Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

I have a test today so I had to wake up the TIGER!!!

I brewed my first steep nice and strong for 5 minutes, and gave Mr. Kitty Cat some milk and sugar. Puuuuuuurrrrrr! Full bodied…tangy!! what is that smokychewy tangy yummy taste? and pepper! Gosh I love this tea! I intellectually know it’s strong (it kept my husband up all night the evening we had it) but it tastes so smooth! I’ve had teas that make your eyes pop (in a good way…like River Shannon) but this is just like buttah – I would equate it to something like limoncello – it’s pure vodka but the lemon infusion and keeping it in the freezer makes it so smooth going down that the next thing you know you drank 4 glasses and you’re babbling nonsense on Thanksgiving with a house full of your family and you still need to serve dessert and (whoops!)!!

Ahem! Anyway!

Second steep: 6 min. Another reason I love this tea is that it is a black tea that stands up to another steep quite beautifully, and the second steep is different but just as good as the first! The only other tea I’ve had that does that is Jackee Muntz (go A+D!). This one is even smoother, less pepper, but so sweet and rich.

Love, love, love this tea!!!

On Saturday I peeped into my mailbox, and there was a Tiger in there!!!!!!! Ricky was kind enough to send me some Series 4 :) I gave the tiger his own little area in a nice basket in the tea cabinet so he wouldn’t hurt Florence and Marco Polo (Thomas Sampson and Jackee Muntz acted all brave but I could see it in their eyes that they were a little scared – what with that blue tongue and pointy teeth!).

He brewed up so dark and strong! Almost like coffee! I was frightened out of my wits! Imagine my surprise when I took a sip, and found out he’s just a pussy cat!!!! A bit feisty (I am definitely getting some pepper!) but purrrrrringly smooth and sweet. I of course used some milk, him being a cat and all. A little sugar too. Very very delicious!!!

2nd Steep – 6 min It’s Grrrrrrrrreat! (Tony the Tiger humor! Please forgive me!)
just a little lighter in body and taste, and no pepper. Thoroughly enjoyable.

The Tiger is now curled up in the basket in my tea cabinet. (There is enough for at least one more pot!!) I saw Florence furiously knitting him a toy, and Marco Polo somehow produced some catnip (most likely from his vast spice travels around the world). I was totally SHOCKED to see Thomas Sampson and Jackee Muntz huddled over the basket talking “wickle puddy tat You so cuuuute awwwwwwwww!” baby talk to the tiger! NOW I’ve seen EVERYTHING!

Far from the best Dragonwell to hit my tasters. Quite green aroma both dry and steeped, with less sweetness and subtlety than I prefer. The initial sips are very leafy but without a lot of tea flavor. The woody character masks the sweetness that I can taste just under the surface. Post-sip, I taste smoky and salty, which is not what I enjoy in Dragonwell. Certainly, my bias shows.

It has been a tragically long time since I’ve had Thomas! I kept meaning to bring him to work with me, and then forgetting. I’m sorry, Thomas!!

Mmm. This was a tasty decision. :)

Made this at work today, with our non-boiling water from the cooler/heater/whatever-it’s-called. It’s not quite as good this way. Not as flavorful. But still enjoyable. :)

Perhaps I should invest in an electric kettle…

I was definitely in the mood for a black tea this morning, so I thought I’d give this one a go!

Like others have said before, it really does taste like cookies! But it also still tastes like black tea. :P I really like it!!

It does have a little bit of bitterness to it, and I think next time I’ll try steeping for less time. But it’s not too much, and it adds a bit of an interesting kick.

It’s the perfect tea for this morning! :)

Gung hay fa choi! This was a hit at Chinese New Year. Intense jasmine aroma. Naturally sweet jasmine, melon taste. One big pot stood up to three steepings, though the third was pushing it. Leaving the leaves in the pot it got a little bitter, but not bad. Stood up well to haphazard temperature and steep times.

The tea brews up a dark amber color. The smell of the tea is strong bergamot and honey (and maybe black pepper?). The taste is much more subdued than the aroma. A gentle citrusy sweetness with a touch of bitterness and very little astringency.

The dry aroma is bergamot-central, and mixes enticingly with the black tea when steeped. Sips when the brew is extremely hot are not as rewarding, as the flavors seem to blossom when the tea cools slightly. If anything, the bergamot outshines the tea, and I crave a bit more “tea” flavor, although overall this mix is well balanced. Like most of the A&D teas, the linger is very pleasant, with no bitterness or harshness in the finish – as long as it isn’t allowed to cool too much. I don’t remove the tea while drinking, and while that can be dangerous with some, this is a tea that can handle over-soaking. Not too delicate, not too harsh – I’m a big fan of this one.

Dry, this tea is like being smacked in the face with a bouquet of flowers. Once steeped the nose is still extremely floral, but there’s a calm sweetness and delicacy that invites a sip. On the tongue the floral sweetness is balanced well with a mellow green tea with no hint of leaf or bitterness. An enjoyable morning tea with clearly seperated flavors and easily drinkable. A light & airy finish with lingering sweetness.

It’s taken me a while to get around to logging this one. I was a bit worried, even though I love me some Andrews & Dunham, because this is a big ol’ tin. Luckily, I don’t have anything to worry about.

I’ve taken to steeping my black teas a lot shorter lately, thanks to something that Teaman said, and I think I’ve been better for it. Black tea tends to go bitter on me rather easily. The first couple of times I had this I steeped it around 2 minutes, but I’ve found that 3 minutes also works well and gives me a bit more flavor, so I like it here. At 4 minutes it was a little much for me, but I’ll try 3:30 soon to see how that goes.

Okay, now that parameter-talk is out of the way, the tea. I enjoy this tea. It might be the first time that I’ve gotten a distinct black pepper note from a Yunnan before, and it was subtle enough that I didn’t find it off-putting. It actually gave it a little spicy bite that I enjoyed. I also got sweet, malty flavors and a hint of smokiness. Overall, it makes for a very pleasant, balanced tea.

Next up, I’ll be trying it with milk and sugar for poo and chortles. I think that I’m going to enjoy making my way through my big ol’ tin!

ETA: Pictures! [x4!] Beginning here: http://bit.ly/b7Bvp3

I can always count on A&D for spectacular tea…and this is no exception. Smooth, bold but not too bold, naturally sweet, with a little cocoa/caramel taste, it’s just a superb keemun all the way around. Perfect for waking up this morning.

Dry tea is very smoky, smells like some good unflavored pipe tobacco. Smoky, campfire-esque, warm and woody aroma when steeped. Extremely smooth on the tongue, but can be overpowering if over-brewed. Flavor is very dark and complex, but not bitter. The taste is reminiscent of Thai iced tea. A smooth finish with subtle sweetness.

I decided to revisit Jackee this morning to see if I could achieve caramel bliss. But, I thought, even if I couldn’t, I could definitely use the wake-up kick I got last time! Getting up at 5:30am is so hard. :cries:

I used considerably less leaf than I did last time – about half the amount I usually use. (I couldn’t tell you exactly how much that is, because everything is just an estimation, haha.)

It’s gotten a lot smoother this time. When it was still piping hot, the smokiness was still there with strength, but it’s fading a little bit as the tea cools, and I’m getting a little burnt sugar hint. I’m definitely closer to caramel with this cup, but still haven’t gotten it. Maybe my start temp isn’t high enough. I’ll have to try at home, where I actually have control over how hot the water gets. Or maybe I should heat my mug first, so I don’t lose water temperature when I fill it. Oh, the many many things I could try.

But I gotta say, smokiness is a good waking-up tool, so I’m happy about that. :)

This is a tasty, tasty tea. Definitely woke me up this morning, which is awesome because I really needed it! (Getting up when it’s still dark out is so hard. :( )

First steep was bold and smokey. Mmm. Kiiiiinda made me feel like I’d had bacon for breakfast. Not a bad thing. :P A little odd, though, but I can’t really complain. I used a lot of tea, and I was worried about it having that mouth-drying-out thing going on, like when black tea is too strong, but it didn’t have that at all! Very smooth. :) I didn’t get the caramel taste that others have mentioned, so I decided to try a second steep to see what would happen.

Second steep is a bit sweeter and a little less smokey than the first steep, but not any less flavorful, and it definitely retains its smoothness. Still not getting any caramel, but shrug it’s still really yummy. :) It makes me feel like I’m snuggled in a blanket in front of a fire, which is great for this freezing, miserable February weather.

I’ll have to keep experimenting for that caramel awesomeness, but it’s still an enjoyable tea without it. :)

Smoky!!! Peaty!!!! My husband said that it tastes like Laphroaig scotch, and I have to agree! I began thinking it a bit overwhelming, but by the end of my cup, it really grew on me. I am curious to try it mixed one teaspoon Jackee Muntz one teaspoon Thomas Sampson to make a killer English Breakfast type blend for 16 oz of water.

I did another steep(at 4:30) and it tastes like butterscotch! I prefer the second one, my husband says he loves both! Either way, I think this one is good for when you are in the mood for something heavy, or in the mood for multiple steeps with a black tea. I would also like to try a first steep at 3:45/190 degrees for bake-y :)

Oh and my husband says he gives this tea an 88. :)

This tea reminds me of clean, high desert air. The moderate astringency is drying but not bitter. The expected maltiness is there but subtle with a back of the mouth caramel sweet finish. Liquor is a beautiful amber red. The smell is mildly floral and mineral.

Thomas is gone :( All of my winter break black tea with milk and sugar drinking did him in. He was gutsy, malty, and delicious to the end! Many thanks to ashmanra for giving me this last, precious tin.

We are experiencing such a heat wave here! I was out doing errands for less than an hour, and felt completely sick and nauseous by the end. After I was home awhile and cooled off in the air conditioning, I decided to play “Pretend it’s October.”

If you would like to play, make a pot of your favorite tea that you like with milk and sugar (that would be Thomas for me!), grab your favorite pastry (that would be a pain au chocolat for me!) and sit on the sofa eating and drinking and pretending and say things like, “Good thing we made a pot of tea! It sure is getting nippy, it being October and all!” and “Oh! I may need the blanket! I am chilled in this October air!” and “I just love tea and pastry when the weather is turning cold!”

If you are impressionable, like me, it will work for awhile :)

Thank you once again ashmanra for this extra magical tin of Thomas.

It’s magic! (No, actually it’s ashmanra, which is pretty much the same thing when you get right down to it!)! I got an amazing surprise in the mail – a tin of this very loved tea from Ms. Magic herself. Not only am I over the moon with happiness, but so is my husband. I made him a great big pot this morning, and he oooohed and ahhhed and smiled and slurped and even took it into his bath to enjoy!

I will admit I’m going to be slightly stingy with this tin. I really want at least a pot or two when the leaves turn in the fall!

Thank you once again ashmanra! I never thought I’d have more Thomas!!!