Russian Caravan

This is my first tea from Georgia Tea Company – Their customer service is AWESOME!!!

As soon as I opened the bag I was slapped with the smokiness! Once I infused it it was more of a slight smokiness! It ‘brews’ very quickly. It’s dark in color…dark brown with a slight reddish glow.

I only infused for 3 minutes…just because…I will tinker with more times later but I really like it at 3 minutes. It’s very flavorful. It’s smoky but not too smoky and it’s bold. It’s more than JUST smoky tho…it’s black tea WITH the smoke…not JUST smoke, ya know!?

I really like this one! Probably my 2nd favorite Smoky Tea so far

I was sad and a wee bit jealous that Doulton had already married Upton’s Black Dragon. I am sad no longer: I’ve found my smoky tea to marry! This tea and the Black Dragon could be fraternal twins. (Would this make Doulton my sister-in-law?) The Dragon is mellow in its gentle seduction. This tea is aggressive in its…ravaging? Okay, so it’s like you took the sweet depth of the Dragon and swapped it for blunt smoke. The depth that I was hoping for in GTC’s Lapsang Souchong is here.

The first steep is just divine, but only slightly hints at the sweet undercurrent that I enjoy in most smoky teas. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just different. The second steep (added a minute) seems a bit flatter, but then that wonderful sweet sensation comes through and makes everything okay in my world. I adore the aftertaste of this tea. I find myself taking extended pauses between sips so that I can enjoy the aftertaste. NOM.

This one’s a definite keeper and will be kept next to its Dragon brother in my tea cupboard. I shall drink whichever one matches my mood. TG

I rolled an “8” on the die that RABS provided in the wonderful Geek Pride Tea Game Giveaway today. It was so exciting because I had gone two days in a row rolling numbers that were no longer valid. I did, however, congratulate myself on my virtuous failure to cheat.

So I opened the lovely package: http://www.flickr.com/photos/destro/4675967968/

It was the one marked “8” in the upper portion of the photo. And I was enchanged. Georgia Tea Company? Russian Caravan? I briefly thought that this tea might have come from Georgia SSR, but immediately returned to reality. I remember reading the reviews that Rabs had posted of this tea and I have it on a “to purchase” list. So I was absolutely thrilled to have it in hands and water on this afternoon.

The dry aroma is enchanting and robust—very smoky with a bit of tar, just the way I like it. Very smoky which I love. I felt tranported to a Russian troika where the horses are neighing as they approach the Kremlin and a very young Omar Sharif (transplanted to the 19th century) is guiding the reins and we are both wearing traditional Russian hats because it’s a universe in which we are oblivious to animal cruelty and the evils of the Tsar. Maybe we even are the Tsar? Or would that be the Czar?

This is the best Russian Caravan I have had. My typical response to Russian Caravan is that it stops short of its full smoky and flavorful potential. Not in this case! This one is no shrinking violet. As Rabs says in her review, there is a natural sweetness underlying the smoke (a delightful combination). Both the sweetness and the smoke are bold interpreters of the Russian Caravan concept.

Georgia Tea Company and this tea are on the top of my “to be ordered” list.

What a magnificent cup! Thank you, RABS! You are a genius!

Had a cup of this this morning before heading to belated Thanksgiving at the husband’s fam’s house. This Caravan is not playing around. It’s definitely smoky, more in line with the sort of lapsang souchongs we used to drink at Crumpets, the kind of thing that just pervades the entire table with straight up smoke scent. If you love that sort of hardcore, somewhat one note kind of Caravan blend this is a good specimen. Occasionally I still want some of that. But usually I now (having discovered more types) prefer more nuanced and subtle smoke blends. Again though, once in a while this sort of over-the-top straightforwardly musty-smoky kind hits a nostalgia pang of mine.

This is very smoky, but there’s a lot more to it. If a leather-bound, first edition, Hemingway novel was magically transformed into a drink (minus the alcohol), and you would get this tea. It’s very bold, and a little salty-tasting. There’s something very rustic and raw about the taste. If you’re carnivorously inclined, you may even consider using it in a rub for something red and gamy.