Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

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

It has a strong, odd smell and brews up very dark, almost coffee-level black. The taste is strong with multiple notes of cocoa, malt, and leather. It’s not really one of my favorites (I never really like teas that have a fragrance or taste of leather), but I can see that it is a good quality tea.

I haven’t had Jackee in a while – lately I’ve been too addicted to Chicago Tea Garden’s Keemun to stray – but I decide it was time to revisit him. This was a caramel-free experience but still quite enjoyable, mostly because I noticed for the first time the similarities between this one and CTG’s Keemun.

Jackee is much bolder, but the overall flavoring is similar – lots of depth, some acrid smoky (but nothing to a lapsang lover), a similar sweetness… Anyway, it’s pretty noticeable (at least it was today) that these two teas are in the same taste family. There are differences, though. Jackee, as I mentioned, is much bolder. It has a stoutness that makes it a bit of a wake-up type tea for me. CTG’s is softer and more delicate and overall has more complexity, including a floral end note. It’s also more of a ‘relax and meditate on each sip’ type tea for me.

I still like CTG’s version a bit better (what can I say, I’m a sucker for such soft yet complex teas) but noticing the similar tastes help me appreciate Jackee even when I don’t get to taste level caramel chew.

Tweaking parameters to see about getting back to the stronger caramel flavor. Water from the Zojirushi at 208° into an empty pot, then poured in the leaf, left the lid off for most of the brew (honestly I just wandered away and forgot). Decanted, let it cool for a few minutes while I made the husband a big mug of PG Tips.

Now I’m sipping on it and it’s heavy and silky so I’m thinking this is good. I’m barely into the cup at all and getting burnt sugar. The smoky flavor is just a hint without the edge I sometimes get from it when brewed stronger.

Okay, half way through the cup now and this tastes like a silkier, slightly heavier version of the Lupicia’s English Caramel from yesterday. And the more I sip, the stronger the caramel taste becomes and the more in turns into a caramel chew.

The last third of the cup is filled with sweet caramel. So sweet and smooth and just awesome. It’s like a thin caramel sauce – silky, heavy, sweet, rich, sweet, caramel. I pretty much gulp the last third of my cup down because it is so delicious.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner.
3.7g/12oz

Attempting to replicate this morning’s caramel chew flavor and texture. I’m a bit nervous. I forgot exactly how much my cup holds so I might have used a bit too much leaf, but I’m hoping that won’t make much difference since it was just half a gram….

I’m getting the same silky, rich taste. And letting it cool just a little… and now I’m getting that burnt sugar taste on the tail… I’m excited. Letting it cool just a little more. Oooh, now that burnt sugar taste is melding to a smooth caramel. It’s not quite the sucking-on-a-caramel-chew from this morning but we are going in the right direction……. And there it is. Oh yeah. That beautiful heavy satin feeling on my tongue, the sweetness, the drips of caramel.

Three cheers for takgoti for figuring this one out. Lower temp and a chance to cool a bit makes this Keemun… beautiful. Even the husband can taste it and that’s huge!

Bumping the rating accordingly. Because really. It’s CARAMEL!

Work is delayed and possibly canceled today (we Texans just don’t know how to drive on ice) so I’m hanging out at home a bit hoping it will warm up just a hint (too many bridges on my drive). Since I was dreaming about this tea last night, I thought I’d have some this morning. Pouring it out of the pot, I can see why I like lapsang souchong – this has a very similar smoky smell (just without the meat) and I do love me some smoky Keemuns (or non-smoky, too… I’m pretty much an equal opportunity Keemun lover). The taste only has a tiny hint of the smoke though. Instead it’s silky and smooth and just lovely. The smoky becomes a subtle undertone at the very end, almost like very burnt sugar… a little bit of poke to your tongue to remind you that it is still there.

Logically I know that there is at least one other Keemun out there that I like more than this one. But it’s been a while since I’ve had that other Keemun and Jackee’s with me now. So in the immortal words of Stephen Stills, if you can’t be with the one you love, honey, love the one you’re with. Yes sir.

ETA: Okay, this happened after I finished my log but it is VITAL, so I’m adding it in. I remember takgoti saying she found caramel in this – like heavy, heavy caramel. And I had never tasted it (not that I’d had this tea much) so I thought it was neat but maybe something specific to the way she read certain tastes… And then I hit the second half of my travel tumbler of this tea today. It started out with the poke-y taste turning into a burnt sugar taste. Like heavily burnt. I though “Ah ha! This is what takgoti was talking about.” And then about 2 sips later BAM. Caramel city. It was like sucking on a freakin’ caramel chew. Texture and everything. So silky, so rich and SO FREAKIN’ CARAMEL. It was, amazing. Like, stop doing everything and just roll the tea around in my mouth amazing. I have no idea what made it come up but I MUST FIND IT AGAIN! If I do, Jackee’s rating is going to go up. WAY up.

This is going to sound weird, but I’m having trouble being excited by this tea. It is a really good quality tea – smoky, smooth, great flavor. In fact, it is the only Keemun that hubby has actually said he likes and that’s HUGE.

But I’ve had really good Keemun before. Adagio’s Keemun Rhapsody is my favorite and I think quality-wise the two are very comparable. So having this is just “Mmm, good Keemun”. No angels sing, no epiphanies occur. Just the acknowledgment that yes, this IS damned fine tea.

Part of the reason, too, could be that TS sorta knocked my socks off. Like, a lot. But then, my experience with Assam is very limited and Thomas Sampson was a huge quality jump compared to what I have had before. And I just didn’t get that jump with Jackee but I admit, I was kind of hoping for it even though I acknowledge the expectation was unreasonable.

But the lack of quality jump is not Jackee’s fault. If I hadn’t had Adagio’s Keemun and had just stuck to the ones I’d had from SpecialTea’s and Rishi, I think this one would have knocked my socks of in comparison. As it is, it’s just now competing with Adagio to find out which Keemun reigns supreme. (This needs to be said in a Chairman Kaga voice… Was there ever an Iron Chef tea battle?)

Randomly, am I late to the party in seeing the jac’KEE MUN’tz and thom’AS SAM’pson bit? That’s so neat but I feel like I’m probably the dorky child that takes 20 minutes to get the punchline.

The Final Sipdown: Day 15
Decupboarding Total: 29

Apparently no tea is safe from my rampant decupboarding! Goodbye, my darling Thomas! I shall always think upon your bakey, malty flavor with fondness but I’m afraid it is time for us to go our separate ways.

Happy New Year! Okay, okay. I’m a bit late on that but today is the first day I’ve had to work since 2010 began so the new year officially became… well, official to me today.

I’m feeling a bit conflicted today. There’s good and bad going on with life, but fortunately the bad isn’t all that bad. I mean, it’s insanely cold outside but at least it isn’t snowing. I was running late this morning but at least I wasn’t running absurdly late (though it was close). On the full-on plus side, my favoritest podcast ever is back after over a year of being off the air, so booyah. But on the bad-but-could-be-worse side, I’m almost out of this tea. But I’ve got enough for one, maybe two more cups after today. And that is sad (but at least I didn’t run out of it today).

I love this tea. It’s overwhelming taste/feel is that of bake-y delight. But I came to the realization today that it wasn’t just plain ole bake-y. It was stone-baked bake-y. It’s like the difference between a pizza and a stone-baked pizza. Except for, you know, the tomato sauce. And the cheese. And the crust. So basically it just… the bake-y bit. But a good quality, comforting bake-y bit that made me think warm and toasty thoughts. Not a frou-frou, delicate little cookie bake-y. Tough bake-y. A hearty bake-y. A manly bake-y. Don’t worry, that’s a good thing.

And a good tea. Mmm. Bake-y.

This tea makes me happy but is bold enough that it’s a good morning tea (and does well with a little sugar and milk, making it a good take-to-work tea (though I spilled a little too much milk in today, but it dealt with it well)). These things combine in just the right way to make this a good tea on days that I’m both tired and grumpy and unhappy. It offers me the advice, in a not-unkind manner, to suck it up and soldier through the morning because no matter how bad it gets, at some point the morning does turn to afternoon (which can also be bad, but is inherently better than morning).

About five years ago, my cousin was in the hospital for an extended stay. He wasn’t around his immediate family (parents, siblings) so he was adopted into our family (well, more so than he already was being, you know, blood related) so we visited him regularly. During one of those visits, I made him cookies. Let me rephrase. I attempted to make him cookies. I was fairly new to cooking so still had a lot to learn (well, and still do though at least I’m much better than I used to be). I followed the directions I had for chocolate chip cookies, not realizing that the directions were for plain flour and I had self-rising. So yes, I used my self-rising flour (which already had salt, baking powder, etc) and added to it more salt, baking powder, etc. The ‘cookies’ that were created were more like unsweetened brownies (double the needed salt, you know) – tall, fluffy, bready, non-chocolate brownies. Well, there was a hint of chocolate since there were chocolate chips in there. I was so embarrassed but they were edible so I took them to my cousin anyway because thinking that even if he did throw them out (which I did tell him he had permission to do), at least hopefully he’d feel some warm fuzzies knowing that I cared enough to try to make him something. Turns out he really liked them. Asked me to make them again, in fact, double the salt and everything.

So why am I sharing this seemingly unrelated story? Because this tea is those cookies. Almost exactly. When I popped the lid open of my tumbler, I was hit with a soft chocolate smell. Not quite rich/earthy enough to be cocoa, but definitely in the same family. And sipping it? Lovely. Not sweet at all (not salty or tart either), but bake-y and bread-y and pretty much tasting like an unsweetened cookie. Sure, technically an unsweetened cookie would usually be called a cracker, but this is too bake-y and rich-bodied to be a cracker. So I got to thinking – if this wasn’t a cracker, what else would a non-sweetened cookie be? Maybe something like my lemon ginger snaps, but no, it doesn’t have the fruity or the warm ginger tastes. Plus, it tasted fluffier – more bread-y. And then it hit me – it tasted just like those mistake cookies. Fluffy/thick, bread-y, bake-y, a tiny poof of faint chocolate every so often but not enough to counter the lack of sweetness or the bread-y. Not salty or bitter or tart. Just… not sweet.

It’s almost enough to get me to make more mistake cookies.