Goût Russe

Advent Calendar Day Six

I think this is the simplest tea in the calendar thus far; it’s essentially a more orange-y Earl Grey… which is already sort of orange flavoured/citrus flavoured?

As weird and basic as this seemed to be to me, it was fascinating though because as much as bergamot is just citrus itself I could actually taste a clear difference between the bergamot oil and the added orange and I didn’t expect to be able to. Definitely a really pleasant cup, and very smooth overall. Not something I’d think about getting in the future because even if I can taste a difference between the citrus notes it’s still quite basic and I’ve got plenty of Earl Grey type blends on hand.

I do like that the tea basically went; “You’re gonna judge me before trying me? Well fuck you, prepare to be surprised!”. It was a nice thing, in this case, to be proven wrong.

I was a little disappointed to see this tea bag only because I recently had a similar tea yesterday. I think that I would have been more okay with two similar teas if I spread them out over the course of a few days, but I’m playing catch up.. so now is the time to drink it!

I’ve decided that Earl Grey teas are a once in a while tea for me. Two teas that are Earl Grey-ish in a week may be a bit too much. That being said, I think this would be a great choice for someone who loves orange/citrus oils and black tea.

It’s bright and smooth. This cup even leaves that tingling feeling that you get after eating an orange wedge. I can see a splash of milk adding a more comforting dimension, but it’s lovely without. Given the choice between this one and the Earl Grey Yin Zhen I had yesterday, I think I prefer Gout Russe. It’s mild, sweet and citrusy.

December 6 – Advent 2014

Dammann Frères Advent Calendar – December 6th

Hooray, another black base! I must say, I’ve been very happy with the ratio of teas in the calendar so far – it’s been almost all black teas, with one green and one rooibos. Just how I like it! :) I was very surprised that I had to add this tea to Steepster (there were two similar teas but not this exact one). Anyway! This is a black tea with bergamot and orange oils, so it should be similar to Troika from Kusmi. The dry scent is quite lovely, and I can definitely smell the sweet orange clearly.

Yum, I like this one a lot. The bergamot and the orange are both strong enough to be easily identified, but not so strong that they overpower your mouth. The base tea is mellow and smooth, and though it doesn’t really have any distinguishing characteristics on its own, it serves as a nice base for the citrus oils. I’m drinking mine straight, but I’m sure this would be lovely with a touch of sugar or milk as well. Thanks Dammann!

P.S. – I must say, I’m actually very happy that this advent calendar is in sachet form! It’s so convenient and doesn’t leave me with extra bits of tea to sipdown later. :)