This whole Dammann Frères experience is turning a little too existential and emotional. I just wanted to drink some tea, okay? And now I’m forced to reminisce about my dead grandmother and maybe even reevaluate my whole outlook on black teas. I’m packing my trans-Atlantic suitcase right now; I don’t have time for these shenanigans!
But fine. My two top blacks are teas from Mariage Frères – they’re rich and luxurious and very flavourful. I love all those things. But they’re also fairly thick, almost a little muddy, and very dark, which pretty much sums up what I have a hard time handling when it comes to certain blacks.
Dammann’s black bases, on the other hand, leave the liquid a dark amber, and they’re very light and easily drunk. In this case, though, the flavour is a little too delicate to leave me entirely seduced. It’s quite smooth and elegant, but I think I’d like to try a somewhat longer steep to see if I can get some more flavour out of this.
[From my epic Instant-Thé order to Rome, October 2013.]
90 C, 4 min