Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

1 scant TB for 500mL water, nothing added.

I love jasmine tea. It can be tricky to brew, and I learned recently, thanks to this very site, that for years I’ve been using water that’s too hot. Water that’s too hot can scald tea leaves and blossoms and make the overall tea bitter.

Today, I followed instructions … at least, as best I could without a thermometer or fancy adjustable kettle.

Dry leaves are medium to long and twisted. Liquor is pale straw. Scent is heady and heavy with jasmine … with REAL jasmine. No fakery here. Assertive and pleasant finish. Clean mouth-feel, which I really like and generally only find in white teas.

The green tea, as another Steepsterite has noted, is not especially strong and is almost as delicate as white tea. Almost, but not quite: there’s a slight bit of vegetal and (ooh, look at me with my new word!) mineral tastes from the green tea. The mineral taste may come from my tap water, either; my city’s water supply comes from a lake. In winter, when the city lowers the chlorine levels, you can catch bits of reed and rocks in the water, very refreshing.

But back to the tea. The jasmine mouth-feel is fairly heavy; someone else compared it to soap. I wouldn’t go that far, but this is a serious jasmine tea. The scent alone intoxicates, in a good way; can’t wait for the jasmine “hit” from this brew. AHHHHH, there it is … laughter and smiles and peace. Any word on whether jasmine flowers are narcotic at all? ;)

Final note: aftertaste goes from clean to slightly powdery.

I slightly prefer the Dragon Pearls I got from my local teashop, but Andrews and Dunham’s Jasmine Green is also excellent. I’ll be sorry to finish this little tin, but I won’t be hoarding it, either.

Oh my goodness! Now that’s an assam! It’s malty and strong, but not harsh at all! It’s not something I’d want to drink all the time, but it’d be perfect on a really rainy day or if I had to be up before the sun. Yum!

Theres a certain satisfied feeling that I get when I finish a tin of tea. This is how I felt when I finished Ceylon today. It is certainly tasty and one of my favorite types of black teas. Delicious with a small amount of sugar and milk. I love the tin though! I cleaned it out and will use it again later! Woo! Now I can try the teas that are waiting for me.

I’m feeling really ill this morning, and I’m struggling to get ready to go to my rotation. ugh! I’m having Ceylon this morning. Hopefully I start to feel better.

Breakfast tea with my boyfriend. I’m on call today sigh

Wow my best friend’s wedding last night turned out perfect! We all had so much fun! Now its the morning after and I’m enjoying a mug of Ceylon. Delicious. The milk rounded the Ceylon pretty well.

I made this strong today and added cream and sugar. Ceylon always has that distinguishable taste that I can’t seem to describe. It is good though. Almost metallic bur not really. Good breakfast tea. Im stressing because my close friend is getting married tomorrow. Being moh is a lot of work. I just hope i dont forget anything! We will see what happens!

Breakfast tea! My boyfriend decided to mix this with Star of Africa…

I’m about halfway through this tin. Where did it all go? This was our breakfast tea this morning. Delicious and light.

I made chai today for my cousin, and used this as a base. It was really delicious. I might try and buy some regular milk for my chai teas. I bet it would add more ‘creaminess’ to it. :)

Backlog. I made this exactly as instructed, and it smelled like “my typical morning black tea” but I remember being surprised about how sweet and smooth it was! Not bitter at all. Great tea!

Stupid tea.

I hadn’t really been very particular about earl grey until I tried this one. Now I seem to be on a mission to find a similar non-limited release grey.
This earl doesn’t hide the tea under the Bergamot flavor, and it’s not a citrus extravaganza, which for some reason I can only really enjoy on hot summer days (don’t ask why, I don’t know either).
For me I can get 2.5 steeps out of it, with the last .5 being drinkable depending on the alignment of the stars and some variation of the previous steeps that I’ve been unable to work out. It’s my relaxing mid-morning to early afternoon pick me-up and I’m going to be seriously miffed if I can’t find a replacement before A&D runs out.

YUUMM… It’s been ages since I have had a smokey tea, and oh how I’ve missed it. After a raging migraine for the last 2.5 days caffiene has become a necessity. Firstly is the beautiful smokey taste that reminds me of the smoked turkeys on Thanksgiving (yum), next is the subtle smell of smoldering pine needles, then a very small pop of something that tastes like caramel, and finally the delicious smoke lingering on the back of the throat. I guess I should visit poor Jackee more often.

Emptied this beautiful tin today! Dragonwell with lunch! How perfect :)

I renewed my ACLS today, and it was a 9-5 business. … … So long! This tea kept me sort of alive through it all. I filled up my libre tea and took it with me. During lunch break, I filled it up with some mixed hot/cold water. This steep wasn’t as good as the first, but still kept me going. I should pack some emergency tea with me.