Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

I am not sure what is in this tea, but I saw a few small green leaves mixed with a lot of various shades of brown tea leaves. It smells a lot like Keemun with a little Yunnan to me. It is smooth with a hint of astringency at the end of a sip. It is buttery and toasty with some roasted nuts. This has a very rich flavor! Great for the snowy day out.

I have so much updating to do! But I just moved house, and everything is very hectic, so I haven’t been taking the time with my tea that I’d like to. I joined the Verdant Reserve Club for February and haven’t touched the teas yet, because I’ve had no time to do it propery :(

So, today at least I had some Tiger Assam at the office – strong, but not fussy. I kept the first steep to 4 minutes, with milk and sugar. The second I just let sit for awhile, and it’s perfect for drinking straight. Strong rounded flavor, slightly sweet but also astringent enough to make you sit up and take notice.

After tomorrow I should have internet at the new place :P and can log all the tea I drink during this snowstorm we’re supposed to get…

This is a great black tea. I drank it on the way to work this morning and enjoyed every sip. It was not a super bold tea a la a breakfast blend but it had some body and a nice mouthfeel and woke me up just fine.

What a nice black tea! I find it being a little more toned down black, but it certainly produces a very nice flavor (whatever the 5 teas may be).

I could taste the malty sweetness and a TANG of smoke that others have noted. The blend of teas is not listed specifically but I think I love the combination – there is also a tad note of malt.

This is a great blend of straight teas. Yum!

Iced!

Okay so, I had planned to eat a very late breakfast of warm buttered banana bread and thought this tea would make a delightful accompaniment. After I’d already put my new variable temp kettle on to heat and portioned the tea out into the steeper, I decided I would rather eat the salad I’d be planning on having later then. (Romaine and spinach, orange bell pepper, sun-dried tomato, rosymary ham, sharp white cheddar, and balsamic vinaigrette, in case you were wondering.)

So I ended up eating my salad, drinking half my mug of tea, heating up some soup because it wasn’t a large salad and I was still hungry, eating that, and then drinking the rest of my mug of tea.

I made a second steep which I didn’t end up drinking this afternoon and will heat up and have in the morning.

I currently have a cup of Numi’s African Nectar, a tropical flavored rooibos, steeping up on my desk and it smells so good.

Alright! I’ve found two more teas from July misplaced on my jotted down page of notes on what I’ve drank. These should have gone between the Earl Grey iced tea and the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie tealogs below. Then it’ll be on to August. My Steepster slogan should be: Tealogging! I’m always 15 notes or so behind!

So this tea, this time I let it cool accidentally until it was a little warmer than room temperature and god was it amazing! It was very malty and I could taste stone fruits – peach, apricot, and cherry. As it cooled further, those tastes gave way to a honeyed floral.

The second steep was juicy, malty, and a bit drying but not astringent, and also lovely. I’m afraid I might hoard this tea; it was so good this time.

I don’t know if it’s my taste buds or slight changes to the way I steep and drink my tea (lower end of the steeping range, more leaf, letting the cup cool until very warm but no longer hot), but I can really taste more in my teas. I used to just be able to distinguish between different black teas or green teas or what have you. Sometimes I could taste a general descriptive term or find a flavor I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Increasingly lately, I can pick out distinct and nameable tastes, and multiple notes of flavors in my teas. I love it! Even though, I’m drinking less tea in the hot South Carolina summer, I’m enjoying every cup so much.

Backlogging. 10 days ago. Thursday morning.

The February Backlog: From the 1st to today.

Valentine’s Day with the Captain. Two steeps.

Backlogging. 5 days ago. Tuesday morning.

The February Backlog: From the 1st to today.

Since I removed Jackee from my steepster cupboard, I figured it was time to add The Captain to it. The first steep was watery tasting as I started to sip with the hearty strength I wanted at the end of each sip. As it cooled some and I sipped more slowly, I began to get that taste throughout the sip. Second steep was lighter though flavorful throughout. I like him, this Captain, and I think I will have more to say about him after I have him another time or two. I’m rating him a 74 to begin with, solidly in the middle of my good range 70-80.

Like an old lover you don’t fully remember until he’s an inch away from your face, and then it all comes rushing back… this tea is disarmingly familiar, sweet and smoky, my favorite of A&D’s current offerings. I’m a Lapsang Souchong lover, so the discovery of this smoky tea is a revelation.

They’re not random about their 4 minute steep time, but I discovered by accident yesterday that I prefer to max out the steep time on this one and load it up with milk and a dollop of my black tea sweetener of choice, pure maple syrup. Strong and solid and yes.

I have to say that every time I brew this tea I like it a little better. It’s becoming one of my favorites after a good, but not great, first impression.

My ratings always seem somewhat harsh when I judge on a 100-points basis. (The same happens with wine ratings.) But I enjoy this tea quite a bit. If I did put milk in tea, I think this would be one where I would enjoy it. But I don’t, and it’s still quite comforting. I find the small a bit off-putting, but the taste is quite pleasant.

Sipdown sadness :(

You can’t have the hop if you don’t have the hip.

Wow! This tea packs a punch. It’s to tea what espresso is to coffee. Rich, malty, and brilliant. Absolutely no bitterness, just sharp assam glory.

Thank you LiberTEAS for sharing this sample.