Oolong Châtaigne Tea by Dammann Frères

gmathis

2977 tasting notes

I pulled this one out of … not retirement, uh, well, the bottom of the basket and I’m glad I did. Primed with a fistful of candy corn (this is the time to eat Brach’s candy corn, while it’s soft and fresh from the store, not in October after it’s gone chewy and waxy), it has a lovely, sweet, juicy, not-unlike-caramel personality. Kept steep time at around 3 minutes to prevent bitterness, based on past experience.

Fall is coming. Just hold on to that cool and lovely thought.

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19 likes

5 comments

Autistic Goblin
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mmm…candy corn.. dang it now I want some candy corn…

gmathis
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Sorry! ;) How ’bout those buttercream pumpkins made out of the same stuff? More sugary goodness in every bite!

Autistic Goblin
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I’m not looking anymore ;D

Nicole
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Candy corn & peanuts. Mmm… It is about time for Halloween candy to show up. After all, it’s almost Labor Day. :)

That’s one of the things I like about tea. Just like wine, pairing it with different foods lets you notice different flavors in the tea.

Autistic Goblin
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honey roasted peanuts? still not looking lol

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90

Dinosara

2201 tasting notes

I had an exhuasting morning, and I am finally getting to the point where I am “catching up” with everything I usually do in the morning. Including drink tea! I finished up my sample of this one from MissB, thanks again!

This is just so lovely, and one I would consider restocking in the future. And this is a tea I thought I wouldn’t be into! Just the right amount of chestnut for me, I think, with a nice oolong base underneath. Glad I got to try this one.

Flavors: Chestnut, Nuts

Preparation

Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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20 likes

4 comments

__Morgana__
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It seems to be a tea of the day… I wonder whether I have some? Must check.

MissB
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Yay for enjoying it, less so for it being a sipdown. :)

Ysaurella
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it’s a very lovely tea and as this is the second review in 5 minutes I consider this is definitively it’s a sign for me to rebuy some !

Dinosara
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Haha yes it is a sign!

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88

JacquelineM

1112 tasting notes

My grandfather was never big on holidays, especially Christmas. The only two things he did every Christmas was buy Baccalà (salted cod) and chestnuts, so that he could have two things he enjoyed in Italy during the holidays here in America. I haaaaaaaated when the Baccalà came into the house – I thought it stunk to high heaven, especially since my grandmother had to soak it repeatedly before she could cook it, but I loved when we put the chestnuts into the oven. The shells became partially black and smelled so good. When you took away the shell (watch! still hot!) the chestnut was so tender and meaty and like nothing we ever had the rest of the year. I loved when we made the chestnuts.

This tea is so close to the warm roasted chestnuts. The woody oolong goes so naturally with a chestnut tea. I had only had one other chestnut tea which was a black tea, and it was all wrong. Too harsh, too cloying, too artificial, and trying to fix it by adding milk and sugar made it nothing like real chestnuts. This tea replicates that barely sweet nutty flavor so convincingly.

Steep 2: Mmmmmmm. Just as good. I almost want to bite down because there has to be chestnut meat there!

(do these French teas not quit or what!?!?! I am again going to save the leaves for some afternoon steeping)

I’m going to take the remaining sample of this tea home, put it safe ’n sound in a tin and mark it for Christmas Eve. Thank you Doulton for this trip to the past.

EDIT: 4 lovely steeps! and I found these articles about chestnuts & Italy fascinating:
http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0282.htm
http://italophiles.com/castagne.htm

Preparation

195 °F / 90 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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14 likes

8 comments

Lori
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Can you believe that I have NEVER had a roasted chestnut? It must a northern thing since we eat lots of pecans instead….

JacquelineM
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I don’t think it’s common anywhere anymore, although you do still find chestnut vendors in NYC sometimes!!!

Meghann M
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My mom, her mother and her grandmother would always bake baccala every Christmas too. And every Christmas they made it at my parents house. I was so thankful when I moved out to not have to smell that scent, but I missed being around all the commotion that would go on. Thank you for bringing up a fond memory.

__Morgana__
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Yeah, they used to have guys on the streetcorner in NYC selling roasted chestnuts in paper bags when I lived in NYC during the 80s and 90s. It was a pretty regular thing around Christmas time. There was always a guy on the southwest corner of Central Park. I do love that smell. For some reason I never really got into the taste though. I think it was a texture thing. I don’t love water chestnuts for the same reason.

teaplz
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This one sounds awesome, Jacqueline! We had baccala and chestnuts for Christmas as well. :)

JacquelineM
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and funny – I was talking with my mom and she said that when I was little I used to cry each year when the baccala came into the house – ha!

~lauren.
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Is the Baccalà the salted cod that came up when I googled it? I’m just a person wishful of a lovely Italian Grandmother (unfortunately, not my heritage) so I didn’t know what Baccalà was – or am I just showing a sad gap in my knowledge base because everybody but me knows what it is without benefit of an Italian heritage?

JacquelineM
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yes – salted cod :) I did put that in my first mention of it in my review b/c I figured the people who didn’t grow up Italian or in an Italian neighborhood wouldn’t know. I wish I didn’t know!!!! Bllleehhhccccgh!!

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ifjuly

612 tasting notes

An amazing surprise treat from JustJames! Our swap was loosely French themed, so now I have lots of beautiful Nina’s Paris, Mariage Freres, and Dammann Freres goodies to try (!!) and that wasn’t even all of it! I tip my hat to you, sir. (:

This is surprisingly subtle—if you’re expecting over-the-top-rich-roasty-nuttiness or sweetness a la Florence and its ilk, you may be disappointed. But this rewards those who like evocation more than straight up flavor replication, if that makes sense. There’s a woodiness here I quite like (you know me!), and a gentle warmth. Kinda like crawling up to your grandma’s attic and opening up her wooden chests full of pretty things. The roastiness comes out slowly and feels very genuine, not like an added-on flavor dimension so much as an inherent foundational component. This is very comforting, not the sugar dessert bomb I thought it might be but instead something a lot gentler but also subtly deeper. Deeply soothing. I enjoyed it with the chocolate from my Advent calendar late tonight, and it was perfect.

Resteeps like a dream too, and I’m usually pretty picky about that sort of thing.

Preparation

190 °F / 87 °C 5 min, 0 sec

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15 likes

7 comments

BrewTEAlly Sweet
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Uber jealous of this swap between you and JustJames!!!

ifjuly
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I have a feeling thanks to all this French tea craze that’s suddenly overtaken Steepster eventually there’ll be more folks who’ve placed real orders with some of the fancypants French shops and swaps will happen. I’m still curious about that The O Dor vendor, and eventually want to just bite the bullet and place a Dammann order (I make up a shopping cart like every week and save it as a .PDF file, that’s how crazy I am, ha). I’d be happy to swap with ya when/if that days comes (though given the Black Friday insanity it will likely be a while…but I’m sure not alone).

Dexter
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Brew TEAlly Sweet I have a few Mariage Frères and a few Fauchon with some Dammann on it’s way – always interested in swaps.
ifjuly I don’t have any O Dor but anything else can be added to your next box :))

BrewTEAlly Sweet
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Dexter3657 really?!?! Are you serious? Pinch me I’m dreaming!

BrewTEAlly Sweet
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ifjuly ha ha I do that all the time. A girl can dream:)

JustJames
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the o dor i have been the trick is DUCK THE TINS…. buy the bags, and suddenly they’re reasonable.

this tea is a chameleon. it and i are still doing the pasa doble, getting to know one another. i am so intrigued, but i keep muddling the results (yay me). i am not prepared to review until i’ve nailed it because i’m a huge DF fan.

so glad you like it!!

ifjuly
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dreaming is half the fun or more! (:

Dexter3657, you are so awesomely generous. really really. you too, JustJames! and agreed, i was pleasantly surprised at how reasonable the o dor is in bags…it’s just the shipping, even from that place in california. i think it’d work out to be worth it if i bought lots of different teas, just don’t have the funds right now post-black friday. someday!

and i can definitely see how this tea could play tricks on a person. it’s not what i expected, but i love it! thanks again. :D

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87

TeaLady441

1598 tasting notes

I think this is the last sample I have from JustJames, and it is just PERFECT for winter. The oolong is dark (and possibly roasted), while the chestnut flavours swirl around. It makes me imagine sitting curled up next to a roaring fireplace, with a cat purring on my lap and a book nearby. It’s a cup of liquid comfort.

It’s just, really good. Can’t wait to re-steep this!
(sipdown 82)

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18 likes

1 comments

JustJames
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=0)

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84

Ysaurella

408 tasting notes

This is a subtle tea with natural notes of wood, and warm roasted chestnuts.
It has none astringency and is absolutely sweet and mellow.

We know that oolongs have naturally a nutty taste and it’s just as if DF had just poured some roasted chesnut in for some time to add this specific natural taste, delicate and refined.

A very comforting tea.

A very well blended tea, thank you Ruby Woo Scarlett for sharing this sample with me.

Preparation

190 °F / 87 °C 5 min, 0 sec

I Like This

12 likes

2 comments

gmathis
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I think I may have a teeeeny smidge of this left, and your description makes me want to leave my desk and go dig in the basket for it. (Of course, today, anything makes me want to leave my desk. :)

Ysaurella
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oh lord, I’ll be in the same situation next week when I’ll come back at work -yes this is really a wonderful tea

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86

LiberTEAS

4843 tasting notes

Doulton – thank you so much for this sample… I’m so happy to be trying it… I love Oolong, and I love chestnuts… what a perfectly lovely tea this is!

I have tried a few chestnut teas. This one really captures the flavor of the warm, roasted chestnut. It has a very creamy, rich flavor which compliments the flavor of the dark oxidized Oolong tea. It has a very comforting flavor – it’s one that I would really love to have during a cold winter evening while curled up next to a fire in the fireplace.

Preparation

190 °F / 87 °C 3 min, 0 sec

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9 likes

0 comments

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38

Ruby Woo Scarlett

27 tasting notes

Perhaps I steeped it wrong but this is such a letdown. This oolong has barely a hint of chestnuts – it’s more like a taste of something a bit sweet you can’t quite describe. The overall tea is very woody and would match an autumn weather (I’m drinking this in August like the rebel I am). I was expecting a lot more complexity and a lot more flavour so I’d ordered two bags of 100g which means the disappointment I feel is now closely tied to the frustration and slight guilt one feels at having been ripped off. Not a bad tea but perhaps it would be more enjoyed by those of us who can appreciate subtle flavours. As for me, my palate is only fond of those teas which feel like drinking perfume.

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4 likes

2 comments

Ysaurella
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I was looking at this DF for ages and still didn’t buy it, regarding your review now I still hesitate a lot.

Ruby Woo Scarlett
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I sent ou a PM :)

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73

Jenn-cha

104 tasting notes

Many thanks to Doulton for this sample! I was looking for something a bit different this morning and the smell of this package just appealed to me. It was very much like chocolate but with an indefinable something else.

1st Steep: 5 minutes, Water temperature around 190F
I love the deep red of the liquor. The taste is malty and chestnut (I’ve never had chestnuts before but that has to be what it is). I could almost swear there’s a hint of white chocolate in there as well.

2nd Steep: 5 1/2 minutes, water temperature around 190F
The liquor is a bright amber this time. It’s still malty and tastes of chestnut but has a lighter body and is a tad sweeter.

Definitely a good morning tea. Very glad I picked this one out this morning.

Preparation

195 °F / 90 °C 5 min, 0 sec

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6 likes

0 comments

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Recommended

Crowkettle

1445 tasting notes

Dammann Frères Advent Calendar – Day 4

This is one rich tea – full of roasted chestnut, almond, and chocolate malt goodness. It also smells like marzipan which is my kryptonite. The profile has a lot in common with my seasonal favourite from Mariage Frères: Rouge d’Automne (but this oolong would be cheaper to order, so that’s a thought…).

Steep Count: 3

Flavors: Almond, Chestnut, Chocolate, Cocoa, Malt, Marzipan, Roasted, Vanilla

I Like This

13 likes

11 comments

blueeyedsurprise
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Sounds delicious! I will have to check this one out.

gmathis
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Someone shared a packet with me a long time ago, and even after years, it was still delicious. Fresh, it must be stellar.

Inkling
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Ooo, this sounds amazing!

Leafhopper
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Agreed, this sounds lovely! It seems like the Dammann Frères advent has some nice teas this year.

Crowkettle
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Yeah, I’m a fan of this tea and the Dammann Frères advent. I find them extremely consistent despite not particularly loving their “Christmas” blends :P

Leafhopper
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A lot of the French teas you’re writing about sound like things I’d enjoy. I’m also having advent FOMO from everyone’s notes! :)

Crowkettle
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Even though I have advents, I feel a bit of FOMO about some of the other selections I see lol (the B&B and the green tea-centric ones. Ahhh)!

I heartily recommend the Dammann Frères ones if you’ve never tried their teas before; I’ve always found it to be a good way to sample what they carry.

The Mariage Frères one though… that company carries some amazing teas that rarely, if ever, seem to make their way into the advents. Instead, MF usually over-highlights their “In Love” or “Rainbow” teabag series. I keep going for it because flavoured oolong and floral teas still feature a lot and, once in a blue moon, a unique tea will make its way in there.

After the holiday season, I should send out samples of some of the MF teas (I can’t promise anyone will like them as much as me, but they’re usually interesting).

Cameron B.
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Dammann Frères does such a nice advent! I’m always a bit sad when I don’t get it ha ha. I’ve still never tried the Mariage Frères one, every time I see someone else doing it, it seems like a weird selection of teas, like all butterfly pea flower or something. I wish they would do a more classic selection, as I would like to try some of their core teas…

Leafhopper
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Crowkettle, many of the Dammann teas sound nice, and I’d actually be happy to get only a single teabag given the size of my tea museum.

I’ve wanted to try Mariage Frères for a while, but they provide absolutely no info about their shipping other than that it’s via DHL or something and the Canadian resellers have very high markups. And I agree, I’ve seen some weird teas in their advents.

Shipping to Canada is another issue. I already pay exorbitant amounts to ship my fancy unflavoured teas, and I’m not sure I could justify spending a lot on something I’m not sure I’d enjoy (and they always seem to come in 100 g packages, too!).

Maybe we could do a swap in the new year if you like unflavoured tea. I have a lot of oolong at the moment. :)

Crowkettle
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Yeah, unless you or a friend can visit a physical store, or are withing their free shipping range, Mariage Frères is pretty expensive and inaccesible. I’m in Canada too, and buying their advent (plus extra teas) is such self-indulgent splurge that I can barely justify it, honestly (Christmas gift to self). Even though it’s not consistently wonderful, I do believe that the advent has helped me form a better idea of what I do like, and what to look for, in their teas though. This in turn makes me feel more comfortable taking a chance on 100g…

The more I see of the blue pea-flower oolong the more I don’t understand it as a choice. It’s mentally jarring to drink a nut, brioche, or chocolate flavoured tea that some shade of murky blue/green/grey. Luckily, the special colour disappears on the second or third steep, which is personally when I think their oolong blends tend to peak. XD

Yes, I love unflavoured tea, especially the greener spectrum! Whenever I buy oolong for myself it tends not to last long. :)

Leafhopper
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Christmas gifts to yourself are sometimes the best gifts because you know what you like. :) I’ve definitely splurged on tea gifts to myself this year as well.

I didn’t realize MF had a free shipping threshold. I’m guessing it’s pretty high.

I’d be happy to message you next year if you have some French teas you’d like to trade for some greener oolongs!

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Oolong Châtaigne

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