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Cameron B. drank Maté Cacao Amande by Dammann Frères

4161 tasting notes

Dammann Frères Advent Calendar – Day 4 (from November backlog)

I was quite surprised at the steeping parameters for this one, as I would normally treat green maté much more gently. But I followed them anyway, as I’m trying to do with more teas lately. This sachet was in a gorgeous metallic lime green wrapper that made me smile. Dry scent was mostly maté herbaceousness with a bit of sweetness. The water turned a bright green as soon as it hit the tea.

Unfortunately, I’m finding this very underwhelming. I feel like the high temperature did have a negative effect on the maté, as it has a sharper edge than I would expect. I don’t really get much, if any, cocoa or almond here though. There is a little bit of sweetness, and perhaps a light roastiness that could be cacao shell.

Meh! A disappointing tea given how good the concept sounded.

Flavors: Earth, Herbaceous, Roasted, Sweet

Preparation

Boiling 5 min, 0 sec 8 OZ / 236 ML

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13 likes

3 comments

derk
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Oh my, this was just lovely for me. It makes me a little sad to hear you didn’t enjoy it :(

Cameron B.
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I know! Hopefully I get a chance to try it again sometime.

Cameron B.
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I’m removing the rating for now as I don’t trust it, ha ha.

People who liked this

Comments

derk
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Oh my, this was just lovely for me. It makes me a little sad to hear you didn’t enjoy it :(

Cameron B.
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I know! Hopefully I get a chance to try it again sometime.

Cameron B.
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I’m removing the rating for now as I don’t trust it, ha ha.

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- November sipdowns: 13
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 156

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia.

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing