Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

This morning I had Thomas. I woke up. I wanted Thomas. And gosh darn it, I had him.

He came out perfectly. Floury. Baked. Honey. If someone gave this to me to taste, I’d swear they put honey into it. It’s amazing that the taste is there without the honey. So yum!

2nd steep: 5 min 30 sec, 205° F.
Cooled to perfect drinkable warmness before I got to it. Delicious. Comforting. It really has been a perfect few tea days here.

1st steep.

The husband is on night shift currently. So I made him a cup of Thomas yesterday evening when he first woke up. He did not drink a 2nd steep. So late last night right before bed, I drank it with a bit of half and half (the milk was unopened and I didn’t want to open it for just a tad of it) to temper it down for nighttime. I know this did not decrease the caffeine content but somehow tea with milk seems more relaxing. I also slightly oversteeped to compensate for the dairy I knew I’d be adding. It still overpowered the tea too much.

PS This is out of order. I should have logged this before the previous tealog on Jackee.

2nd steep.

It was sad. Thomas got left by the wayside and did not get entirely drunk. Poor Thomas.

2nd steep.

I satisfied my craving for Thomas from last night this morning. In an effort to calm the bitterness and dryness, I steeped for 15 sec and 5° less than I normally do. Oh pooh, it turned honeyed biscuit Thomas into a rather plain uninspiring black. Then, a third of the way through the cup with it cooled from hot to warm, the honeyed biscuit was back with only a bit of bitterness at the end of each sip and no dryness. I like it! But I think I like bitter and dry honeyed biscuit Thomas that I can drink hot and is wonderful too. Perhaps I’ll steep him this way on days I desire a more mellow black tea. But I think I’m going back to 3 min 30 sec and 200° F.

I still find it a bit amazing that I can actually taste differences in a tea just with slight changes in parameters.

Backlogging.
Yesterday morning’s breakfast tea was the brawny Thomas. Even at 3 min 30 sec, his 1st steep is astringent and drying. His 2nd steep is perfect though. Definitely my preferred steep. I wish both steeps could come out that good. 2nd steep: 5 min, 205°.

Thomas Sampson threw his manly brawn around and ended up in my cup this again this morning. He was steeped for less time and in cooler water in an effort to reduce his bitterness a bit. It worked. And I think I got a bit of bake-y too. More of a honeyed biscuit though. I liked it. He will not have to fight his way into my cup tomorrow morning. His second steep (5 min, 205°) was weak but drinkable. Much more honeyed biscuit and less bitter, smoother. The slightest pinch of fresh leaf will revive him there, I think.

In one of my last tealogs, I was wondering where takgoti had gotten to. Then suddenly, where is chrine? Well, the husband was in a car accident early – 6am – Monday morning on the way to work, detailed below.

The husband: Drives our Prius, The Bunny. At 50 mph on cruise control. In the right lane. To get 53 mpg. While commuting 45 min to 1 hour each way to work. Lights on cause it’s still dark out. Assumes truck will pass him at the last minute cause they often do. Highway is flat and straight. The speed limit is 70 mph. No other cars are around.
The 18 wheeler: Does not pass the husband. Runs into his rear end, driver’s side.
The husband: Propelled a bit into left lane. Gets car off the road and stopped without hitting the tree line.
The Prius: Damaged but fixable.
The husband: Not badly hurt, ever so thankfully. Impact related back pain. On meds. Drowsy, zoned out, quiet.

Now, the tea. Also in non-sentence form. First tea since accident. Not sure this was the best time to try a tea for the first time. What the hell though.

Leaves.
Look: Thin, longer than Jackee, more curled, black with spots of tan and brown.
Smell: Papery – dusty, musty. A bit floral, oddly. Slightly sweet.

Wet leaves.
Look: Flat dark brown.
Smell: Papery. Raisiny. Sweet.

Tea.
Look: Deep brown with red tones.
Smell: Honey-floral-papery.
Taste: Bitter. Honey/sweet. Soft. Bitter.

I think I need to steep it less time or at a lower temp.

By the way, if Jackee “caramel” Muntz reminds me of takgoti, Thomas “bake-y” Sampson reminds me of Auggy.

Backlogging. 7 days ago. Sunday morning.

The February Backlog: From the 1st to today.

My morning mug Sunday morning last weekend. And my last serving of Jackee. I don’t know why I chose this day to finish him off. It wasn’t a special day nor was it a bad or anything else negative day. I guess it just felt like the day to. Being from an Andrews & Dunham limited number series, I cannot get anymore of Jackee and am quite sad to see him gone. If I were not quite cold and blah feeling today, I’m sure he’d get a better last tealog from me, which he deserves. I’m not changing the rating as I think he still deserves it. I had two steeps. I will miss this tea and I don’t like having to click the remove from cupboard button.

Backlogging. 4 days ago. Sunday morning.

This is also a tea I am hoarding. But I gave myself permission to go ahead and have it that morning for no special reason at all. I think I only have one serving left now. =(

It was extra rich, hearty, and delicious. Possibly because it’s nearly gone. The second steep was fulfilling as well.

Backlogging. 4 days ago. Late Saturday morning.

I’m pretty low on Jackee and I can’t get anymore so I must have been having a shitty morning to have gone for him. But I can’t remember why now. lol. Oh yeah, I woke up at 2am with a seriously bad headache and much nausea. It was gone in the morning, but I always feel off the day after bad headaches. The Jackee was so good though.

Backlog. 11 days ago – Saturday morning.

I remember that there was a special reason for having Jackee that morning, but I do not remember what. Quite probably my day was already off to a crappy start and I needed some very good tea. I’m rationing somewhat, but I will miss this one so much when it’s gone.

2nd steep: 8 mins.

After groggily making the previous tea I’d decided on before I changed my mind and picked Jackee to have with breakfast the day before, I made up for my mistake by making Jackee with breakfast two days ago – an everything bagel and cream cheese. Ohmigod, Jackee is so good and goes lovely with the bagel. I haven’t had him in awhile because I’m low on him and semi-hoarding him which I think makes him taste extra good when I do have him.

Backlogging. Last Thursday morning, the day after the previous tealog.

I hadn’t had any Jackee for quite awhile before yesterday and while I got the caramel, I wasn’t as super happy over my mug as I remember being – it seemed weak. So I increased the steep time by 15 seconds and the water temperature by 5°. At first I thought it was better this way, but there was only hint of caramel. Perhaps I drank it too fast and didn’t let the mug cool enough for the caramel to come out. I think I’ll play with the parameters a bit before reverting back to my original favored ones.

My main man, Mr. Muntz!

Jackee-Jackee
Fo-Fackee
Me-My-Moe-Mackee
Jackee!

My breakfast mug yesterday. It’s been a long time since I last had Jackee, months even. It went like this: no caramel, no caramel, where’s the caramel?, no caramel, half a mug left, CARAMEL! I think the temperature of the tea when you drink it has as much to do with the caramel as the steeping time and water temperature. It could have been stronger overall. Try increasing both a bit. The second steep had a hint of caramel.

2nd steep: 5 min.

It has been A-While since I’ve had Jackee. I woke up this morning and didn’t want the Tiger or Caravan. I went through my teas in my head and decided on Jackee. I refreshed myself with my tea notes on Steepster to get the delicious caramel.

I sip. Whaaa?! There’s a little caramel but more briskness than I remember. I keep sipping as it cools. Midway down the cup, the caramel comes out. There is relief. I will have to remember to let this one cool a bit before drinking. The second steep was light but caramelly good.

2nd steep: 5 min 30 sec.

Yesterday evening, I went to make a cup of tea and notice I had clean nearly dry leaves of Jackee from a late morning steep. I thought why not steep him again rather than throw him out. 2nd steep Jackee is a lightly smoky caramelly good drink. Then I added a small splash of milk for reasons I’m not quite sure of. Woah, did it bring out the smoky taste in a way it hadn’t before. Not necessarily stronger though. And still caramelly sweet. I would definitely drink him this way again. I might even try a bit of milk on a first steep to see what it does. I wasn’t expected it to change noticeably. I’d be interested to see what milk did to Thomas and the Tiger as well.

2nd steep.

Look at your tea. Now look at Jackee. Look at your tea. Now back at Jackee. Your tea does not look like Jackee. But your tea could smell like Jackee. With A&D DFT.

Yesterday morning, I had a cup of Jackee. He was delicious as always. But he deserves better than just an ordinary tealog. Hence, the above.

Ideal 1st steep parameters.

I had to see if I could replicate yesterday’s Jackee. Yes! Wonderful again. Now I have to worry about drinking him up too fast. Thankfully, Thomas has had two days of recovery from his harrowing evening half-drunk wanderings and should be up to going out again tomorrow.

2nd steep: 205° F, 5 min.

The 2nd steep of this morning’s Jackee was just as good. I enjoyed him thoroughly with a Greek chicken wrap.

I think I’ve found my ideal Jackee this morning. I gave him the same treatment as I gave Thomas yesterday – decrease the steep time 15 sec and the water temperature 5° – as I found them both just a bit strong for my exact taste but still totally crave worthy. While I did not have success with Thomas this way, I did with Jackee.

He was creamy caramel. He was buttery. He had some smokyness. He was a deep dark honey as he cooled. I love this Jackee. Does he get a ratings bump? He does. He’s now tied with Thomas and A&D’s Yunnan. I cannot pick a favorite.

So how was the 2nd steep of Jackee?

Well, I steeped it for the same amount of time as the 1st (3 min 45 sec). Let it cool slightly to be able to drink it. Realized it was weak. Steeped 30 sec more. Still weak. Steeped 30 sec more. Better but weak. Steep 1 min more. I taste tea mostly now, not watery. Steep 1 min more. Now somewhere over 6 min steep time on a black. I stop. I drink the mug. Sweet and smokey.

I think I need to do something different next time. Perhaps hotter water on the 2nd steep and a longer initial steep time. I might also turn my 1st steep at 3 min 30 sec. The 1st steep was quite strong. I believe A&D said on their website that Jackee could take 2 steeps. They said that about the Yunnan and it could. I think I just need to fiddle with it.

So, Steepsterians who’ve had Jackee and done a 2nd steep with him, what parameters did you use? How did he come out?

My A&D DFT Series 2 arrived yesterday. It shipped on Thursday so I wasn’t expecting it until early next week. I got it from the mailbox too late in the day to try any yesterday.

After a delicious lunch of chicken enchiladas, I decided to go on the caramel quest with Jackee Muntz. The dry leaves were small – four to eight millimeters long and thin, mostly straight with some curves, and deep cocoa brown with some reddish and tan accents. They smelled smokey, like antique library books starting to burn. The wet leaves looked like broken pencil shavings in shape and were a rich brown and a dark sierra brown. They smelled smokey but more tarry, almost putting-down-asphalt like, but without the toxin edge to the smell.

The cup of tea was a rich brown with a touch of red to it and smelled smokey and burnt, yet sweet. The sweet part smelled like a dessert-type food that I haven’t identified yet. It reminded me of the fair. At first, I thought hot burnt caramel corn or kettle corn. But that isn’t it. I’ll keep sniffing subsequent cups and see if I figure it out.

And now for news of the caramel quest. I’d like to thank everyone who paved the way for me with their tealogs because I found caramel. The first sips were smokey and ashy with some sweet. As the tea cooled, I could taste the burnt sugar taste along with the smokiness. By about half a cup left, it was smokey and light caramel and just warm. The last few sips were caramel with a bit of smokiness and cooler. I also noticed it had a thicker mouth feel as it cooled.

I noticed the taste of this tea change a lot with the temperature of it. I’ve noticed that before but never so prominently. Maybe it was only because I was paying such close attention looking for the caramel. I have to admit I wasn’t expecting to be able to find the caramel in the tea, especially after smelling the dry leaves.

I think I was planning to write something more but I seem to have had a brain blank thinking about this tea. Since I’m planning to do a 2nd steep shortly and drink this tea again quite soon, I’ll end this tealog instead of leaving it up until I remember more of what I wanted to say.

Also, while I was typing this the thought occurred to me – I haven’t seen anything from takgoti in a few days. Where is takgoti? Has she been around, or told us of her absence, and it slipped my mind? (I just thought through my other favorite regular posters and they’re all accounted for.)

It’s ok, not worth the hype

Steeped it too long, need to try it again