Country of Origin: China and Taiwan
Leaf Appearance: varied black and green
Ingredients: black and oolong tea
Steep time: 3 minutes
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain teapot and mesh infuser
Liquor: dark amber
This is what I affectionately refer to as a “kitchen sink” tea. It’s a blend of Keemun and Lapsang Souchong along with a Formosa oolong for good measure. The taste was actually quite a bit softer than I was expecting. It had the requisite smokiness but in a more subtle way. There was surprisingly little astringency. A subtle hint of brown sugar sweetness lingered in the finish. Perhaps that came from the oolong? All of the Russian Caravan teas that I’ve tried before contained Assam so that probably explains why I found it to be so mild. It was definitely still bold enough to take milk and sugar but I was perfectly happy to drink it straight. If you are a fan of this type of tea, it’s good quality and fairly economical. They are based in the UK but it works out to about $10 for 3.5oz. This isn’t a tea that I would drink all of the time but I can definitely see myself craving it on a cold winter evening.
Russian Caravan sample provided by Tea People.