1.5 tsp for 300mL water @ 95C, steeped 4 minutes, drunk bare.
I need to give my tin of Double Knit blend, which only arrived on Friday, a little rest. Between sharing some samples and, er, drinking a lot of it myself, my tin’s already one-third gone. So I rifled through my holdings on this overcast day when I feel ghastly and thought: Yeah. Horns up. Caravan Resurrected.
A light-to-medium-bodied black blend — mostly China black, I think — with some delicious and nuanced smoke flavour. It never gets tarry. With slightly cooler water, 95C versus boiling, sweeter notes release. The smoke tastes very natural, and a tiny bit savoury, almost salty, though that note is not as strong as it was in A & D’s original Caravan. The smoke is neither dusty nor powdery, as happens in some Caravans and Lapsangs. Refreshing and distinct. Not my everyday cup, but always enjoyed.
1.5 tsp for 300mL water @100C, steeped four minutes, drunk bare.
I love this tea.
Light body, mineral and crisp, good hit of Caravan smoke, an elusive sweet note, smokey finish but not heavily so. I would guess this blend had some Keemun in it. Solid performance tonight. (Ahem. From the tea.)
1 tsp for 250mL water @100C … with 1/2 tsp Tiger Assam added … drunk bare.
Yeeeaaaaahhhh. Oh, I love a smokey tea, and the first Caravan from Andrews and Dunham was one of the best I’d ever tried. Caravan Resurrected is very nearly as good, lacking only that odd, slightly salty note that made the original downright addictive. CR is strong and rich and quite smoky, but it’s not a powdery or choke-a-horse smoke. I added some Tiger Assam to heavy-up CR’s body, which tends light, as do many China black teas. Smoky but clean, with a crisp and slightly sweet finish. One of the best.
1.5 tsp for 300mL water @ 100C, steeped 4 minutes, drunk bare.
Horns up, babeh!
Light to medium body China black teas with a mineral finish and a lovely bit of smoke. Doesn’t pack the caffeine punch of, say, a good Assam, but it does give a lift and a buzz. I miss the savoury note from the first edition of Caravan, but whaddya do — tea plants have a mind of their own. This is still one of the best Caravans I’ve ever had. Too many of them out there are dusty and point to the number one failing of many flavoured teas: a crappy tea base. Not this one. Caravan Resurrected can also be a very contemplative cup as you sit there and try to puzzle out all the nuances. Dry leaf looks a bit twiggy.
