Rooibos Carrot Cake

Dammann Frères Advent Day 13 (13-February 2021)

Another delicious tea from DF! I was always a little hesitant to order this one, but I will definitely add it into my next order.

The carrot comes through really nicely here, with an almost cream cheese flavour as well! I’m really impressed with this one. I love that the cinnamon is almost non-existent because it sadly ruined Carrot Cake from B&B for me.

Lexa loves this one too!

2020 Advent Calendar – Day 13 I am not a fan of rooibos at all so I was expecting to hate this one, but it was an enjoyable cup. The carrot cake flavors were remarkably on point and even though the rooibos was unmistakeable, it didn’t overpower everything thankfully. The spices were right and the cakey flavor made everything work. Both husband and daughter liked it as well and voted it a 75.

Backing up to number 13.

Uh, hrm.

Dry sachet smells like spicy ginger, sweet caramel and alcohol extracts. Steeped, it smells pretty light but I understand carrot cake. Taste is the same, light but resembles cake. Sweet, mineral, a bit drying. The rooibos is mild and is possibly contributing to some of the boozy vanilla extract taste. Aftertaste is also mild and quick. It tastes of vanilla frosting, like the Betty Crocker stuff straight out of the tub on your finger. Not that I’d know anything about that.

Dammann Frères Advent Calendar – Day 13 (from November backlog)

Ooh, this sounds yummy. I have a packet of Carrot Cake rooibos from Bird & Blend as well that I need to crack open… Dry scent is surprisingly strong on the ginger, which gives me pause.

Happily, the aroma is much more buttery and cakey. The flavoring isn’t terribly strong, and the rooibos base is still quite present, but it does have a nice cinnamon cake sort of flavor. The buttery cake comes out a bit more in the aftertaste, along with a slightly spicy ginger note.

It’s quite tasty, and I’m happy to sip on it this evening. It’ll be interesting to compare it with the Bird & Blend version, and eventually the Simpson & Vail version as well, when I get around to ordering…

enjoyed this one from variaTEA. UNlike others this one actually came through like the spices in carrot cake. Enjoyable cup.

#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.