Mélange Mystérieux

I’m astonished to realize that after all this time I still haven’t written notes on all the fab and gear Dammann Freres teas from the virtual shopping spree Doulton organized weeks… no wait, it must be months ago now. I am going to remedy that post haste! And yes, I did do the weight work out. [self-congratulatory one handed applause] Now I’m just “resting” before the aerobic part. I wonder if it’s possible to read War and Peace while on a stationary bike?

Golly, I love how their teas smell. I really do think the French teas, for the most part, win the best fragrance award all around. This one has a fruity scent that is sweet and fresh smelling, and so well blended that I fully understand why they named it as they did. Once you read the ingredients, you can pretty much isolate all the individual scents. The orange and the cherry stood out most to me, though I could get the sweetness of strawberry underneath. What I understand to be peach actually smells somewhat fig-like to me, rather like the figgy aromas of some of the other Dammann Freres teas that actually do have fig as an ingredient. The leaves are pretty, too, with the purple mallow and yellow sunflower petals. I have been all along, but I’m now starting to appreciate more fully exactly what I sucker I am for flower petals in tea.

Now for something really mysterious. The aroma has shifted with steeping so that I’m now getting a much more obvious peach fragrance, followed by cherry, with just a tad of orange. Tres interessant.

In the flavor, yet another shift. The orange is back to the front, then there’s a mellow, water-color like flow from one flavor into the next, rather like riding a very gentle wave. Orange to peach (figgy still) to cherry, with a cherry/strawberry tail.

This is a happy way to end my caffeine for the day. Dammann fine tea! (Apologies, A&D!)

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!

I can’t believe I am just now logging this tea after having it for months. I thought I had tried all of the Dammann teas from the mass tea order Doulton organized, but I guess I missed one.

I really love the quality of these french teas. The base is so rich and beyond words I have to describe it, but it really holds this mix of fruit flavors well. The fruits blend together more than stick out to be noticed individually. I really smell an apricot type scent, and taste a lot of peach/cherry flavors. This is a nice smooth hot tea. I shouldn’t have had a caffeinated tea this late, but I really wanted to try this one.

This “mysterious mixture” is good, but I don’t find anything exotic or mysterious about it. It’s a black tea with a variety of fruit flavors. A lot of flavored blacks have bergamot in them, so I was pleased to see Melange Mysterieux does not have it (if I want to drink Earl Grey, I’ll drink it — I don’t always want that Earl Grey flavor creeping into other blends).

I let this steep for five minutes, because when I’m drinking a flavored tea, I like the flavors strong; that’s just how I roll. On first sip, I detect strawberries and raspberries, along with some juicy peach and perhaps a tad (but just a tad) of orange flavor. As I continue drinking it, the black tea base comes through more. I like this black tea – it’s stronger than one would expect in a flavored tea. I can actually taste the tea, and it’s rich and dark, which I like. The finish is sweet with a bit of creaminess.

Overall, this is a good flavored black without being obnoxiously fruity or tasting like dessert in a cup. It’s less fruity than, say, Mariage Freres Marco Polo; but it’s more fruity than Harney’s Paris; and thankfully, the fruit flavors are natural and not artificial tasting. I especially like the rich and smooth base of the black tea, and I like that a variety of fruit flavors are present. It’s a perfect tea to have with scones or other pastries. All I have is a sample tin of this, but I’d be more than happy if another one came my way.

A big THANK YOU! to MeghannM for these teas!

I had a WHOLE POT of this one during the virtual tea tasting with Sandy via Skype! THis is my last sanple of Dammann Freres tea. The dry leaves are lovely with the petals mixed in, and the aroma is very nice as well. Brewed, the aroma is as special as you would expect from a good French tea. The flavors in the tea are not as pronounced as you might think they would be, but they are not hidden. They are very well balanced with the tea flavor. I noticed the blood orange flavor most, the cherry and strawberry next, and really didn’t pick up on the peach much.

These are not my favorite flavors for teas, but for anyone who loves berry flavored teas this would be an amazing cup. It was very good (I did say I drank the whole 22 ounce pot!) but I must say The de Cigales and Coquelicot Gourmand (I think that was the name of it!) were absolutely divine and I MUST HAVE THEM!

I want to give this tea a higher rating since I love Dammann Freres tea, but my mouth just found this one far too confusing! I honestly don’t know what it’s supposed to taste like.. there is so much going on. I can’t pick apart any of the individual flavor notes. It’s just a big mixed blob that tastes a bit strange. Sorry, Dammann Freres. This is not a blend for me.