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Cameron B. drank Venus by Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

4336 tasting notes

Pulled this one out today as it’s the 10th tea in my collection (via my spreadsheet, which is alphabetized by company and then tea name), and I’m following the #CuppaTeaAthon prompts on Instagram this week, one of which was to drink your 10th tea.

Anyway! This is quite lovely. It’s extremely well-balanced, smooth but with some minerality and a hint of smokiness to it. There’s creaminess and edamame and hay, but also a delicious apricot aftertaste and enough astringency to keep it interesting. It’s also going on three years old, but still tastes good.

I wouldn’t say it’s a standout tea, but I feel like what it does, it does exceedingly well. It’s supremely drinkable and it makes my mouth happy. Plus, what a gorgeous tin! :3

Flavors: Apricot, Astringent, Bitter, Creamy, Grain, Green Beans, Hay, Mineral, Nuts, Smoke, Smooth, Soybean, Stonefruit, Sweet, Vegetal

Preparation

175 °F / 79 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

3 years ago

I Like This

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5 comments

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Evol Ving Ness 3 years ago

I see them a note a couple of weeks ago and they said they are restocking soon. No details as to when exactly.

Cameron B. 3 years ago

Ooooooh the plot thickens! I’ll have to keep an eye out.

People who liked this

Comments

gmathis 3 years ago

I haven’t checked out A&D for a long time. (Doing so now.)

Cameron B. 3 years ago

They don’t have much at the moment, sadly!

gmathis 3 years ago

Boy, that’s the truth!

Evol Ving Ness 3 years ago

I see them a note a couple of weeks ago and they said they are restocking soon. No details as to when exactly.

Cameron B. 3 years ago

Ooooooh the plot thickens! I’ll have to keep an eye out.

Profile

Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- March sipdowns: 6
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 45

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing