drank Thé de l'Abbaye by Dammann Frères
1541 tasting notes

I did a thing. I bought a kilogram of French tea. It’s actually pretty affordable when bought in bulk loose leaf. Those sachets are for royalty!

The aroma of this is absolutely intoxicating!! The exclamation marks coming from a normally reserved derk should give you a clue. It’s such a sweet and tangy, ringing golden yellow plum aroma! With a swirl of soft milky-creamy caramel! A golden bell glinting in the sun, a golden yellow tapestry made of the finest silk. It reminds me of my friend who came by the other night, how strange.

Guessing the base green tea is Chun Mee or maybe a Ceylon green. Those types of tea never wow but whatever it is, it’s a great delivery vehicle for this luxuriously fruity and floral, golden cherry plum note to evaporate ever so slowly in the aftertaste. There’s also this natural apricot in the aftertaste that I do think is from the green tea itself. The body is fairly thick and brisk, very mineral-salty and does have some bitterness to it which lingers for a while on the tongue. I like this part, since it gives the experience some more depth. Caramel flavor enhances the impression of deep sweetness and gently contrasts the sun-blushed redder tones of that beautiful mirabelle plum flavor.

It tastes like a gift from the sun.

Steep twice!

Flavors: Apricot, Astringent, Bitter, Brisk, Caramel, Cherry, Cherry Blossom, Dry Grass, Drying, Floral, Fruity, Milk, Mineral, Plum, Salty, Thick

Cameron B.

That always happens to me when I order from Dammann… Stupid 100g bags. So inexpensive though!

derk

The more to share, though :)

Evol Ving Ness

O my word! You know, when I was off steepster, I managed to not buy much tea. Now, of course, I want to buy all the things. You people are killing me.

Cameron B.

I’m trying to prune down a 1kg order from Dammann as we speak… QQ

Evol Ving Ness

Haha, my finger has been very very close to the add to cart button lately and DF’s is very very tempting, especially now with their list if caramel teas and the calendar. The situation is getting quite dire. I may need special tea furniture if this continues.

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Comments

Cameron B.

That always happens to me when I order from Dammann… Stupid 100g bags. So inexpensive though!

derk

The more to share, though :)

Evol Ving Ness

O my word! You know, when I was off steepster, I managed to not buy much tea. Now, of course, I want to buy all the things. You people are killing me.

Cameron B.

I’m trying to prune down a 1kg order from Dammann as we speak… QQ

Evol Ving Ness

Haha, my finger has been very very close to the add to cart button lately and DF’s is very very tempting, especially now with their list if caramel teas and the calendar. The situation is getting quite dire. I may need special tea furniture if this continues.

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This place, like the rest of the internet, is dead and overrun with bots. And thus I step away.

Eventual tea farmer. If you are a tea grower, want to grow your own plants or are simply curious, please follow me so we can chat.

I most enjoy loose-leaf, unflavored teas and tisanes. Teabags have their place. Some of my favorite teas have a profound effect on mind and body rather than having a specific flavor profile. Terpene fiend.

Favorite teas generally come from China (all provinces), Taiwan, India (Nilgiri and Manipur). Frequently enjoyed though less sipped are teas from Georgia, Japan, Nepal and Darjeeling. While I’m not actively on the hunt, a goal of mine is to try tea from every country that makes it available to the North American market. This is to gain a vague understanding of how Camellia sinensis performs in different climates. I realize that borders are arbitrary and some countries are huge with many climates and tea-growing regions.

I’m convinced European countries make the best herbal teas.

Personal Rating Scale:

100-90: A tea I can lose myself into. Something about it makes me slow down and appreciate not only the tea but all of life or a moment in time. If it’s a bagged or herbal tea, it’s of standout quality in comparison to similar items.

89-80: Fits my profile well enough to buy again.

79-70: Not a preferred tea. I might buy more or try a different harvest. Would gladly have a cup if offered.

69-60: Not necessarily a bad tea but one that I won’t buy again. Would have a cup if offered.

59-1: Lacking several elements, strangely clunky, possess off flavors/aroma/texture or something about it makes me not want to finish.

Unrated: Haven’t made up my mind or some other reason. If it’s pu’er, I likely think it needs more age.

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