/4 however I do think that it is on par as a tea with spring cherry. I am not saying this tea is not good, but I certainly won’t bring it from France to the US if there is a comparable tea here.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: 3 minutes – still a nice vegetal fruity tea, dumped in honey and drank it all up

I got my order in from the group order from Dammann Freres with Doulton today!

The packaged smelled delicious, simply delicious. I had to have one right away.

I also got some surprises in there I can’t wait to try!

Rating: 2/4 leaves

Images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/dammann-freres-loose-leaf-green-tea.html