Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea
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1.5 tsp for 300mL water @100C, steeped four minutes, drunk bare.
I am desperate for a hit of Assam.
There is Assam in this delicious blend.
There’s also a fair bit of Keemun, I think, which can get bossy, but the Assam notes come out as the tea cools.
Damn Fine has never let me down.
Preparation
1.5 tsp for 300mL water @ 100C, steeped 4 minutes 30 seconds, drunk bare.
I couldn’t get to my strainer right away … the extra 30 seconds makes this tea a little bitter for me. The smoke is starting to dominate, but the smooth malt beneath is still there. Mineral finish, but defintely tending to bitterness.
1.5 tsp for 300mL water @100C. Steeped 3 minutes. Drunk bare.
I like this better on the shorter steep. The Assam (if that’s what I’m tasting) gets to show off its creamy heft without the Keemun (?) dominating with its toast and smoke.
This is a very good blend. At my first sip this evening, I just sighed in bliss.
Preparation
1.5 tsp for 300mL water @100C, steeped 4 minutes, drunk bare.
I got a Damn Fine package in the mail! Woot! And I ordered it just before they put the 3-pack on sale, weh. Not to worry: I wanted to snatch the Captain for one last tryst, so I got one of the remaining Hot Teas on High Seas sets … and a big ol tin of Double Knit.
The copywriting and design of A&D tins gets me every time.
Dry leaf smelled very Keemun heavy, and good Keemun, with oaky notes but no tarriness, plus some red winey notes. Big smiles.
Liquor is a medium brown. Body quite light, almost like a Darjeeling in mouthfeel. In fact, I’d swear there’s some Darjeeling or Nepal in this blend, giving a slight bite. Darjeeling and Keemun at least … mineral notes on the finish and a faint pucker — like a gentle kiss. Not a chewy black tea, but that’s what Assam is for. A really good blend, bright and thoughtful.
Preparation
OMG! I am completely in love with this tea! Yes … yes … yes! (Imagine Meg Ryan in probably her most popular scene ever there)
As I am sitting here slurping on this tea, I tried to think of an Assam tea that I might have enjoyed as much as I’m enjoying this … and only one comes to mind. (And that would be No. 49 from Steven Smith … and I just left that store about two hours ago without some of my beloved Assam, what was I thinking? I was too excited over the other, new teas that I had not yet tried that I had forgotten to restock No. 49 and No. 55)
Anyway… this is amazing. It is a strong Assam… rich, malty and flavorful. It will assuredly kick your butt right out of “sleep” mode and into get-up-and-get-em mode. It starts out smooth and caramel-y, and there is a fair amount of astringency to this that slowly dries the palate after the sip. But, I don’t find the astringency to be out of bounds or too much. It is the perfect finishing touch to this really robust Assam.
Everything about this Tiger is amazing. What else should I have expected from Andrews & Dunham. They rock.
I haven’t tried any of their teas, but I’ll have to add that one to my ‘list’.
@Terri: You really should try their teas. I also loved the Double Knit blend … that would be a really good breakfast blend, I think. This one is a good “kick in the butt” tea whenever you need one of those.
I will also say that this tea disappeared astonishingly fast from my teacup.
I’ve looked at their page before, just haven’t ordered any…yet!
Have you tried the Caravan or the Hot Tea on the High Seas?
I’ve tried the Caravan long ago, when it was part of the 3rd limited edition series. I am not sure how the Caravan Resurrected compares to that, but when I did try it, I was still very anti-smoky teas, so I wasn’t too fond of it. I have the Caravan Resurrected (as it was part of the group of three that were available on Cyber Monday), and I’m hoping I will have a new found appreciation of it.
The Hot Tea on the High Seas is limited edition series 5 (I think!) and I did try both of those teas. They are amazing. I especially love the Oolong as it is a Magnolia Oolong – it’s fantastic. Captain Assam is an exceptionally smooth Assam, if I remember correctly, and perhaps a bit less harsh than some other Assam teas that I’ve tried. It’s not quite as “kick you in the butt” as this Tiger Assam is. Both are stellar, in my opinion.
I’d LOVE to try this one!
This seems overpriced – do you think it is worth $20 for a 4 oz. tin?
@Amy oh: Yes I do. I also think that with this company, you’re not just paying for the tea but also the overall experience. The tins are beautiful, solid, and airtight. You get a bonus button with this particular tea … not a huge deal, but, I think it’s part of the fun.
However, given that this is one of the very best Assam teas I’ve ever tried, I’d say it’s worth the investment. That doesn’t mean that I don’t wait until they have a promotion, because I generally do. I purchased this as part of their Cyber Monday deal that they had going on, which was a 20% discount, and covered the cost of my shipping on the three tins of tea.
What is you current King of organic Assam teas? Thank you!
looseTman: I guess I’d have to go with this one: http://steepster.com/teas/arbor-teas/14049-organic-rembeng-assam-black-tea
Arbor Teas is a fantastic source of organic and fair trade teas.
Agreed, Arbor Teas is great! However, Remberg Assam is not currently offereed. Their current black tea choices are found here: http://www.arborteas.com/categories/organic-tea/organic-black-tea/. What’s your next favorite organic assam? Thanks!
I guess I’d go with Malty Assam from Tao of Tea: http://steepster.com/teas/the-tao-of-tea/12030-malty-assam
Thanks! I read your review of the Malty Assam from Tao of Tea. I can see why you rated Assams from A&D, SST, ZTL & Arbor Teas higher than it. Since Arbor Teas no longer offers Rembeng Assam, how does their Organic Greenfield Estate Ceylon Black Tea compare to it as well as the SST & ZTL Assams? Thank you.
Since I don’t have any more of the Greenfield Estate tea, and it’s been a while since I’ve had it, it would be difficult for me to offer a proper analysis for it now. However I will say that Greenfield Estate is an EXCEPTIONAL Ceylon, and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys black teas. However, how it would compare to an Assam … since they are two different teas … and given the time that has lapsed since my last tasting of the tea … it would be difficult for me to offer a fair comparison.
I understand. Thanks!
Backlog:
I finally wrote my full-length review for this tea a couple of weeks ago, here is the link to that review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2013/02/02/double-knit-blend-from-damn-fine-tea/
Another great blend from Damn Fine Teas! I really like this one. Rich, a touch of smoke, full-bodied and tastes heavy without feeling too heavy. A very enjoyable cuppa.
Oh goodness, this is good.
Rich and slightly smoky, malty, smooth, slightly astringent, and really just good. Yeah, this is just what I needed to kick start my day.
I was going to take a moment or two to write a full-length review, but I think I shall do that on another day. For now, I’m just going to sit back and enjoy this before I need to get busy with running errands and such.
Ooo! this sounds delightful!
As a knitter, I love the name too.
Sounds like a good tea to be a companion to a knitting project:)
You got it already!!! WOWZA! Squee!
Yes, one thing I LOVE about Damn Fine Tea is that they are FAST with shipping. I always get my order from them within three or four days, max. Shipping time isn’t always important to me, but when it comes to teas from Damn Fine Tea, I always want to get the teas ASAP … because I love their packaging. The tins are awesome, and they almost always have some sort of funny, weird “extra” to go with it. Like with this tea they had a nerd comb, the kind that every nerd and geek had in their front pocket back in high school. LOL
HAHA! that cracks me up! :) Nerd Comb!
I agree with what everyone else said about this tea, it is smokey! when its steeped and you take a whiff of it, you can smell the smokiness. As for the taste, its delightful. It doesn’t dry you out like other black teas with that after taste. Great for a winter night.
Preparation
At the end of summer I did some major reflecting and came to the conclusion that I didn’t know (and still don’t know) my straight teas very well. I vowed that I would make a noticeable effort to search out and compare “noteworthy” teas and learn how to brew them properly. I randomly decided to start with the accessible Dragonwell. I bought this brand, some from Silk Road, and a bag from Mighty Leaf, and… then I ran out of money. It’s a testament to this type of tea that, despite unintentional abuse on my part, all three of my “specimens” came out tasting yummy.
With the international shipping cost this Dragonwell was undoubtedly the most expensive. I was really nervous as I had never heard of this company except for word of mouth here on Steepster. I still don’t know what possessed me to try this as my first tea from Andrews & Dunham but I don’t regret the decision.
This is an insanely buttery green. Have you ever had boiled green veggies so soft and natural that they feel like they are melting in your mouth while performing serenades across your tongue? If yes, then you have a vague understanding of what this tea is like. It’s so soothingly creamy and invigoratingly awesome that it leaves me in a stupor. I feel unworthy reviewing it. When it runs out I’ll be sad for I fear I’m too cheap to order more of something that is limited anyways. I will always cherish the time I had with you, flirty buttery tea. There are a lot of pretty green leaves stuffed in the tin so that is slightly consoling.
Preparation
1.5 tsp for 300mL water @100C, stepped four minutes forty-five seconds, drunk bare.
BAM! Smoky with other China tea notes — a tiny bit sweet — with a light to medium body: so gooooood. Caravan Resurrected has been tucked at the back of my tea cabinet for a while; time to let it party.
1.5 tsp for 300mL water @ 95C, steeped 4 minutes, drunk bare.
I need to give my tin of Double Knit blend, which only arrived on Friday, a little rest. Between sharing some samples and, er, drinking a lot of it myself, my tin’s already one-third gone. So I rifled through my holdings on this overcast day when I feel ghastly and thought: Yeah. Horns up. Caravan Resurrected.
A light-to-medium-bodied black blend — mostly China black, I think — with some delicious and nuanced smoke flavour. It never gets tarry. With slightly cooler water, 95C versus boiling, sweeter notes release. The smoke tastes very natural, and a tiny bit savoury, almost salty, though that note is not as strong as it was in A & D’s original Caravan. The smoke is neither dusty nor powdery, as happens in some Caravans and Lapsangs. Refreshing and distinct. Not my everyday cup, but always enjoyed.
Preparation
1.5 tsp for 300mL water @ 100C, steeped 4 minutes, drunk bare.
Horns up, babeh!
Light to medium body China black teas with a mineral finish and a lovely bit of smoke. Doesn’t pack the caffeine punch of, say, a good Assam, but it does give a lift and a buzz. I miss the savoury note from the first edition of Caravan, but whaddya do — tea plants have a mind of their own. This is still one of the best Caravans I’ve ever had. Too many of them out there are dusty and point to the number one failing of many flavoured teas: a crappy tea base. Not this one. Caravan Resurrected can also be a very contemplative cup as you sit there and try to puzzle out all the nuances. Dry leaf looks a bit twiggy.
1.5 tsp for 300mL water @100C, steeped four minutes, drunk bare.
I love this tea.
Light body, mineral and crisp, good hit of Caravan smoke, an elusive sweet note, smokey finish but not heavily so. I would guess this blend had some Keemun in it. Solid performance tonight. (Ahem. From the tea.)
Preparation
1 tsp for 250mL water @100C … with 1/2 tsp Tiger Assam added … drunk bare.
Yeeeaaaaahhhh. Oh, I love a smokey tea, and the first Caravan from Andrews and Dunham was one of the best I’d ever tried. Caravan Resurrected is very nearly as good, lacking only that odd, slightly salty note that made the original downright addictive. CR is strong and rich and quite smoky, but it’s not a powdery or choke-a-horse smoke. I added some Tiger Assam to heavy-up CR’s body, which tends light, as do many China black teas. Smoky but clean, with a crisp and slightly sweet finish. One of the best.
Preparation
1.25 tsp for 250mL water@100C, steeped 4 minutes, drunk bare.
Like, omigod, the tea even came with, like, a blood-dripping A&D button I can pin on my jacket!
An excellent smoky China black tea. Not quite the same as I remember — it’s missing that almost savoury /salty note — but still a more nuanced smoky tea than many. The smoke scent is strong but not smothering, while the liquor itself, a light brown with some reddish tones, is mineral and sweet and sparkling — not carbonated, obviously, but giving definite bite. Smoky notes in the finish. A very light body. I may try making this stronger tomorrow.
Preparation
I just love the little extras that Andrews & Dunham includes in their packages. It makes it so much fun.
Agreed. I almost jumped up and down when I unwrapped the buttons yesterday, especially the Caravan one, which is Carvanan-label-blue in the background, with the blood-dripping pentagram in the middle and “A” and “D” on either side. Design. I go mad for good design, not just the immediate visual punch but how A&D extend their good design into little extras and treats.
I woke up this morning thinking —I can make new tea! I can drink Assam and Caravan all day long, if I want.
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 :)
