Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

1 TB for 500mL pot, bare.

The label suggests a 5-minute steep, which I followed and am now enjoying, but I can see anyone who’s already a bit down on florals finding this ooling a bit soapy at a 5-minute steep, especially if use water that’s a bit too hot, like I just did. I’m gonna try a shorter steep next time, maybe 3 minutes.

But that’s a subtlety. This oolong — and I am right in the mood for oolongs these last few days — is incredibly sensual. As in, it affects many senses at the same time. This first infusion has a buttery mouth-feel and a clean finish. Quite floral, with the oolong’s own floral notes hauting the tongue after the magnolia washes away.

Delicious complexities. Good for long and unhurried sipping.

1TB for 500mL water, bare.

Dry, like a dry white wine. Floral, but a welcome change from jasmine (which I love). Dry again. A bit sweet, a bit ‘green,’ but not grassy-green. Clean. Lighter all round than many oolongs I’ve tried. Relaxing. Helps me focus.

Ahhhh…now this is a delightful cup. It’s so smooth and almost a little sweet. I enjoyed a large mug of this while eating my blueberry bagel this morning. They really seemed to go well together. The sweetness of the bagel brought out almost a maple/molasses flavor in the tea. I can taste a very faint smokiness that others have mentioned, but only if I concentrate really hard. I prefer not to concentrate this early in the morning so I am just enjoying a fine cup. Much thanks to oOTeaOo for this sample!

I finished up another tin of tea. This one is nice because its a lighter black tea. The liquor is a honey brown. It has a nice sweet and nutty flavor in the background. Very good in the morning.

I see the bottom of the tin! Almost done with this one. I am post call and drinking Nepal this morning. My boyfriend added sugar and a lot of milk, so it was very creamy, and it again rounded the yunnan-like, metallic-like taste.

Such a nice basic black tea. So smooth too! I’m glad I had this for breakfast. Plus, I need to drink more teas so I can clear some room for the new teas coming in the mail!

Breakfast! Delicious! :)

Delicious tea for breakfast today. :) I love the color and texture of the leaves. All shades of brown and curly. It is sweet, and I added sugar to it. :) Yum!

Breakfast tea :)

I have a hard time writing about this tea. The leaves are a nice mix of black and golden brown. I can’t describe the scent. The liquor was a light brown. I didn’t use any sugar, and upon tasting it, theres something in the back of my throat. Perhaps some astringency. I’ll try this again with sugar. Its on the “lighter” side of black teas.

I love this. It’s one of my favourite jasmine teas. It’s so rich that I actually find it less cloying than most jasmines/florals.

But I’ve done a bad thing. I’ve been asked to substitute at a new branch office that’s pretty poorly equipped. I feel like I’ve been locked in an abandoned house (it’s not in the greatest shape, and is being renovated). Because I wanted to brighten the experience for myself, and because it’s located only steps away from a DavidsTea, I caved and bought the cute polka-dot Perfect Mug and the green mini Bodum kettle I’ve been eyeing for months. Ugh. I did not need to spend that money, but the kettle is so adorable! It makes just a mug of hot water. And, combined with my nerdy timer gadget also from DT, I have a cute tea-making station that keeps me occupied and happy while the office is incredibly slow.

This is always so lovely to come back to when I remember I have it!

This one doesn’t really jump out at me when browsing my tea selection, but when I want something light and floral it’s perfect. A very pleasant and reliable jasmine.

This is an excellent jasmine tea! It’s incredibly fragrant yet somehow not perfumey/artificial. I always thought I couldn’t stand jasmine, from prior experiences with low-quality tea I suppose. I often don’t even like jasmine in perfumes and soaps and such. I generally stay away from floral teas, but was really feeling this one (especially the scent).

I am pretty absorbed by finding the right tea for certain activities. I have work teas, class teas, reading teas, wake-up teas, lazy TV-watching teas, etc. This called to me as the perfect driving-home-from-the-cottage-at-midnight tea Sunday night, and it certainly was. Calming while keeping me energized and focussed.

I tried some of this yesterday to help get me out the door.

It’s a very solid Earl Grey, I think. The Bergamot is very nice and boldly citrusy though it left me with a bit of an aftertaste I couldn’t put my finger on. I quite enjoyed this with a tiny splash of milk.

Dry leaves smell like muscat. Brews rich amber and smells like honey and grape. Tastes mildly malty with a hint of smoke and aftertaste of hay. Full mouth feel. Moderate astringency. A little bitterness. A solid, archetypal black Tea (with a capital “T”).

My first sip of my A&D Christmas present to me. I’m not sure how I feel about this tea yet, I can’t quite make out what this scented oolong is scented with. It seems to have a sort of floral taste with maybe a hint of some kind of fruit.

EDIT: I looked it up and it’s scented with magnolia blossoms!

Tastes like a crackling campfire. Perfect for this wintery day.