Tea type
Black Tea
Ingredients
Not available
Flavors
Smoke, Sweet
Sold in
Not available
Caffeine
Not available
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Michelle Otter
Average preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec 3 g 8 oz / 226 ml

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19 Want it Want it

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116 Tasting Notes View all

  • “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
    82
  • “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
    96
  • “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
    93

From Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea

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.

About Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea View company

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.

116 Tasting Notes

86
41 tasting notes

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.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

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72
2 tasting notes

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.

Preparation
4 min, 0 sec

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88
26 tasting notes

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

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec

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86
175 tasting notes

There’s a strong lapsang souchong, but not nearly as strong as a straight lapsang souchong (obviously). The smokey taste is pretty mild and, I’d say, a lot more palatable to the average drinker.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

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98
103 tasting notes

As an ex-smoker (although never a fully committed one) – this is the tea that I’ve been waiting for. The tea that replicates that part of smoking which makes me linger, inhaling, when I spot someone on a cigarette break. Of course, it doesn’t capture the chemical sting – but no one really cares for that part anyway.

to be clear, this is Andrews and Dunham’s Caravan Resurrected, for which I didn’t see a record

Flavors: Smoke, Sweet

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 3 g 8 OZ / 236 ML

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81
309 tasting notes

Am so glad on this first cup that I grabbed this at the Coffee&Tea Fest.

Dark, red rust, greens underneath, round and full in the mouth. The browns are on the medium and lighter sides at the top half and roof of the mouth. Tiniest pinpoint of black in the front of me. Richer red over the top and sides wrapped around rather than sitting on or touching.

The greens, browns, that pin prick of black, all of them are behind and supporting the rust flavor. Rich and full, yes.

Mouthfeel is round.

Glad to buy it.

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 30 sec 2 g 6 OZ / 177 ML

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85
564 tasting notes

My enjoyment of this tea is frankly baffling to me. I don’t like smoky teas at all on the whole, but there’s something about this one that’s just good. There’s not too much smoke (and what smoke there is isn’t too in-your-face), and the base is smooth and lightly sweet. It’s a well-rounded and interesting sip, and I’m finding myself getting through a pot of it in one sitting easily. Nice!

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424 tasting notes

This was in the sample bowl and there was enough for one cup, thanks Stephanie!

There is a lot of value in finding both what you like, and what you don’t like. Unfortunately, this one fell into the latter category. The leaf smelled ok, so I went through with it. But then as I was carrying the mug down the stairs, I kept smelling smoke and I kept thinking that I should have known better. With a name like “Caravan” it was bound to be smoky.

Then I started sipping and to drink it wasn’t as bad as to smell it, so I kept at it for a while. But around the halfway point I just had to dump it. If you like smoke though, this is probably great!

mj

I also fear and hate the smokebeast

boychik

Maple syrup, just tiny bit. It brings smoky tea to the next level.

TeaNecromancer

I do love the smoky teas!

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437 tasting notes

This might be my favourite Andrews and Dunham tea so far. It is a nice moderately smoked tea where the smoke is strong enough to leave a slight tingle at the back of the throat but not enough to overwhelm the rest of the flavours of the tea. Instead it contributes a certain spiciness to the tea as well as a certain depth to the flavour ranging from roasted smoke notes, pine and pine tar. It is not as smooth as you would find in a straight Lapsang Souchong. The base tea is slightly tart from red fruits and has a bready note and texture. There is a hint of molasses heading towards a maple note, and a bit of cocoa. There is a bit of sharpness and astringency to the tea.

I did two steeps of this tea at around 95°C at 3 and 4 minutes. The resteeps was flavourful, and was slightly sweeter and fruitier. This makes for a nice cozy and flavourful tea. Thanks boychik for the opportunity to try this tea!

boychik

yay! happy you enjoyed it. i bought a second tin of it.

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1113 tasting notes

Smokey and smooooooooth. Thank you Boychik!

Zero bitterness and astringency. Not much going on here beyond the smoke though. I think I might prefer it with a touch of maple. I have none of that here at work though so I’ll have to try it that way at home some time :)

boychik

maple syrup is so good for smoky teas. pair it with cheese. happy you like it;)

Stephanie

That sounds really good. Cheese and smokey tea with maple…I might be a little hungry ;)

boychik

me too. i just got back from Gym…

boychik

Cheddar…

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