Dragonwell from Andrews & Dunham

Scent in tin: Grassy and fresh
Ratio: 1 tsp to 12 oz. water
Steeped: 2.5 minutes @ just under boiling (180 degrees or so)

As I’ve stated ad nauseum in my reviews, I’m not a fan of Chinese green teas. I much prefer the sweeter flavors of Japanese green teas, so that’s what I normally drink. I wasn’t planning on buying this tea, but seriously – go check out the Andrews & Dunham site, read the hilarious descriptions, and I bet you’ll find yourself buying the three-tin set too.

So I was a bit hesitant to brew this up, but my mom wanted a cup of hot tea after Easter dinner, and I figured we’d try this one, since she prefers green & white teas. Our first whiff out of the tin was a grassy, fresh scent that was a good match for the lovely spring weather we were having. I really liked the look of the leaves too – thin and wide, with a nice fresh green color.
I paid attention to the label this time (see my Nepal review), and was careful to only brew it for 2 ½ minutes at just under boiling. The brewed leaves are only slightly more vibrant, but very highly scented. The liquor is a pale yellow, without much residual scent at all, just a hint of melted butter.The taste – well, I was pleasantly surprised. The flavor is rich and buttery, with just a slight floral note in there somewhere. The brew is smooth and creamy, with no astringency, no harshness, and no bitterness at all. The aftertaste leaves just a slight peppery tang at the end, but nothing that would ruin the overall flavor profile. I had another cup last night, and it was a most relaxing cup to end the day with. My mother enjoyed her cup on Sunday too.Another “damn fine tea” from Andrews & Dunham…I find myself eagerly looking forward to their next offerings.Don’t forget – the third tea in Series 1, “Ceylon” is the prize for this month’s “ID that Tea” contest!