Thé de l'Abbaye

2024 sipdown no. 74

Thank you for sharing Cameron!

This has a distinct fruity smell and taste. I can’t identify it as plum, it’s almost grape-like to me. It’s definitely not generic fruit. The base is a bit finicky — a 2.5 minute steep was a bit bitter, while a 2 minute steep worked well. However, bitterness came forward as it cooled even with the shorter steep.

There’s really nothing to read here except my confession of abject failure. I was so excited to try this…took it to work (Mistake #1) and scorched it—kettle water was too hot. Bitter, bitter, bitter! Added a little honey, hoping to neutralize it (Mistake #2) and then all there was was a cup of hot bitter honey water.

Before trying to doctor it, I did get some hints of the lovely little fruity notes that I’ve seen in the other reviews.

Sigh. derk, dearest, I apologize for my sloppy mishandling!

Okay, this one deserves some love.

I had it first with breakfast and was really surprised by how much flavor it had. The base was good and strong with a hint of bitterness, and with breakfast I thought it tasted quite nutty with caramel and fruit, in that order. I made another cup to drink later and it was all fruit and caramel, with lots of drippy good caramel flavor. I didn’t get nuttiness that time. As it cooled, the chameleon changed some more. The hint of bitterness up front (a nice, arresting kind not a turn off kind) grew a bit, but was always followed up with a punch of apricot and caramel.

It really does taste different when paired with different things, and I concur that it resteeps well. Definitely worth trying and worth buying if you like apricot, plum, and caramel.

Thank you, derk, for sending some tea love my way!

I did a thing. I bought a kilogram of French tea. It’s actually pretty affordable when bought in bulk loose leaf. Those sachets are for royalty!

The aroma of this is absolutely intoxicating!! The exclamation marks coming from a normally reserved derk should give you a clue. It’s such a sweet and tangy, ringing golden yellow plum aroma! With a swirl of soft milky-creamy caramel! A golden bell glinting in the sun, a golden yellow tapestry made of the finest silk. It reminds me of my friend who came by the other night, how strange.

Guessing the base green tea is Chun Mee or maybe a Ceylon green. Those types of tea never wow but whatever it is, it’s a great delivery vehicle for this luxuriously fruity and floral, golden cherry plum note to evaporate ever so slowly in the aftertaste. There’s also this natural apricot in the aftertaste that I do think is from the green tea itself. The body is fairly thick and brisk, very mineral-salty and does have some bitterness to it which lingers for a while on the tongue. I like this part, since it gives the experience some more depth. Caramel flavor enhances the impression of deep sweetness and gently contrasts the sun-blushed redder tones of that beautiful mirabelle plum flavor.

It tastes like a gift from the sun.

Steep twice!