Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

Backlogging.

Last night, I enjoy 2 steeps of Dragonwell with a late night snack while watching the end of PBS’s Masterpiece Classic most recent rendition of Emma. I did not like this production of Emma very much. I did like the Dragonwell very much though. 2nd steep: 4 min, 165°.

Backlogging
My sweetie and I enjoyed two pots of this yesterday afternoon while waiting for it to start snowing and reading on the couch with the cats. 2nd steep: 4 min.

Backlogging
Steep #4 occurred while taking my turns on Conquer Club last night. The husband had steep #3 (3 min 45 sec) while he took his turns on CC and drank it rapidly. I must have been more thoughtful cause most of my cup remain when I finished. So it transitioned with me into bed where I finished it while reading The Shipping News. Steep #4 was quite light in color and in taste but still relaxing, warming, and enjoyable right before bed.

Procrastinating tasks with my first steep of Dragonwell went very well. I am now making a new To Do list with my second steep. This is also a light steep with the vegetal coming through a bit more.

The Dragonwell served me well yesterday on a grey and bleary day. It’s much the same out today so I will go with the same tea for my afternoon consumption. And again, it is enjoyable. It seems lighter today, in a good way.

An Ode to A&D’s Dragonwell

Dragonwell, oh Dragonwell,
Your warmth, your taste, your smell,
Are all so wonderfully swell
When outside a heavy rain fell
Pelting the very place where I dwell.
Hopefully, tomorrow’s as clear as a bell
But, for now, drinking you, I am well.

My dear Steepsterites, long time no posts. At least, it hasn’t been long time no tea. I’ve just been busy, there is no particular reason. But I hadn’t thought it had been that long until I got on here to tealog this lovely Dragonwell. I’ve missed ya’ll.

I’m on my second steep, the first one being 2 min 30 sec. After this I shall reheat some leftover veggie pizza in the oven. I plan on resuming steeping this later in the evening.

I’m drinking Dragonwell today, per last night’s tea randomizer recommendation – I didn’t end up having any tea last night. With my new ownership of a thermometer, I steeped this cup at the recommend 160 and surprise, all the yummy tea essence of before with absolutely none of the bitterness. I think I can safely come to the conclusion that I’ve been steeping my green teas in too hot water. The Dragonwell is now smoother, but the flavor seems stronger. Most enjoyable.

Last night, I had a second and third brewing from my Dragonwell leaves. They were both as tasty and enjoyable as the first, if not better. I think I could have gotten more brewings but it was quite late and I needed to get to bed.

2nd brewing: 5 min
3rd brewing: 7 min 30 sec

I was so excited and surprised when my A&D DFT Series 1 arrived today, only three days after I had ordered it.

The Dragonwell came in a medieval green and white labeled tin. The leaves are flat and varies in shade from light-medium to very dark green. The smell is green tea, vegetal, musty, and soft. The tea is a pale yellow and oh so good! The leaves became long and thin and muted deep spring green. The smell was fresh and tea-y. The tea tastes green and light and a bit bitter in a good way. It’s Damn Fine and I’m about to brew the leaves again for a second cup.

I woke up this morning with a sore throat from yelling at last night’s San Fran Giants game, so I was looking for something soothing that wouldn’t be too strong or potent. Thankfully, this Dragonwell hit the spot, as it has a nice mix of mellow ‘vegetal’ flavor and minerality.

The leaves always surprise me a bit, since they’re so flat and dry, but they do their fair share of expanding when you steep them, and fill up the teapot nicely. The color of the tea is a really light yellow, which looks less flavorful than the tea actually tastes.

All in all, a good choice for a sore throat morning.

What goes well with a sleepy Wednesday morning? Dragonwell! This time around, I’m picking up more of the sweet flavors that Dragonwell is known for, and it results in a nice tea to start the day with. I also love how the leaves start flat and lifeless without a lot of aroma, and then open up through the steeping to reveal their true character. It’s a great metaphor for what I feel like after drinking a cup of the dragon. Love it!

I was a little worried that this tea would be too strong since it warns against steeping for longer than 2.5 minutes, but I was pleasantly surprised by a nice cup of green tea with a balanced flavor that isn’t overly grassy and has a hint of minerality.

Smooth taste with just a hint of smokey flavor, wonderful aroma and a dark, golden brown color. What’s not to love?

Ceylon has a great/traditional black tea flavor that just won’t quit. It’s strong, but not overpowering, with hints of smoke, gunpowder and minerals. The aftertaste is smooth, with just enough of a bitter bite to remind you that you’re drinking black tea, but not so much that you need to balance it with milk or sugar. (Unless that’s the way you prefer it.)

The aroma complements the taste nicely, and adds to the smokiness that I love so much in this tea. It’s not super strong, but it’s there when you need it.

Definitely a winner if you’re looking for a mid-afternoon black tea to sip on.

I usually go for Chinese black teas in the morning (unless it’s chai) but out of the A&D Series Two showdown, I think I’d give the title belt to Thomas. I wish this had a little bit more natural sweetness, though I could see it as something that holds up well with a little milk and sugar.

This was good.

So, parents are not conducive to getting anything done. I had some wonderful plans to visit the Tealux in Providence, try at least three teas and maybe buy a tin if I finished my work. I didn’t get back till like now (10PM). So this is my first cup of the day, which makes me terribly sad, and now I have to catch up on what everyone else is drinking. Also, day one with out my little buddy, so I needed some serious comfort tea with enough of a kick to get me to do my work.
I really like the tannic taste in this, its a good bitter especially with that touch of sweetness. It brewed to a rich brown-amber color and smells so distinctly of smoke and sweet hay. I’m feeling like its fine cigar but of the tea world, and therefore infinitely better. Its a mull and think deep thoughts tea. I’m having a hard time placing all the flavors, so I’ve settled for metaphors (Or similes, I don’t do that whole English thing to well).
While Jackee has my heart, I feel Thomas gets my thoughts.

An equally fine gentlemen. Cup two and three of the day. Still needs more concentration to properly log.

What can I say, I like em tall, dark, and handsome. Oh so hot and steamy, Mr. Muntz you’re making me blush.
I was talking about this tea to my mother, and she had to stop me to make sure I wasn’t going to get pregnant. Once I clarified I was talking about tea, she hung up on me. Granted she doesn’t know I like them petite, fair, and womanly, she knows she can’t get grandkids from a tea.
Seriously, this tea has totally shown me the light of how perfect tea can be. Its burnt-carmel flavor and that oh so smokey smell really makes everything with the world once again. I finally figured out malty and why people like smokey tea, which sounded odd to my novice ears. I think I might have accidentally over steeped it at one point, but found that it hadn’t become bitter. Very smooth and bold with rich full bodied flavor. And a hot one at that.
I hope this tea never runs out, or I will cry. A lot.

I think my faith in humanity has been restore a bit. I am in love. This love may have to fight my love of the sciences which, as most of you don’t know, rules my universe.

I will write more when I am back to being coherent and not studying like whoa for Orgo

Very nice, very beautiful tea – one of the first greens I have liked