Carävan

This mugged me. It’s so smoky for me that it reminds me of a barbecued pig, i finished the cup I made, but since, it’s been sitting on the shelf collecting dust, perhaps I will try it again someday…

I got my Damn Fine Tea order last night (YAY!!) and of course had to immediately try one of them today. As a strong black tea lover, Caravan was my first pick. I didn’t look at the description before I brewed it, so I wasn’t expecting the smoky scent & flavour. Normally I have a pretty negative association with smoky notes (especially when it comes to food), but I don’t have much experience with it in tea. I have to say, I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this! It’s exactly what I needed today, and the brewing time of just over 4 minutes was perfect for my oversized mug. Just a tad more time and I think I would’ve had to add milk to tone it down, but I adore the way this cup turned out.

There’s no weird or bitter aftertaste, and overall this is a really nice blend. This was a great start for my introduction to A&D Damn Fine Teas! If I like either of the other two teas in series 3 as much as I like this one, I’m pretty sure I’ll be a fan for life!

Sandy couldn’t stand it and ordered tea while she was in NZ and had it shipped to Texas, from whence she brought it HERE to my house in ole’ NC! Today we made our trek up to A Southern Season in Chapel Hill to stock up on a few teas and things. She brought a tin of this for me to try and to tote in my JoeMo XL. (Seriously, order this puppy from Teafrog and get their Chocolate and Cream tea while you are at it! You really should since you are paying shipping anyway!)

Smokey! Smokey smokey smokey! But also sweet! I like lapsang teas okay, I will drink them if offered, but if you are a fan you will LOVE this one. I think I detect a fruity note in the tea, and the smoke is strong without feeling like you are breathing in a whole campfire. Sandy resteeped and still had plenty of smoke!

Drunk bare — no milk or sweetener.

I did not think this tea would live up to the hype. I adore a good smokey tea, but too often, the smoke dominates.

So, I was wrong.

Caravan gives off a very strong smoke scent, but the steeped tea is almost sweet. The smoke is an accent, not a bully. There’s a wine-iness too, as you find in some Keemuns. (Keemun in blend?) Also something savoury, almost salty, that excites the sides of the tongue. Finishes clean, though smoke lingers in the mouth.

Damn fine.

Wow, I was hesitant to try this tea but i’m glad I did! It isn’t too smoky, as there is a sweetness that rounds the smoky flavor out. I’m really diggin’ this one, a lot. As usual, i’m not surprised by the quality of Damn Fine Tea, they are awesome!

I have to admit, I had reservations after smelling the dry leaves. I’m still kind of new to smoky smoky blacks, and it had a smell reminiscent of… smoked ham? Okay, that’s not quite right. I warmed up to the smell the second time—more like leather, aged like an old theatre, quite rusty. How is this going to taste, I wonder?

Well, nothing like ham, I’ll tell you that. After a proper steep it tastes deep, smoky, and quite sweet. It’s really something complex and wonderful. You know that smell in October that reminds you of a candle that’s just been put out? It’s like that, but with a rich sweetness right at the end. Really wonderful, and perfect for a fall day.

I’ve not been looking forward to tasting this one. The smell of the dry leaves was overpoweringly smoky… and the flavor, while far more mellow, is just too strong for me. I brewed just a single cup, which I rarely do, and have had to force myself to finish it. I don’t think I’ll use the rest of the tin, which is a bit of a shame.

So my shipment came from Andews & Dunham came today and I’m thoroughly excited! My first taste of the series is the Caravan black tea because I’ve never had caravan before. It’s deep and quite yummy and hopefully will keep me good company into the long hours of the night along with my neuroscience notes.

Got this in a swap with JacquelineM. I’m currently steeping pretty much everything in Samovar’s glass oolong pot, because I’ve in love. The dry leaf is amazingly smoky, of course, the liqueur smells less so. G says it smells like rabbit food; we decided this might mean alfafa? Something grassy, anyway. It reminds me a little of puerh. The taste is a bit on the bitter side, but I think that’s my fault for over-steeping: I spilled a little water, so my ratio was more like 3oz/.5tsp. Anyway, there is a nice sweetness under the smoke. I have a suspicion this will be even better on the 2nd steep.

2nd steep (~ 5 minutes, still boiling, little more water) either smells less smoky, or I’ve adjusted to the scent. Definitely tastes sweeter, and milder, so I am well pleased. Still a dark savory tea, though. Smokier, or saltier, or something-er than Jackee, and still fairly strong.

Mike: “It’s smokey.”
Ricky will post a short review later tonight.

^{Brewed in Tiny White Teapot}

The leaves have a mesquite smoke aroma that mellows substantially once brewed. The dark amber liquor smells more like the memory of a campfire. The flavor is much milder than the aroma with a gentle brown sugar sweetness that offsets the dominant, mildly astringent, woodsy taste. The mesquite smoke returns as a persistent aftertaste.

Dry tea is very smoky, smells like some good unflavored pipe tobacco. Smoky, campfire-esque, warm and woody aroma when steeped. Extremely smooth on the tongue, but can be overpowering if over-brewed. Flavor is very dark and complex, but not bitter. The taste is reminiscent of Thai iced tea. A smooth finish with subtle sweetness.

The dry leaf smells like a campfire. Steeped tea has similar smells. Not nearly as smoky flavor (with 4 minute steeping), but that is a good thing.

Strong and smoky and sweet the first time around, perfect with eggs for breakfast, with plenty of kick for a slightly mellower but still sublime second steep!

I don’t typically partake of smoky black teas very often, but I can’t really think of a good reason why. This tea will probably change that a bit…I wasn’t sure how much I would like it from the scent and the first sip or two, but it grew on me pretty quickly. I’m looking forward to a second steeping when I get back home, and will probably experiment with trying it a little stronger in the future (not to say that it’s lacking in that area at four minutes). Smoky and a little sweet, I’m a fan.

Tastes like a crackling campfire. Perfect for this wintery day.

Normally I like green teas better than black. But this is seriously good enough to override that. It’s smoky and warm and lovely and says “WAKE UP!” when I drink it.

I just had my first cup of this amazing tea. I love it. Its smoky, but not overly so. Its very smooth and not bitter at all. It doesn’t taste as heavy as it smells. You can smell and taste the lapsang souchong in this tea. It has to have Yunnan in it. I wish I knew the other teas in this blend. I used tsp and 1/2 with boiling water for 4 min. Later today I intend to go 5 min. I will rate this tea after I’ve had a few more cups. After a 5 min steep, I felt like I was just getting off my camel. It was just a little stronger but still smooth and smokey. All I can say is that this is a very good well thought out tea. Andrews and Dunham should sell this tea alone without the other 2 teas (which I haven’t tried yet) and in a larger size.

I agree with what everyone else said about this tea, it is smokey! when its steeped and you take a whiff of it, you can smell the smokiness. As for the taste, its delightful. It doesn’t dry you out like other black teas with that after taste. Great for a winter night.

Oh heavens to betsy… as my first official tipsy lady edition to steepster, I officially give my seal of approval to this tea~

Let me explain.
Basically, I have always, without even a modicum of irony, given zero credence to Russian Caravan. The most I’ve given to Russia, as far as any sort of credit, has been the suggestion, to my husband, that we could roleplay Czar NicholasXme, without batting one eyelash.

But this tea has taught me what is what. I have always been a fan of the bitter, dark brew…. which all before have always left me half fulfilled, always wanting more. But this tea has given me what a woman wants, what a woman needs, in every sense of the poplular phrases. I am satisfied, slightly more sober, and happy, happy as I have ne’er been before.

Maybe it’s that it’s my first, but I will never ever forget this Caravan. It is my new favorite and I will bring it to my workplace tomorrow if only to remember the glory…. <3