Andrews & Dunham, Red Tailed Hawk

Andrews & Dunham Description:
The shrill cry you hear when you see a bird of prey onscreen is almost always that of a Red-Tailed Hawk. It is this cry that, when heard while alone and in the wilderness, reminds you that you are indeed alone and in the wilderness. So brew up this blend of bright, delicious teas from the mountains of India and soar to new heights of flavor.

The Red-Tailed Hawk is a blend of bright, delicious teas from the mountains of India. We like to brew it for a little less than 3 minutes in boiling water for a smooth, fragrant cup. Brew it a little longer for more briskness.

My Review:
I don't exactly understand the connection between the American red-Tailed hawk, being alone in the wilderness and this tea, but I'm willing to go with it just the same.

The loose leaf is small pieces of chopped leaf of various shades of brown. I steeped this for 3 1/2 minutes in my press with just off boiling water. The brew is orange-red tea colored. The wet leaf smells incredible. It reminds me of tea from Nepal.

I was assuming since this tea is a blend from India that it would be a bitter assam type cup. That doesn't appear to be the case. This is very smooth. It is malty to be sure but no hints of cocoa as found in a lot of Chinese black teas. It is not fruity like the Nepal teas I have experienced. I find myself thinking it covers the middle ground between Assam and Nepal. The aftertaste is strong and brisk with some dryness. That could probably be reduced by lowering the steeping time.

I use to think I did not like jasmine tea until I discovered I really just did not like cheap bagged or poorly done jasmine. A good jasmine is amazing. In the same way, I thought I did not like tea from India unless it was flavored with something else. This tea proves once again I have just not had the good stuff.

My guess is I personally could not drink this on am empty stomach or very much of it at a time because it might lead to stomach burn. That did not happen with this cup but I still have to watch it. That warning aside, this is one of the very best tea blends from India I have tried.

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