Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

this was my morning tea today, though it’s not exactly this tea. A few of us are experimenting with vanilla bean and this was a trial to see how the blending is coming along. so far so good, it’s not nearly as vanilla-y as i want it to be but it it IS really tastey. the vanilla adding a little creaminess to this base. I’ll have to let is sit a little longer and maybe add a bit of vanilla powder as well, see if that helps make it a richer taste. so far though, not too shabby!

mmm another from yesterday – almost near the end of this tin, though i have a second waiting to be opened. This one has grown on me over time – initially i didn’t love it as much as i do now. it seemed to need a little time to sit for me to fully love it, and now i do :)

started out today with this tea since i’m trying to continue to be good about drinking old favourites. This tea has really become something i enjoy drinking as it’s gotten older. First time i had it, it was still a little….“fresh” :)

Had a lovely cup of this one in the morning today and now i’m wondering where the day went! I’m super glad that i still have this one kicking around – hells, i’ve got a second tin that’s not even open! woot woot! now we just need A&D to do free shipping so i can get the holiday tin hah

nomity nom nom. Another one of those teas that i really need to drink more often (especially since i have two tins of it) because it’s super tasty. I think i axctually prefer it a little more now that it’s sat around for a bit heh.

DAMN FINE MORNING! ok it’s really not…it’s miserable and wet, snowy, cold outside but that just gave me an excuse to work from home and drink tea! I picked this one for the morning because it arrived last night and i’m soooo excited about it. Steeped it for 5 mins, but after tasting this cup, i’m thinking this is going to be good for even longer steeps haha. At 5 mins, there’s a hint of sweet fruitiness to this one that reminds me of the memory of some of the TTC teas that i’ve had. yes that makes sense in my head. The cup was smooth and pleasant and i’m glad i picked up TWO tins of this! woot woot!

Twinkle, twinkle red-tailed hawk,
aren’t I happy that I’ve got
such a tasty bright new tea.
Oh darjeeling’s fine by me.
Twinkle, twinkle red-tailed hawk
yes I’m happy that I’ve got…

Interesting. Smoky. Yes definitely smoky. And brisk! With a nice amount of malt. And a bit of copper.
A complex tea to be sure!
Not my absolute fave, but a really nice change from the norm. I quite enjoyed it. Thanks for the sample Lala!

This tea sample is courtesy of boychik who is so lovely and generous with me :)

I guess I’m continuing with my theme of the day which is TOO MUCH CAFFEINE. I had some matcha for breakfast and didn’t log it, a green tea mid morning, and then some Turkish coffee at lunchtime. Add some keemun to all this and I’m WAY over caffeinated for the day! heh

This is my first “Damn Fine” tea (I think?) and it is damn fine, indeed! Very complex, rich, full bodied and malty yet also has some floral notes on top. I’m not really getting any smoke from it, but I’m fine with that! YUM

This pot is the last of this tin. I am still liking this tea, I do prefer my Keemun a little more malty and tobacco-y, but it’s still pretty darn good. I brewed it up in my big Brown Betty pot, so I have a goodly amount for the moment.

Winter weather(such as it is in Texas) is here – today’s high is supposed to be 40F, we might get some sleet this weekend. So I might be out of hibernation more – it’s tea weather. Haven’t been posting much because of personal issues. But I need something to take my mind off things, so I’ll try to interact more, like humans do.

Mmmmm… the perfect tea for a cloudy day. I love the malty goodness!

My “morning” tea (we slept in…). As always, this is a good tea, but never quite as bold as I want in a Keemun. That earthy cocoa-ness is there, but dialed way down.

Sippin’ tea and trying to remain calm. I leave to London in two days!

I swear, Keemun is better than any hot chocolate in the world. I love its malty cocoa-yness. This one is a little lighter than I want today, but still a really good flavor though. No astringency or bitterness at all, even after steeping for awhile. The second cup is as good as the first.

My 4th annual Buy Nothing Summer starts the day after I return, so my only new teas for the next 3 months (June, July, August) will be what I pick up as souvenirs on the trip. I am internally debating whether to unsubscribe from the Steepster Select box for those 3 months or keep it as it is a consumable experience. I have an art supply subscription (Artsnacks) to ponder keeping or cancelling as well.

Aside: If anyone wants to join in Buy Nothing Summer, I post about it on my blog (www.evilwidgets.com). It’s kind of like a long, non-religious Lent. You can apply it to as much or as little of your life as you want – my first year, I just stopped buying art supplies.

Teawise, besides souvenir teas, prepare for a 3 month sipdown from me :D Since I have unopened packets in my cupboard, so it won’t be monotonously boring!

Finally brewed up some of this after having it my cupboard for over a week. I have been having some heartburn so I’ve been cutting out the caffeine for a bit. Finally feeling up to brewing up a pot.

This is a lovely, gentle keemun. Not as smokey as the keemuns I get from Adagio, but it’s a charming drink for a lazy morning.

I prepared it as a latte with almond milk and stevia.

It’s a relaxing cup, and took my mind off some big changes that are coming my way and inducing stress. :) Good changes (hopefully) but that doesn’t make them any less stressful.

1.5 tsp for 300mL water @100C, steeped six minutes and fifteen seconds.

Honey, bread, roses, earth. No astringency. A soft and downy mouthfeel from those gorgeous leaves. Mineral sparkle on the finish. I love this tea.

1.5 tsp (more or less, fluffy leaf) for 300mL water @100C, steeped 5 minutes. Second infusion.

These rich leaves give up a second 5-minute steep that is very like the first — perhaps not so downy, and a bit more mineral. Not only an excellent tea but an excellent value. Damn Fine does it again.

1.5 tsp for 300mL water @100C, steeped five minutes, drunk bare.

Dry leaf smells of leather, earth, and pepper. I love a peppery Yunnan. Lots and lots of golden tips.

Classic Yunnan forest floor taste: earthy, with trees. Cocoa, some baked bread. Leather and honey notes in the scent, and maybe something floral. No peppery bite. Some linen in the mouthfeel. Smooth finish. Very good.

1.5 tsp for 300mL water @100C, steeped 6 minutes 15 seconds.

Honey and a bright sparkle (not astringency, though) from this glorious tea this morning. Dark copper liquor, and lots of toast and orchid notes, too. No smoke today. A delicate Keemun that shows complexity and strength when allowed to steep. No bitterness.

1.5 tsp for 300mL water @100C, steeped 6 minutes 30 seconds.

At a longer steep, this Keemun develops more of the classic Keemun oak and toast and distant smoke, even a faint scent like bergamot, while remaining delicate and sweet. Some cream and honey. Copper liquor. I think I prefer it as 5 minutes, but it’s good to know this one forgives a longer steep. A lovely tea. I’ve got a second tin on the way, and I shall be sorry when it’s gone.

1.5 tsp for 300mL water @100C, steeped 5 minutes, drunk bare.

Little tiny curly leaves!

Dry leaf gives a faint scent of Keemun tastiness. Steeping leaf smells very delicate, like fresh earth.

Red-brown liquor. Aromas of bread, toast, oak, and orchid.

Tastes of all that, and some honey. Some sweet potato notes. Light, toasty-oaky finish. Not at all a tarry Keemun. Gentle and sweet. I love it.

Ha! I accidentally steeped this for 12 minutes, and it still tasted amazing. Any other tea on my shelf would taste bitter and horrible after such an over-steeping. WINNER.

Fantastic – even more drinkable without additives than the Red-Tailed Hawk. After having this tin for half the time I’ve had the Red-Tailed Hawk, there’s already less of this left than remains in the other tin. That’s a testament to how often I reach for it during my most uncaffeinated bleariness.