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Finest Russian Caravan (TB70) from Upton Tea Imports
80

Sample of the morning from Upton Tea Imports. :)

I may have steeped this for too long, I kinda lost track of time. I was just reading the other’s tasting notes and a few have remarked how it smells and tastes like darjeeling, honestly I am not picking that up here…

It’s a very strong black tea, I suspect it’s a keemun blend with some ceylon in it, perhaps. There’s a very faint bit of smoke in here. I was able to drink it plain but I also found the flavor to be flat and muddy (and that is how I feel about keemuns in general), so a bit of soymilk perked it right up and made it better. I still don’t taste any darjeeling but if I do a shorter steep, that may become more prominent. Luckily I have enough of the sample for a few more cups.

This is a good morning time tea, dark and strong but I prefer the Russian Country from Harney and Sons.

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Comments

Charles Thomas Draper
Charles Thomas Draper 2012-07-03 13:41:43 -0400

I ordered this and many other samples last night….

Amy oh
Amy oh 2012-07-03 13:42:46 -0400

cool – I look forward to your reviews. :)

Autumn Hearth
Autumn Hearth 2012-07-03 16:31:16 -0400

Made a pot of this Sunday morning for breakfast with the boys (been a long time since I made a pot). Husband actually thought it was light! I found it less bitey than previously and could almost see what he was saying, there was some floral notes. I definitely got the Formosa, which can have some similar winey notes to Darjeeling, it doesn’t really have the stout brashness Assam can have, which is why some may suspect the India tea listed is Darjeeling. You are probably right about the Keemun, but it doesn’t say Ceylon or Sri Lanka, so again I would suspect the Formosa is morphing itself. I would like to explore more smokey Russian blends when the weather turns.

Amy oh
Amy oh 2012-07-03 17:17:05 -0400

Autumn – how long did you steep yours for? I didn’t think it was light at all but I was thinking I would try it at a 2 or 3 minute steep.

ScottTeaMan
ScottTeaMan 2012-07-04 05:33:53 -0400

Many Russian Cravan teas use Keemun teas. Amy…….why do you prefer the Russian Country from H & S?? I feel I’ve asked you this before…….

Amy oh
Amy oh 2012-07-04 14:10:26 -0400

The H&S tea is sweeter and it also as lapsang in it. I enjoy lapsang blends.

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Profile

Bio

My profile pic is of a pink dahlia at Golden Gate Park.

Hobbies include: tea, making art, animals, vegan things, buddhism, nature, creativity, books, writing, cooking, meditation, yoga.

I am a fan of many different teas but my favorites are blacks and oolongs, also like darjeeling and pu-erh. I’n always learning and expanding my horizons!

Dislikes include: bergamot, jasmine, highly tannic or bitter teas, overly judgmental and bitter people. :)

Live in San Francisco, I’m a SINK (single income, no kids) and love the urban life, but traveling out to the middle of nowhere is always fun too.

I tend to not drink things I know I will hate so a lot of my tea ratings are on the higher side. Here’s my rating system, sorta

95-100 I love this tea and would like to keep it around

94-90 An excellent tea which I may or may not repurchase

89-80 Pretty good, above average

79-70 Acceptable

69-60 Mundane – Will probably drink it if I have it

59-50 Ick

49 and below Nasty

Location

San Frandisco

Website

http://sanfrantea.teatra.de

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