Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

This morning, I reached for this tin. I opened it up and saw that there was only some leaves left for one more steeping. I guess my husband really guzzled this up! Delicious! It was a dreary day today, and I was especially tired, so this helped me a little. This tea is so good, and I’m sad to see it go.

I can’t resist tea! Today we went to eat at our favorite kaiten sushi restaurant for lunch and had some green tea (I presume it is genmaicha). On our way back home, it started to snow a little bit. As soon as I got settled in, I decided to heat up some water and make some tea that will warm me up inside.

Damn Fine Holiday Blend was just right. I love this tea either straight or with some additives. Today called for some lactose-free milk and brown sugar. I love the tinge of smokiness and the nutty taste this exudes. With the milk and sugar, I almost felt like I was biting into a cookie. This is so delicious. I love this tea. I see the bottom of the tin. A part of me feels a strange sense of accomplishment since I have a ton of teas waiting to be opened and tried, and another part of me feels sad since I’ll miss this tea.

With Andrew & Dunham’s other tea tins, I just clean with a slightly damp paper towel and wipe dry. I feel like this may need more cleaning since its a larger tin. I am not sure what I would put in it too. :) Anyhow, I’m having a good day! woo!!

My mother bought this for me for Christmas! I was so happy! It looks like a small can of paint. The label is super cute and theres a snowflake sticker on the top of the can. I also love the holiday letter that was enclosed. So carefully I opened the tin with the end of a spoon. VOILA! Black slightly curled leaves with small specks of green. Smells slightly smokey and sweet. Love it.

Upon steeping, the liquor was a dark golden brown. It reminds me of Yunnan or a milder Keemun. I wish I knew what was in there. There is no hint of bitterness. Delicious! I drank this plain. There was a hint of nuts, sweetness, cream, and slight smokiness to it. Brings back memories to my first Keemun. Very good tea. :)

Uber-ultra-NOM! I spent the whole day yesterday steeping this and just looooved it. TG

On a side note I had fun typing “Holiday Tea Damn” to look this tea up on Steepster. Yes, I have no life ;)

I received this tea several days ago and waited until Christmas Eve Day to give it a try. It came with my very first epic A&D order (I purchased several sets — sigh, I’m gonna miss Select) and I wanted to wait until I had a day to thoroughly enjoy this. I was already adoring the packaging (Geek that I am, plus the spray cans and sparkly snowflake sticker and the cool holiday letter enclosed in the box. Thank you A&D for all the wonderful packaging on top of the well-named teas/company). Oh, and that shiny-shiny sticker? It’s kinda mesmerizing to look at while the tea steeps.

Anywho, WOW. I didn’t get to try the Yunnan, but if it’s anywhere near as awesome as this, then damn, am I disappointed that I didn’t get me some before it went away. This is just heavenly. It’s bold with a strong earthiness that I’ve only associated with pu’erhs before. I’m yet to be converted to a pu’erh fan, but for some reason I am truly and deeply digging how rich and earthy this is. It’s like this tea is smirking “all your soul are belong to us” as it sucks my soul.

I may be going a bit overboard since I haven’t taken time to brew a proper cup of tea in months (all of it has been at work or on the run), so this reaction may be a bit of a fall-out from 1. controlled tea-brewing conditions, 2. several days off where I get to decompress before getting back to the grind, 3. the warm-fuzzies of the holidays, and 4. having given blood yesterday afternoon.

But I do believe that if this were crap tea, then I’d know it. I just think that this is marvelous and I’m in tea nirvana right now. TG

I really didn’t expect to like this tea, I haven’t really craved jasmine flavored teas and thought it would just be one I tried and passed along. Well, I find I’m enjoying this tea more and more. I drink this more in the evenings when I don’t want the caffeine of a black tea. I craved it again tonight, and noticed I was down to less than half of the tin. I haven’t even opened the earl grey yet, as the Lupicia Earl Grey came into my life right before this one did. I think I may order another set (or two) of these just to have this tea around a little longer.

After a day full of errands I arrived back at my apartment to fin my mailbox stuffed with A&D tea. I really wanted to try this one first because I have another Jasmine tea coming from Mighty Leaf tomorrow. I wanted to see how this lived up to how I remember that tea.

I have to say, I love A&D’s packaging. Such bright vibrant, detailed labels (hippie chick with an afro on this tin, amazing!). I brewed 2 tsps in 12oz water at 175F.

I am enjoying the strength of the jasmine flavor in this. It doesn’t taste perfumey, it tastes sweet, smooth and floral (as it should). The base tea is sweet and melds well with the jasmine flavors.

I will have to do a side by side comparison of the two jasmine’s to determine which I like more, although I’m not sure it matters, as I like both, and this is a limited tea. Nice job with this blend DFT!

5 tsp for 1100mL water, strong (3-minute steep) black tea setting with basket cycle in the Breville. Drunk bare. Rating: 100.

Yeah, I found a few extra pennies and scarfed up some more HB. Today it’s mostly chewy Yunnan and winey Keemun, creamy heft and faint smoke. One of my favourite blends EVER.

I also promised an empty tin to a young Star Wars fan I know. But I’ve got to drink the tea first. Win-win.

BLEND: 2/3 Damn FIne Holiday Blend, 1/3 Damn Fine Captain Assam

1 heaping TB tea for 500mL water, bare.

The Captain mellows the Holiday Blend’s sharpness without overpowering it, resulting in a heavier, creamier cuppa. And quite the dose of caffeine, I might add. Will experiment later with different ratios. I also want to introduce the Captain to some Keemun, but I gotta find some Keemun first.

1 TB for 500mL, bare.

Ahhhhh, last TB of Holiday Blend, and the tin now sits on my desk holding my favourite pens. How does ‘Farewell, HB’ taste? Like the hug of a dear friend whose warm heart and lively conversation make me understand contentment. Yes, it’s that good. This morning I get mostly brightness and Keemun wine with a top note of honey-Yunnan. At least, I think that’s what I’m tasting. Perhaps I’m just a windbag. But never mind me. This is a brilliant blend. Get some while you can, before Andrews and Dunham start flogging single estate leaves trod on by milk-fed elephants.

2 TB for 600mL pot, bare, steeped 8 minutes on a warming plate.

Okay, the only reason I’m logging about Damn Fine Holiday Blend AGAIN is because I keep experimenting with it and want to share. This time I made a small pot and steeped it on the mug-warmer playe I keep on my desk these days. Highly recommend one for your small pots.

Normally I use 1 TB for 500mL, but today tried adding “one for the pot.” Then carefully poured some of this ambrosia into a small china cup.

Yep, right thing to do.

Slightly heavier body, no bitterness, dark copper liquor, bright Ceylon (?) notes, assertive Assam malt. Winey Keemun (?) in the aftertaste. Faintest whiff of Darjeeling, I think.

Every batch of HB I’ve made has been slightly different. Very glad I ordered another tin, because this one is 3/4 gone.

Thank you, Steepsterites, for alerting me to A&D.

1 TB for 500mL water, drunk bare, steeped 4 minutes in a covered mug. water just off the boil.

I’ve already made several notes on the Damn Fine Holiday blend. Today I just want to add that, as it cools, fruity notes come out. Second fruity surprise today, and most welcome.

Second infusion note.

1TB for 500mL water. First steep: four minutes. Second steep: a good eight minutes, easily, as I got distracted by laundry.

Only slight less sharp that the first infusion. No bitterness, which surprises me as the first infusion can get better past the four-minute mark. Not quite as much depth this time, but the differences are subtle. A bit more Yunnan pepper-mineral coming through.

Wow. What a cup of tea.

2 scant TB for a 600mL pot, drunk bare.

A most resilient tea. This time I nearly ruint it — really, too much leaf for the pot, but even though the brew got slightly bitter, it’s still great. Also brighter and more assertive, in a cheery way, like a noisy and well-loved friend announcing herself as she swings open the door. I had planned to make this tasting note a warning not to use too much leaf, but I’m really liking what I made here.

Mineral notes are also more pronounced, but, as I’ve noted elsewhere, mineral notes may come from my tap water, which in turn comes from a lake.

1 rounded TB for 500mL water, drunk bare.

Teatime! Elevenses!

Sipping this beautiful brew after a quick, um, breakfast of slightly stale toffee loaf chopped up and soaked in coffee-flavoured yogurt. Puurrrrrr …

But the tea, the tea! Mineral and slightly smoky this morning with a rich Yunnan finish. I love how this blend subtly varies so much. Mad hot, refreshing, especially after an insanely rich morning of capucinno, hot chocolate and the above-mentioned alleged breakfast.

Some Assam (?) depth as I sip further down the cup. Peace.

I find the recommended four-minute steep to be perfect. HB can get bitter if steeped longer.

1 rounded TB for 500mL water, drunk bare.

Mmmm … getting something crisp, sunny and earthy all at once in the foretaste … Darjeeling? Nepal? Mineral notes, too, but that may be my tap water.

Hahahaha — ‘Cup of Brown Joy’ just came up in my iTunes playlist. ‘You could say I’m mad for tea, or just say I’m mad.’

Overall, once more, delicious and sparkling. Cheering. Tends slightly to bitterness, which makes me wonder if something more delicate in the blend mightn’t be happier with water just off the boil. Must try that next.