So excited to be trying the Dammann Freres advent calendar this year! I paid international shipping for it, which feels beyond indulgent, but it’s absolutely beautiful. This tea is Day 1! The dry leaf smells strongly of vanilla and bergamot, with an almost equally intense jasmine note. I made this in a little Western-style teapot so I could drink it from a teacup & saucer set. It brews up orange, presumably because of the black tea. The first impression is bergamot, followed by a pastry-type vanilla that lingers long after the sip. That initial bergamot hit also has a bit of that astringency that black tea sometimes has. The floral note from the scent of the dry leaf doesn’t really come through in the taste, but it’s a flavorful brew even without it. You CAN do a second steep, but it has to be really long (15+ minutes) and will come out paler. It still has a nice vanilla flavor with strong bergamot notes – a reversal of the order from the first steep – and no discernable floral element. Overly, this was really tasty and enjoyable. I’m looking forward to this calendar!
Flavors: Bergamot, Vanilla
I love Steepster advent time, so I feel like I’m not fully missing out on all these great advents. I really wanted to order from Dammann this year. But maybe at some point. :D