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Thomas Sampson from Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

Steepster Score 40 Ratings Rate This Tea

82/100

Thomas Sampson

Black Tea by Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

Legendary throughout the Northern Circuit, Big Thomas, The Breeze from the Mountain, is twice a champion bare-fisted tree-puncher. He did, in fact, earn his first title before becoming aware that he was involved in a contest, so great is his impatience with obstacles be they festooned in leaf or adorned in hide. Watch as Thomas boils with rage! Marvel at his great brawn! See with your very own eyes that none can withstand more than four minutes of his brutal attention!

Andrews & Dunham recommend that the brewing of this black tea from India be performed by inserting the leaves into freshly boiled water for a duration of exactly four minutes. A hasty preparation will yield a pale and gutless liquor. A more prolonged duration invites bitterness.

103 Tasting Notes

LENA
90
LENA 2 tasting notes

Auggy, I finally get it. BAKE-Y!

Let there be light!!!

This is the 1st tea that has actually screamed bake-y to me. Some have likened it to plain biscotti or perhaps an unsweetened baked good. I have to agree. Tannic and bready…but kind of crumbly bake-y like biscotti or shortbread would be. I like it. I’ve had several cups straight and a few with milk and sugar…both very good. Thomas Sampson makes a good breakfast cup in my opinion. The tea is hearty and seems to carry a decent caffeine buzz. I’m relatively unfazed by caffeine, so this means something. :)

I tend to drink black teas, such as this, in the AM and then move on down the milder chain throughout the afternoon and after I get home from work. Just as I was beginning to get a little sad about finishing off the last of my sample, I noticed something.

40 NEW SETS OF SERIES 2 HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE SITE!
AND……
SERIES 4 IS UP AND RUNNING.

Word.

Show 1 more
Auggy
86
Auggy 3 tasting notes

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.

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.

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.

Show 2 more
JacquelineM
JacquelineM 23 tasting notes

I actually gasped when I first tasted this tea! It is so completely delicious to me! Thomas is sweet and strong, malty and earthy…and what a body! Some milk and sugar bring out his best qualities. What a fine example of a black tea from India!!

P.S. Excellent customer service from Andrews and Dunham Damn Fine Teas. I ordered series 2 in the middle of all the snow the East Coast was getting, and I got an email from Erik Dunham explaining about the insane amounts of snow and how it was hard to get to the post office. Seeing that my area was hit almost as hard and we missed 2 days of mail delivery ourselves I of course assured him that it was just fine, but how nice is that?!?!

P.P.S The labels are fantastic! The shipping boxes are even fantastic!

P.P.P.S I am about to go to bed and leave him and Jackee Muntz in my tea cupboard. I could have sworn I heard Jackee called Marco Polo “fruity” and I think Thomas tried to pinch Florence!!! Who knows what I will wake up to tomorrow!

P.P.P.P.S I am absolutely sick that series 4 sold out so fast – I think I would have loved that tea!

It was sooooo hot in my office today that I couldn’t make any tea! It was so bad that I even gave up eating half way into my breakfast, and only took a few half hearted bites of my lunch. Even the quiet people that I work with who never complain were complaining!!

After I went to class (where there is air conditioning!!) I started to perk up, and by the time I was walking home I was staggering like a zombie looking for brains and yelling “Thooooooooooooomas!!! Thoooooooooooooomas!!” (in my head ;) I fixed the quickest dinner possible so that I could plop on the sofa and have a big mug of my main man.

He is so delicious. Strong and sweet. Tonight the liquid almost feels thicker than tea – it’s so full bodied and the maltiness is very pronounced.

Ahhhh, I am human again!

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 pains me to remove this tea from my cupboard. Made the last of it for my husband’s morning pot. I know that freshness-wise, it’s a good thing, but oh! I just have not found such a smooth bready malty raisiny wonder like Thomas. I’m also a little nostalgic because it is one of the first teas I fell in love with directly because of my involvement in Steepster – I don’t know if I would have found out about Andrews & Dunham on my own.

Sniff sniff – I love you Thomas, I love you Andrews & Dunham, and I love you Steepsterites!!!

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!!!

On a chilly, rainy day at home, there is absolutely no replacement for an Indian tea with milk and sugar. I am enjoying this tea so much this afternoon. Malty and raisiny and exactly what I was in the mood for. I believe I’ve said this before, but I imagine the teas in 19th century English novels to taste exactly like this.

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.

Oh Thomas, your presence is getting scarcer yet my love for you grows with every pot…with every sip!!! You are PERFECT for me! I think I am going to put a little plea on Discussions to see if anyone does not love you as much as me- I am willing to trade Jackee Muntz or Caravan for you!!! (I’m serious! If you are reading this and are not so crazy for my darling, yet love Jackee or Caravan, let’s trade!!!

My husband is out taking photographs, so tonight it’s me and 12 ounces of Thomas. Scandalous (amount of caffeine for evening tea!)! ;)

In all seriousness – so malty and delicious. Assam perfection.

Stressful work week, capped off with the craziest day yet yesterday. Oooooh I needed some Thomas! I made a nice pot to share with my husband :) We had digestive biscuits topped with chocolate, this honeyed, malty, bready wonder tea, and an engaging film to take our minds off the mundane. Just what I needed. Thank you Thomas!

Also – fascinating. I saw this article because it was a link on Arts & Letters Daily (http://www.aldaily.com/) best website after Steepster – tied with Cute Overload ;) Anyway – here’s the article:

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2010/1007.gravois.html

Look, it’s Arunachal Pradesh! That’s where the Simple Leaf’s Dawn comes from!

Ohhhhhh my day only got worse! Work was insane, my lady time arrived, and in the afternoon my mother called me hysterical – they were rushing her to the hospital because she was passing kidney stones. I knew I needed a cup of tea as soon as I could sit at home, but in my sick state nothing seemed appealing…until I came upon Thomas!!

I brewed up a big mug and if this is not the most delicious, hearty, robust cup of tea I don’t know what is. It is a meal in a cup, not only because of the malty bready goodness, but because I can’t bear to eat food yet. I never really saw Thomas as a nurturer until tonight! I like this side of him :) Thank you Thomas for helping me keep calm and carry on!

Today I had an eye appointment where they dilate your eyes, so my eyes are not at their best. I thought what could possibly be better than to go home, sit in the semi-dark, and enjoy a big cup of tea? So that is what I’m doing. Since I’m alone, I thought I’d bring out the Thomas. You know how stingy I am about sharing him!!

Today he is very bready and has a wonderfully full mouth feel. Strong, malty goodness. I feel sooooo much better now. Gosh I love Thomas Sampson!

I am in bed with Thomas Sampson and Charlotte Bronte! What a great way to spend friday night!!!

;)

Seriously – I’m CRAVING black tea, and so tired. I really want to stay up to read Villette so I am breaking my no caffeine after 5 rule. Mmmmmm. So good and malty. Sweet and strong. Reviving. Totally worth breaking my rule for!

What a strange morning! I went to the train station only to find it completely black! No power! I waited around for a half hour, but no trains and no plans for shuttle buses. Well, I guess I’ll go back home! I called work to tell them what was up, and walked home through the park, thinking about what tea I would make when I got home.

I knew I wanted a good plain black tea…and Thomas came to mind! What could be better on a totally unplanned day off than some time spent with your main (tea) man?!? So biscuty bready malty good. This is another tea that is filling, but filling like a meal, not a dessert. Is it terribly selfish that I tend to make Thomas only when I’m alone?

Oh Thomas…dreamy sigh…I love you!!!!

What else can I say but you are my perfect Assam! I wish you could be by my side forever, but I think the fact that you will be out of my life after this tin is only making me want you more. I try and leave you (in the cupboard), but I keep coming back for more! I bet my husband will not be able to sleep all night because of you!!!!

I needed something REALLY GOOD after my Rose Tea debacle – and I chose this guy :) Perfect. Malty, strong, delicious. I’m going to nudge him up to 100 because he is my favorite black tea of the moment!

I am reading a book called How We Lived Then which is about life in Britain during WWII (what, you mean you don’t all read nonfiction books about war to relax on a Sunday evening!?!!) and I just finished a chapter about food rationing.

To quote, “In July rationing really began, to use an appropriate word, to bite, when it was extended to tea, for the two ounces a week allowed were not enough for most families. Women now began to tear open their empty tea packets in search of a few hidden grains, or followed the Minister of Food’s advice to use one spoonful for each person and none for the pot.”

Now, while my own predicament is NOTHING near what people experienced during WWII, I now have a little bit of a first hand idea of this rationing business because my tin of Thomas Sampson is 2.5oz, and Andrews and Dunham are like the Minister of Food because they produced ONLY 400 sets of this series, so I will have to RATION the 2.5 oz of my favorite black tea ever, and I will certainly need to whip out my magnifying glass when I come to the end of the tin to make sure not a single leaf remains!

All I will say is at least I don’t have to eat grilled whale (supposedly even the dogs wouldn’t eat it!! …and I complain of the fishiness of Japanese Sencha!!)!!

Home to study (TEST TONIGHT!!) and having a second breakfast of this tea with toast. OH CUP OF HONEY! Golden sweetness mixed with malty heaviness. A little extra leaf and 4 minute steep = perfect, perfect, perfect. Milk and sugar. Ahhhhhhh, I love you Thomas!! I am hoping you will be my good luck charm for tonight!!! I will kiss your limited edition print before leaving for my test!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jackiemania/4761033234/in/set-72157624294962481/

My poor husband has to work today :( so I am taking this opportunity to have a huge mug of Thomas Sampson with a good deal of sugar crystals – I’ve been obsessed with these lately – I LOVE them:

http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/brands/Billington_s/Billington_s_Sugar_Crystals/billington.html

and half and half! Pure comfort in a cup as far as I’m concerned :) A malty, honeyed (and even more honeyed with these sugar crystals with the molasses intact!) bready almost meal! I cut a minute on the steep time, and used a touch more leaf, and it made for a perfect cup.

I associate this style of tea – and tea with cream and sugar – to be so supremely homey that I think I would curl up and built a fort with my coat under my desk if I had it at work! I’m so glad I developed a taste for plain Chinese teas for work, because it makes my cream and sugar filled Indian teas that much more cozy for home.

Home with a bad stomach today :( Thomas is a delicious comfort. Strong but not harsh. So good with milk and sugar. What I imagine the tea tastes like in all of the olde English novels I read :) I’m glad he’s still in my cupboard!!!

Putting my feet up for a bit and sharing a pot of dear Thomas Sampson with my husband. Look how nice- I am sharing :) :) :) Malty, bready, invigorating! He loves it too – all the robust A+D teas appeal to him. I love hearing his opinion because he never knows what I am serving him! I usually ask “caffeine or no” and “flavored or no?” and I pick from there based on my mood and what we are having with it, if anything. I love hearing the extra opinion – not unbiased – everyone has biases (for example he can’t stand anything berry even though I love it!!) – but free of the knowledge I have about the different tea companies. Anyway! That was a long winded way of saying that I really enjoy sharing tea with my husband – EVEN Thomas! :)

Between having a very, ah, spirited dinner party Saturday night, and the whole Daylight Savings Time Losing an Hour thing, we had a verrrrrrrrrrrrrry sleepy Sunday. So, after dinner, I did something I never do! I made an Assam!

We had a special treat in store for us because I broke open a brand new tin of Thomas Sampson! It smelled very fresh and wonderful! When I brewed it, it had all the bready, malty wonderfulness I am used to, but also that delicious raisiny quality that I almost forgot about! It was really fantastic, and completely hit the spot. I loved every single sip of it. I am so glad that I have yet ANOTHER tin squirreled away :)

I love you Thomas Sampson!

After reading chrine’s tasting notes, I had a wildly uncontrollable desire for Thomas Sampson! I knew he had to be my afternoon tea. I even was willing to share him with my husband. That sounds wrong, but you know how stingy I usually am about sharing Thomas!

Malty, bready, honeyed, classic Assam goodness. Assam tea just doesn’t get better than this, in my opinion! I am almost done my tin – but thankfully I have squirreled away two more!

In 2011 I vow to be more liberal is sharing Thomas as he is now getting on (you know how 1 dog year is approximately 7 human years? What would you say one tea year is? Perhaps 35 human years? So Thomas is almost a year old (almost 35 human years), and if I have him yet another year after that he will be almost 70 (almost at The End?!?!).

Doulton was the kindest most generous Steepsterite in creation – she sent me a tin of Thomas Sampson!!!! I can now start being a little more generous myself – I actually offered to share Thomas with my husband today! I will admit that I poured more into my cup than his, but c’mon. Baby steps!!! I also was able to be a little more generous with the leaf. I used 20 oz water, 3 teaspoons of tea for 4 minutes. I didn’t think Thomas could get any better, but people!! Thomas is even MORE of a HONEY like this!!! So sweet and malty. ♥

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__Morgana__
91

Apropos of nothing in particular, whenever I read A&D’s full company name, I immediately think of Laraine Newman holding up a glass and saying, “Wow, that’s terrific bass!” I expect I’m the only weirdo who makes this association and I have no idea why.

Anyway, after venturing into Assam land with the Teavana Assam Gold Rain, I decided I couldn’t go farther without a visit with the legendary, incomparable Thomas Sampson. I’m always up for a challenge, so the mere fact that he’s incomparable isn’t going to stand in my way. I’m going to compare him to Assam Gold Rain just for grins.

First off, Thomas doesn’t seem to be as tippy. Though there are clearly lighter colored tips in among the leaves, the ratio of dark to light isn’t nearly as high as it is in the ASR. Thomas’ dry leaves smell better to me, though. Their smell isn’t as strong. It’s lower key, and deeper, and gives the impression of being fresher for some reason? Which is weird because I think I’ve had it longer. In any case, there’s a big difference between the way the dry leaves smell.

Thomas steeped, though, does remind me of the ASR’s aroma. It’s that anti-malty, yeasty smell, which I’m coming to realize (through a trend of two) is what Assams smell like.

But wait. How can something that smells so similar taste so different? There was something about the ASR’s taste that just plain rubbed me the wrong way. It was the yeasty thing, and it seemed sort of off to me.

Thomas, thankfully, doesn’t have that same characteristic. There’s a sweetness to Thomas that is closer to a true maltiness, and a smoothness. The ASR has a harshness that grates on me. It sits right under my sinuses and feels like it’s making the tasting equivalent of a screeching noise, like fingernails on a blackboard or a rake across cement. Thomas doesn’t even hint at harsh, at least until the swallow when he gets a little fresh and does a grab thing to my throat going down about a third of the time. But I forgive him that for what he makes up in flavor.

I’m amazed at how much more I like this than the ASR. I will give the ASR one more try on a lower temp setting before relegating it to black tea duty for chai.

Let’s end with a little of the ol’ modus ponens for those of you taking logic this semester: If Thomas is what a good Assam tastes like, then I like Assam. Thomas is what a good Assam tastes like. Therefore, I like Assam.

I have to leave it to others better versed than I am to verify the truth of the first premise, but my guess is yes. Now. What else tastes similar to Thomas? Given his limited edition status, I already have to start to worry about that.

chrine
84
chrine 14 tasting notes

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.

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.

Backlogging.

Somehow Thomas has escaped my cupboard. Steepster says he’s in there, but I did not see him. I tried a single steep of Thomas with just a touch of half and half. He still retained his honeyed touch.

Backlogging.

It came out a bit strong this time – honeyed with a bite. I had the second mug in the early evening.

2nd steep: 5 min.

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.

So apparently I have a problem with getting my teas logged in in an appropriate timely manner this holiday season – okay, for the past few months. But at least I had the forethought to make notes on an old envelope this time. It should be a New Year’s resolution for me to log my teas within a day or two. lol

So on to Thomas. One cannot ignore Thomas for too too long. Lovely honeyed again. I drank while making lists and eating a strawberry goat’s milk yogurt.

2nd steep: 5 min 30 sec.

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.

Mmm… Thomas…

2nd steep: 5 min, 30 sec.

Backlogging.

I think the honey is temperature of the tea when you drink it dependent.

2nd steep: 5 min 30 sec. 205° F.

Backlogging.

I’ll admit that I’m starting to go through a bit of a Thomas phase. That day Thomas had a little more bite and a little more biscuity. I had to leave right after the first mug so I didn’t get to the second steep until later.

2nd steep: 5 min 30 sec.

Backlogging.

Crave, crave. Cannot wake up today. No second steep.

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

2nd 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.

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°.

Show 13 more
Erin
85

I was given the opportunity to try this limited edition tea thanks to Takgoti’s generosity. For more information, see my tealog from yesterday.

I have high expectations for this one. The reviews here have all been positive, I love unflavored black tea, and I really need a swift kick you-know-where to help me along with studying for finals. I took this without milk or sugar; there’s no time for messing around today.

The tea smells rich. However, the taste is much lighter than I was expecting. I’d describe this as being medium-bodied at most. I’ve never wanted to describe a tea as “fluffy” before, but I can’t think of another word. It’s leaving my tongue slightly tingly. This is earthy and not necessarily sweet, but there’s a hint of something that my small vocabulary can’t describe. Auggy said bake-y. I think that would be the perfect description for this. Bake-y. This is a fascinating tea, really.

Thank you again, Takgoti!

TeaEqualsBliss
96
TeaEqualsBliss 5 tasting notes

Auggy – I have been wanting to try this FOREVER! Thank you so much!

It was worth the wait!

Thomas! You made me one HAPPY Hippie! I’m not sure why I’m thinking HAPPY HIPPIE with this one but I am! I can sort of make the Biscotti connection that others have mention, too!

This is a BOLD Brew! A very, very, very slight hint of smoke and hint of woodsy but mostly black tea taste.

I think when I get home tonight I will dust off the ole Patchouli, listen to some Grateful Dead and Bob Marley, have a cup of this, and dig out my tie-dyed shirt!

After going thru ANOTHER Home Stash last night I found a very little bit of this left and KNEW I was going to have to start my day with it. BOY OH BOY am I glad I knew right where this one was…it was a HELL of a NIGHT! Dogs woke me up at 3 (after finally getting to sleep around 1) and ended up on the couch AGAIN for ANOTHER night and then I didn’t get back to sleep until about 4 (when DH wakes up and leaves for work) THEN the massive thunderstorms started at 4:35-ish and I tried to fight the dogs freaking out but it didn’t work…I was totally awake by 5…BLAH!!!

TEA TEA TEA – Bring me MORE TEA! It’s going to be a Hellish Day again! Actually the next 3 weeks are going to be that way! Is there an end in sight?

At least I have a fundraiser to do today! I LOVE Fundraisers, Charities, and Volunteering (Plus I get to leave work a tad early eventho I should…but I haven’t been taking my lunches, sooooo)

Anyhow…another storm on the way…and sorry for the early morning ramble…but I had to vent to someone and apparently my fellow Steepsters are the only ones who listen to me! LOL :) Thanks guys! You are great!

OH!!!! SIPDOWN!!!! See previous notes for my thoughts on this tea! Woot!

Happy Hippie (See my previous tasting notes on this one)
The Happy Hippie Returns!
:)

This is especially fitting for today.

The Hippie is Happy again! Still not sure why this makes me think of Hippies but it does…lol…

Bold and a tad smoky even…busy morning!

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tease
90

By the power of Sampson, give me strength, Thomas!

…Erm, I mean, my order from A&D DAMN FINE TEA came in this week. Everyone and their mother has been ranting about these fine folks, and I’ve been hesitant to say a word all week because I’ve just been too busy sipping the tea. As I’ve been testing the others, I’m building up to best for last: Thomas Sampson versus Jackee Muntz!

First: Yummy whiff. Basic at first, and then I realized how many light, fluffy, and airy – almost salty (?) – scents I was picking up from the leaves alone, which does carry over into taste, I think. Accidentally may’ve over-brewed poor Thommy as I was cleaning out another mug, trapped in conversation with a friend, and my Teavana iPhone timer was started a wee bit late.

That being said, despite bitterness, Thomas has got a strong, rich, smooth body that I would quite happily relinquish my own to! In my mind, he’s a burly bloke who enjoys a cuppa every couple of hours. Something like a Monty Python lumberjack, but a tad more serious, because he knows how to bake proper biscuits to go with the tea. He comes home smelling like freshly baked bread, and knows how to satisfy a woman. Gentle softy on the inside; and what woman doesn’t fall for that every now and then?

More tasting thoughts to come, but first: who wants to start trading?

Angrboda
74

Goodmorning Steepsterites

In spite of receiving an ENORMOUS box from A C Perch’s yesterday, and I do mean humongously huge, I’m taking a step back to the selection Auggy sent me. Something for the morning, you know.

The aroma of this is not so raisin-y as I have come almost demand from an Assam to my tastes. There are traces of raisin but that’s really it. Instead it’s leaning much more towards that cardboard-y smell that have been discussed before. Can’t find any honey notes either.

This makes me sad. :( I wan’t this to be awesome because I’ve seen people say it is, but now I wonder if maybe it’s not my sort of awesome.

It’s very strong. Really something that scratches all the way down and for someone who likes their tea to be able to stand up straight without the aid of a cup, this would definitely be something to look at. For me it’s just a wee bit on the strong side, and I get a more overdone impression from it rather than something merely strong and full in flavour.

Still can’t find raisins in it. Still can’t find honey. Can find lots of cardboard and a whiff of a slightly acidic flavour, a bit akin to the lemony flavour that you find in coffee. I wish I had some milk because I think this is a tea that would really benefit from it.

It’s a good tea. But I’m glad it’s not my Perfect Assam. You know what with being unable to get it again and all.

teaplz
86

Wah! Steepster ate my review of this! So let’s start over again, and try to organize my thoughts… I’m going to have to remember to Ctrl+C my reviews before I click the submit button!

Anyway, the moral of the story is not to drink tea at 11:30 pm. After I had that Yellow Peach late last night, I was incredibly dizzy for hours afterwards. It was fairly awful. It’s sort of funny, because I was at a restaurant earlier in the day, and they had tea from Ito-En on the menu! There was genmai-matcha, matcha, shiso sencha, and some sort of flowering jasmine. I actually declined having the tea because I thought it’d be too late with the caffeine and all. Silly me then drinks a fully caffeinated cup a few hours later. I’m my own undoing.

So I woke up this morning a bit groggy from the antics of last night, and seeking something simple and easy to drink. Scanning takgoti’s box of wonderful tea, I pulled up this one. Thomas Sampson, aka Assam tea from Damn Fine Tea! Yay! I’ve been craving this one a bit since I had Harney’s Assam Golden Tips. I like the strength of Assams, and I figured this one would be no different.

The dry leaves smell like black tea, with a slight hint of cocoa and a bit more depth than something like a Ceylon. It took me forever this morning to try and rid the plastic of my IngenuiTEA of the Yellow Peach smell, but I finally succeeded, and steeped this baby up. The water immediately began to darken, and the tea swirled around as it opened. The leaves aren’t the largest, but they do open a fair amount!

On the pour, I was a bit surprised at how dark this was. The smell coming off of the infusion is rich and deep, with some cocoa notes, and a bit of a malty-like smell. On the first sip… mmm, this is pure Assam. If you don’t like Assam, you won’t like this, but if you do… I’m finding it really hard to come up with concrete things about this tea, concrete tasting notes. Everything in my head is very abstract and vague, as Assam sort of just tastes like itself. But I’ll try, anyway.

There’s a definite pronounced maltiness, especially when the tea is piping hot. It’s not as smooth as the aforementioned Harney Assam, but it has a lovely kick. Almost beer-like. Not really bitter, but more full-bodied, I’d think. This gives way to a nice sweetness as the cup cools down. There’s also this baked quality that I can’t really wrap my head around, but I’m going to try.

It’s sort of like when you dip a rather plain biscotti (not double-chocolate hazelnut or anything like that) into a cup of espresso for a long time, and then eat it. You can still taste the baked qualities of the biscotti, but the flavors have been overwhelmed by the bitterness of the espresso, so the biscotti itself doesn’t actually taste like a biscotti, but rather, like a general baked good taste. Not sweet, but more of something out of an oven with flour. I can’t describe it really, and it’s not there the entire time for me, but it does pop up. I’m thinking that this is what Auggy is referring to when she mentions her mistake cookies.

But anyway, this is a pretty solid black tea. Thomas Sampson doesn’t knock my socks off or wow me or make me want to have his babies. But it’s pretty kickass and yummy for a morning pick-me-up!

Harfatum
91

Last morning, I was in the kitchen and it hit me: ThomAS SAMpson. Assam! What a clever pun. Looks like Auggy has also figured that out.

TS is an excellent, but somewhat standard, Assam. I have been spoiled with all the superb teas I’ve found via Steepster, so don’t take my not being floored as anything negative. I’d liken it to The Simple Leaf’s Amor – surprisingly free of harshness with a rich flavor and pleasant aroma. There is a respectable amount of maltiness – not as much as TSL’s Mountain Malt, but it is significant.

I would agree with other reviewers that it has a “bake-y” smell – the maltiness is combining with some other flavor element in the tea to make this special bakey essence. Thus far I notice it more in the dry leaves than the actual brewed tea, but I’m still fiddling with the parameters. If I can figure that out, then I’ll be very sad when my tiny tin of this is empty.

ashmanra
ashmanra 2 tasting notes

Oh Doulton, I can’t believe you sent me a whole tin of this, but I am so glad you did!

Many Indian teas and I don’t get along, or if I do drink them they have to have milk and sugar to soothe my tummy. That is why you won’t see Indian tea reviewed on tea party day much, because we adults take everything plain that day, so I just don’t serve anything I know I can’t drink plain!

But this….this….is…good…tea. It isn’t as strong as I thought it would be, but my mouth literally watered when I leaned over and sniffed the tea in my cup. And though a few people have mentioned a raisin-y aroma, I swear I think I pick up something fruity like a hint of grape aroma, perhaps muscatel or scuppernong – the aroma of which takes me back to when I got caught in a bear trap under my great aunt’s scuppernong vines when I was seven, but I digress.

I just drank three cups of this with no additions at all, and youngest, who really enjoys Indian teas, drank hers with hearty pleasure, adding milk and sugar. The pot is empty, but I need not fret. There is a whole tin of this delightful strapping fellow in my kitchen! This is the best Indian black tea I have tried to date. Thank you again, Doulton!

This was the final tea of tea party today, and the final time I will be drinking Thomas Sampson, I expect. Not because we finished the tin, but because I have already boxed him up and am sending him to live out a more purposeful life with someone who loves and appreciates him more than I do.

Don’t get me wrong. My guest and I both loved Thomas, and today’s tea party was the first ever three way tie we can remember. This is one of the best Assams I have ever tried. Delicious.

But Jacqueline and her hubby actually shed a tear or two when their tin came to an end recently, and that kind of love should not be overlooked.

It isn’t fancy, there isn’t a card in the box, or pretty packaging, or other teas, but Jacqueline, know that I am sending him your way with lots of love, and the satisfaction of knowing that you and your hubby will give him a sense of having fulfilled his purpose in existing. Enjoy in good health and happiness!

Andrews and Dunham, is there any tea you sell that isn’t amazing? Or the best to be found of its kind? Bravo!

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gmathis
gmathis 5 tasting notes

My tea hero Doulton sent this my way … had to make the morning cuppa with rural farm water (Hard. Blecch.) so mineral taste cancelled out a lot of the subtlety. Even so, I caught the sweet notes I’ve read about and am looking forward to a better cup on a better day.

Just enough for one last pot; it’s still a good breakfast tea, but in the greater and grander scheme of things, it had a pretty narrow “sweet spot” range; Assams should be un-ruinable.

Regardless, the image of a stout and brawny gentleman facing his fisticuffiant opponent with chin up and elbows in fits the morning - writing about helping children deal with fears and phobias today.

Change of topic and blatant mewl for input: moms and dads, what are some unusual (or annoying) childhood fears that drove (or are driving) you a little nuts?

It’s been fun to read everyone’s prior tasting notes on this one—Thomas seems to bring out the mischieviously poetic in all of ya. And I can’t top any of them in descriptors. Stiff and stout, a good gumptious breakfast tea, yes.

Made a huge pot this morning—needed something with a punch (on the label and otherwise) after a hard, hard Saturday. Left to himself in the fridge to chill, Thomas is, I believe, even a bit stouter than freshly brewed.

This afternoon I’m raising my mason jar in memory of a dear friend who loved tea, loved kids, loved to write, and loved her God. Jill, save me a place on your front porch in Heaven … we’ll have another cuppa together yet.

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takgoti
81
takgoti 3 tasting notes

Thomas, we need to talk.

I like you. It’s just that…well, it’s not you. It’s me. I’ve been talking to your pal Jackee, see, and…I’m sorry. I think you knew this was coming, right?

Ok, but in all seriousness, the description of this tea [besides being clever and chuckle-worthy] contains a warning that I should have paid more attention to – do not oversteep this tea. And by oversteep, I don’t just mean let it sit there for too long, I also mean that if you have a tendency to put more tea in the cup and steep for shorter times like I do, DO NOT FORGET THAT YOU DO THIS.

Oversteeping this tea results in something not unlike a right hook to the uvula, and while I’m sure my face was HILARIOUS when I took a sip, it also scared me off from trying this again until today.

This tea is good – a little darker in taste with a bit more bitterness than the teas I tend to gravitate toward, but complex and something I would like to spend a little more time with to try to parse the flavors out of it. It’s kind of earthy, though not in the same way that pu-erh is, and for me it begins to hint at raisins once I’ve let it sit long enough.

Still, in a battle of dukes I’d have to give the first few rounds to Jackee Muntz thus far.

As an aside, now that I’ve had the privilege of peeking at the wondrous bounties that Andrews & Dunham has to offer, I desperately want them to bring back Series 1 so that I can get my hands on some tins.

Also, though not really related, while I’d like to be able to claim that their theme on this series conjures up images for me of something not ridiculous, I found myself going back to a website I haven’t been to in years.

http://homestarrunner.com/oldtimeyween.html

That’s right. The Homestar Runner. IT’S DOT COM!

I’m going to cop to not giving this tea enough attention previously. It’s actually quite tasty.

I think I might have already mentioned that up until maybe two years ago tea was not something I cared about. When I did drink it, whatever I consumed wasn’t savored [it probably wasn’t very good, either]. I would drink it like you do water. And so I’ve been a little slow on the learning curve, but a few burnt tongues later I know now that to get the full flavor of a tea you need to let it sit around in your mouth for a spell.

After reading what some other people had said about this tea, I decided to let it steep for 4:30 as opposed to the recommended 4 minutes. Other people had let it go for 5 minutes, but I fear the oversteep greatly [since I’ve done it for this one and PBPPPBPTHHPWEH!!! – that’s the sound I made]. Maybe I’ll go to 5 minutes next time, though, because at 4:30 it was REALLY good.

Thomas Sampson is more reminiscent of Jackee Muntz than I gave it credit before. It has that same, caramel-like flavor to it, but it’s not as honeyed. [The difference is somewhat subtle.] I’d call it more malty. It also has some bitterness swirling in the background, and a lightly charred flavor at the finish.

It brews into this gorgeous, coppery color. On the first half of the cup, it almost felt…gritty in the mouth. Although that may not be the right word. Papery sounds more accurate. Kind of dry and with texture. Later on it smoothed out and became more satiny.

Black teas are probably the ones that I drink the least on the whole, but this series totally has me hooked. I see quite a bit more black tea in my future. Going in for cup numero deux.

After finishing the writing of this log, I feel that I should scroll to the top and warn you that there is very little actual content in this post. There is, however, a ridiculous link at the end of it. Caveat lector. And uhm…caveat clicker, too, I guess.

I have officially managed to complete absolutely nothing that I intended to get done today.

I did take a pretty long nap, though.

And I drank a lot of tea.

And I played Fat Princess, which is this hilariously awesome downloadable game on the PS3 that bursts with cuteness and gore.

None of those were on the agenda, but I’m going to add them anyway in an attempt to see if I feel like I’ve accomplished something worthwhile.

Nope, didn’t work, so it looks like I’ll be buckling down for the next couple of hours, but in OTHER NEWS, my sinuses appear to be clearing up! It could just be the late® hour, or the tea, or any number of things, but I’m going to hope that this just means I’m getting better. If that’s the case, it also means that I should hopefully be logging some of the new stuff I’ve gotten in recently-ish on here. [Nothing like having the ability to do something taken away indefinitely than to spur you into a frenzy once it’s over.]

In a test of sorts, and because I need some prodding, I decided to make a cup of Old Man Sampson to gauge where I’m at, taste wise. [I don’t know why I called him Old Man Sampson, because he doesn’t look elderly in the picture, but it’s fun to tag “Old Man” on to someone’s last name every once in a while. Even if they’re female. Old Man Sampson works pretty well.]

Ugh, does the content of this post give you reference for where my mind is at right now? I’m still not fully awake.

Back to the tea, I brewed a teaspoon or so for 4:30. I know from reference that this should be relatively strong for me, but I’m still feeling a little dulled from the cold. Getting a hint of that maltiness, but not enough to feel completely back on my feet…tongue? The tea is still good, however, and the mouth-feel still luxurious. Plus, the caffeine should start kicking in momentarily and that’s always something to look forward to.

When I tell stories that I think might be going somewhere but then end up being either really boring, pointless, aimless, or all of the above, I like to end it with, “And then I found twenty dollars.” Instead of doing that here, I am going to link you to something that I let loop for an amount of time that I’m not going to divulge because it’s embarrassing. It’s a little naughty and possibly gross, and also probably NSFW, but I think it’s funny. And catchy. Enjoy.

http://www.getonmyhorse.com/

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mrawlins2
87
mrawlins2 3 tasting notes

For the last year that I’ve spent on Steepster, I have read numerous posts raving about Thomas Sampson. Unfortunately, I never got the opportunity to give him a try…until now! Many thanks to JacquelineM for sending me a generous package full of teas that I’ve been eying!
This tea has a gorgeous aroma and the taste is completely full-bodied and malty! This is definitely a tea worth waiting for. There is caramel, malt and honey all mixed with a hearty, balanced black tea. This has truly turned my day around. I love when tea packages come on days that you need them the most!

I needed a tea to help me get through the remainder of my homework today so I reached for one of my new favorites – courtesy of the amazing JacquelineM! I have to admit I was a bit surprised that she decided to share a bit of her main man with me, but I am sure glad that she did. I am taking this pot without additions and Thomas is strong, yet smooth. I am enjoying the rich, honey covered biscuit flavor of Thomas today and I am still not finding any astringency. I wish I had got on board with Thomas earlier when I could have secured an entire tin for myself. But since that was not meant to be, I’ll be cherishing what is left of my sample on special occasions.

2nd infusion: Perhaps a bit less malty, but taste is more caramel and honey than before. There is a note of astringency that I didn’t notice earlier, but I also added a bit of milk to the previous cup. I am still really enjoying this tea.

Thomas is also really great with cookies! Perhaps it is a good thing that I don’t have a whole tin of this lying around….

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LiberTEAS
90
LiberTEAS 2 tasting notes

This tasting note comes courtesy of Jillian – thank you so much for sharing Thomas with me!

A very nice Assam. I didn’t follow the steeping suggestions by A&D – it’s been my experience with Assam that any longer than 2 1/2 minutes and I get bitterness. But contrary to the suggestions – I don’t feel that this tea is “pale and gutless” – just very pleasant! Brisk and malty. And no bitterness! Definitely one of the better Assam teas I’ve encountered.

I’m starting my day with Thomas Sampson today – and finishing the last of the sampling that Jillian so graciously shared with me. Thank you again Jillian!

This experience with Thomas is much like my first. Malty and brisk. Bold. A lot of gusto which I need today – my first born is graduating today.

Anyway, on with the show Thomas! We’ve got a lot to do today.

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laurenpressley

Truly, this is Damn Fine Tea.

oOTeaOo
76
oOTeaOo 2 tasting notes

This is a nice, hearty black tea that is just perfect for the morning! It has a strong taste and scent to it. It goes great with milk and sugar. I love that it has a smokey, toasty taste to it which becomes more like a chocolate taste. The smokey and toasty flavors are not very strong and are only there initially. good tea overall! I wish I could have bought this before they ran out. I received this in a swap :)

My husband and I finished this sample up! This is a good basic Assam. I love Assam teas because they are blendable! Great tea. I love how it doesn’t get too bitter.

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Tea-Guy
85
Tea-Guy 2 tasting notes

The leaves for this black tea are twisted and curled roughly 1/16 inch in length and a brown-black hue with occasional lighter (as in whiter) leaves mixed in. I did not see any buds or stems.

The aroma is hayish with light toasty notes when dry and sweeter, like peaches after steeping. The liquor is a very dark amber and produced a malty aroma with peach notes and hints of honeysuckle.

On the palate though, the flavor is more subdued. There’s a minimal drying of the tongue and roof of the mouth. Some astringency and pucker finds its way into the mix with notes of peach and maybe nectarine and a malty texture in the finish.

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wombatgirl
75
wombatgirl 2 tasting notes

This tea is growing on me.

My first few tastes I was thinking it was too tannic, too bitter, too just something for my tastes. But the addition of a little sweetner and repeated applications and I’m starting to like it. Actually, I’m starting to quite like it. I can taste the hint of chocolate and sweet that weren’t there earlier. And there is definitely that bake-y taste.

Yum.

So, I’ve found a good way to help go through all the various tea samples and teas I’m not so wild about in my cupboard. I’ve managed to convince my hubby that iced tea from a jar is crap, and he needs to brew his own.

This mostly works. Unfortunately, he likes the black teas, and will go through teas I much more quickly than I expect him to. (And doesn’t always just stick to the teas I really don’t like!)

He really, really liked this tea as an iced tea.

Alas, Thomas, I hardly knew ye. However, the husband said you were a good man.

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