Russian Caravan is a amazing cold weather tea ☺ I admit that part of the reason I first tried this tea was the rich history that the tea was created from...
Russian Caravan is a blend of Oolong, Keemun, and Lapsang Souchong. Chinese is origin
The name come from the camel caravans that made the trancontinental tea trek from India Ceylon and China to Russia. Russian Caravan has a smoky aroma caused by the Lapsang Souchong, intended as a natural preservative
Blend Breakdown
Oolong
Somewhere between green and black in oxidation. It ranges from 10% to 70% oxidation.
It is among the most popular types of teas served in typical Chinese restaurants.
In Chinese tea culture, semi-oxidised oolong teas are collectively grouped as qīngchá ["blue-green tea"]. With a taste more like green than black tea, it is not as floral as black teas or as grassy as green teas
Keemun
Keemun is produced in the Qimen County of Huangshan City, in Anhui (Anhwei) province. ("Keemun" was the English spelling for "Qimen" during the colonial era.)
Keemun has a relatively short history. It was first produced in 1875 by a failed civil servant, Yu Quianchen, after he traveled to Fujian province to learn the secrets of black tea production. Keemun tea quickly became popularity in England, and now is the most prominent ingredient of the English Breakfast tea blend.
Aromas are fruity, dried plums with floral notes with a balanced taste. It also displays a hint of orchid fragrance and the so-called 'China tea sweetness. The tea can have a more bitter taste and the smokiness can be more defined depending on the variety and how it was processed.
Lapsang souchong
Black tea originally from the Wuyi region of the Chinese province of Fujian. It is sometimes referred to as smoked tea. Lapsang is distinct from all other types of tea because lapsang leaves are traditionally smoke-dried over pinewood fires, taking on a distinctive smoky flavour.
The name in Fukienese means "smoky sub-variety." Lapsang souchong is a member of the Wuyi Bohea family of teas. The story goes that the tea was created during the Qing era when the passage of armies delayed the annual drying of the tea leaves in the Wuyi hills. Eager to satisfy demand, the tea producers sped up the drying process by having their workers dry the tea leaves over fires made from local pines.
A black tea, Lapsang Souchong has a rich colour. Flavor is strong and smoky, similar to the smell of a campfire or pipe tobacco. The flavour of the pine smoke is meant to complement the natural taste of the black tea, but should not overwhelm it.
Tea connoisseurs often note that Formosan Lapsang Souchong typically has a stronger flavour and aroma, the most extreme being Tarry Souchong [created over burning pine tar).
