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“Backlogging. 11 days ago. Wednesday morning. I’ve been reading about people blending two teas to create the smokey cowboy earl grey. But I’ve put off trying it even though I was intrigued. I did...” Read full tasting note
“Still watering the garden. I planted 5 different varieties of Sweet Potatoes this year. Some of them are showing great signed on productivity! Others don’t appear to be all that robust. No matter,...” Read full tasting note
“Since Steepster is featuring Andrews & Dunham today, I thought maybe it was time for yet another debut for me. Because their Caravan is the third of the smokies that Auggy shared with me. I...” Read full tasting note
“I’m seriously in love with smoky teas. No, correction: I’m seriously in lust with them. It’s a physical craving. None of this emotional, touchy feely crap. We’re talking pure, visceral...” Read full tasting note
If even half of the stories are true, let it be a testament to the durability of rock musicians that Carävan lasted as long as they did. With a ticket paid in full by the charms of singer and guitarist Ian Black, Carävan rode the mind-numbing rhythms of Phil Steep (bass) and Gryph “Smoke” Upley (drums) down dark highways for four years. Black’s bizarre and tragic death in 1979 put the brakes on this trio’s wild ride. The surviving band members and their music have since been plagued by personal, legal and (by some accounts) supernatural misfortune to such an extent that the survival of their master recordings is a remarkable feat in itself. What remains today is a body of work that reveals a surprising sweetness, albeit richly draped in the fiery brimstone of Carävan’s legendary hard-rocking sound.
Carävan is a smoky blend of black teas. Steep in boiling water for four minutes — more if you can stand it. It is best enjoyed in an 11-ounce mug.
Andrews & Dunham knows that nothing beats a perfect cup of tea, and a great tea needs no explanation. We love the romance of tea. We love that tea might just be the healthiest thing you’ll ever drink. But if the tea you’re drinking doesn’t taste fantastic, you’re missing out. Only a few teas meet our mysterious, rigorous standards and we’re proud to offer them to you. We’re always looking for that perfect cup, so you don’t have to.
So I am looking at the picture and thinking, why is there a pentagram on the label? Then I read the description and I am all like index and pinky in the air screaming (in my head) Yeah! – Let me just say Dio would be pleased. Then references to Burn and Smoke on the Water keep bouncing through my skull. As you can tell I am amused. Where is my Paranoid album?
Opening the bag, this is not fire and brimstone. I first notice sweet smoke with light hints of cinnamon and vanilla (there isn’t any in the blend – just my perception). While the brewed cup is pine smoke bbq scented, the sip is sweet and not at all overpowering. I can even taste the tea. Just like in the movies this bad boy has a tender side.
Despite my initial inclination this would be a sensory assualt, it actually turned out to be a very pleasant caravan tea. Smoky yes, but not offensively so. Quite enjoyed this one. Thanks Terri
Like an old lover you don’t fully remember until he’s an inch away from your face, and then it all comes rushing back… this tea is disarmingly familiar, sweet and smoky, my favorite of A&D’s current offerings. I’m a Lapsang Souchong lover, so the discovery of this smoky tea is a revelation.
They’re not random about their 4 minute steep time, but I discovered by accident yesterday that I prefer to max out the steep time on this one and load it up with milk and a dollop of my black tea sweetener of choice, pure maple syrup. Strong and solid and yes.
