Finest Russian Caravan (TB70)

Bummer…I love smoky teas and this one just wasn’t. It tastes like a blend of oolong, keemun and darjeeling. I would say that this tea is an afternoon tea. It really wasn’t robust or brisk enough for breakfast. However, this is not a bad tea. It has a nice light mouthfeel and fruity notes. It has a sweetness to it and is a tea I would drink again, but not one of my favorites. I may add some Lapsang Souchong to it to see what happens.
2.5g/8oz

Thank you to Lori for this sample!

I am with Morgana on this one. I smell and taste darjeeling. I don’t know if it is really in there, but that is what I get. It is smooth, not too astringent, and I really don’t detect any smoke at all. It has good flavor, though, was decent both plain or with milk and sugar added, and ….I think…..it may be reminding me of Margaret’s Hope 2nd Flush FTGFOP. That’s the darjeeling I am sensing, I suppose. Maybe the tiniest bit pepper-y, too?

Smells nutty and chocolatey in the bag before steeping, like a Chinese black tea. Smells like a dark oolong after steeping. That oolong smell seems to come through on taste as well, kind of minerally tasting to me. Crisp and refreshing, good characteristic for iced tea. There seems to be a little bit of natural sweetness there too. I’m going to have to make a few more cups to be sure, but I think we have a winner here. I made a big cup to share with my girlfriend, and just realized I drank the whole thing while I wrote this, bahahaha.

Great blend! My new favorite. It tastes like a strong Ceylonese tea or Darjeeling, without the astringent aftertaste. I keep waiting for it but it never comes. Very smooth and worth the extra price I’m sure.

More Upton thunderdome-ing. Today it’s TB70 Finest Russian Caravan (India, China, Formosa) against TB86 Richmond Park Blend (Keemun, Ceylon, Darjeeling).

This one isn’t bad really, though it’s a bit tannic and bitter and slightly astringent. There is a hint of smoke but not much, not enough for a smoky tea lover like me. The thing is, it’s so in between two things—basic black tea for breakfast, say, and truly smoky stuff—and not remarkable enough at either that I find myself just wanting a cup of either smooth breakfast tea OR headier, smokier stuff. I would rather drink their Baker Street blend any day.

Tastes smoother and richer with some milk and like 2 grains of raw sugar, but still, disappointing.

Prefer this over Richmond Park, but they’re really not anything alike (have never had anything like the Richmond Park to be honest) and that’s not saying much given I REALLY didn’t care at all for that one.

Nice smoky quality to this tea. Very Drinkable.

This was an unexpected tasting packet that came with an order I made ages ago, and it sat on my shelf, unnoticed for a while. I grabbed it for a quick trip since it was sealed and could be trusted not to spew leaves inside my backpack, and brewed it up when I figured I had time to brew a different pot if I didn’t like it.

Pleasant surprise – I liked it quite a bit! I don’t usually go for smoky teas, so it was lovely to find one where the smoke was there as a pleasant accent instead of being the entire point. It also had a nose of slightly caramel scent to me.

Like most of my teas, I did not brew at 212F/100C – much too easy to stew at that temperature – but instead at 185F or so. Dash of milk, and I’m good to go.

Our tea cabinet is too full right now, but hopefully sometime soon we’ll get space and I can pick up more of this one.

Just too subtle for my tastes. I expected something heartier based on the descriptions and the teas included but despite pushing to the very edge of recommended steeping time, there just isn’t a lot of oomph here. If you like soft teas it might appeal to you but just not kicky enough for me.

This is my second time trying this tea, and I think I might have under-steeped this particular cup. It still tastes good, just a little on the light side… Like other Steepster users have said, this tea doesn’t have much smoke to it. I think I can detect some in the aftertaste, which is nice and spicy. But overall, this is pretty tame, at least as far as smoke goes.

Otherwise, it’s a strong black blend. I can taste something that reminds me of certain Ceylon teas I’ve tried (kind of bright, maybe a citrus note?), as well as the darker taste I’ve started to associate with Keemun blacks. I have no idea if that’s accurate, though! Mostly I just taste a strong black tea, nothing too out of the ordinary. It’s the kind of blend I could see myself enjoying as an everyday cup, especially in cooler weather.

This is a household favorite. There’s nothing glaringly special about this tea, but we go back to it again and again. It smells lovely and has a mild, unobtrusive taste. The flavor is lost under sugar or milk and best enjoyed on its own. I drink it by the pot. But, pressed to say what it tastes like, I can’t say. A nice blend that tastes like tea? It’s not sharp or acidic or smokey. It doesn’t need doctoring. I’ve yet to oversteep it. It’s nothing ‘special’ but yet we drink it all the time, even hot with dinner. This is one I’ll always keep around.