This is the other Dammann Frères Christmas tea I bought, and after being utterly moonstruck by Noël à Venise, I can return to earth a bit to say that this, too, is rather lovely. The site description for this tea is “blend of black teas perfumed with notes of chocolate, apricot and vanilla. A subtle and tasty blend evoking the greedy taste of the famous Sacher cake,” but on the bag, it also lists orange peel and pineapple. Perhaps it’s better I did not see that, because I might have had second thoughts — it seems a bit of an overwhelming mix that could have you searching for the tea … or maybe the exit. Not to worry, though; they don’t lie when they say this is a subtle blend. Nothing, including the chocolate, is very assertive in this tea, but all together it makes for a very tasty, refined cup that teases out a bit of all these notes without blasting the tastebuds. I’m enjoying the restrained elegance.
I must say that in my personal experience so far, I do prefer this approach to chocolate as a nuance of of the blend rather than a main attraction. With the chocolate-forward teas I’ve tried so far, I’m always wondering why I don’t just have a cup of good cocoa, or maybe a mocha, if that’s what I want, rather than a watery chocolatish beverage with some tea taste. All that said, I did hope for a bit more apricot in this, but maybe I’m wrong. As I sit here with my empty cup, the last bit of lightly lingering flavor at the back of my tongue seems to be … maybe? … apricot?
