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To be honest, I am always a little skeptical of a tea that touts itself as an “herbal supplement.”
Usually that does not incite the kinds of flavors I would enjoy. In this case, what you can expect in the taste department is: nothing.

Initial notes were of hot water, the finish has a little bit of licorice that creeps in. Perhaps someone is zesting a ginger in the next room over? For how the blend smells dry, it simply falls flat on its face.

I steeped an extra minute and a half on the instructions both to make up for the lack of true tea leaves and because my water supply isn’t at a rolling boil. I can’t think of anything that might help this tea other than cooking it with rolling water for some inconsiderate steep time. Then again, I do not play on having this supplement again.

At the end of the cup though, this tea feels more like taking my vitamins, but without any flavor.

When I compare to the English Breakfast I started the day with, well, there is no comparison. This is not tea.

Enjoyed first thing in the morning, out of a tin enamel mug.

I had this tea before I had breakfast, since the morning was a bit rushed.

This is a very straightforward tea. A little bit of malt, but the same smoothness you would find in a solid black tea. There is some tannin on the finish, with a tasty body that doesn’t overload the senses. I brewed mine a bit strong but that’s how I like it, and for that it didn’t acquire any of the bite you might find in Scottish or Irish breakfast teas. Some people are looking for that bite however to counter with some cream or sugar.

This is a solid choice for a bagged tea, with traditional flavors. It’s limited due to that but I would have no qualms about enjoying a cup each morning.

The caffeine fix was definitely noticed within about 20 minutes, this blend is a great standard for workers and homebody’s alike.

Honestly, got this tea for free and really enjoyed it.

When I smelled this, there was an instant teleportation back to some distant memory of mine from the past. This is a melding of orange zest, chai-like spice, and the hibiscus background to add some light floral bitterness. It’s my theory that Bigelow uses this to simulate more body in their herbal infusions which is fine so long as it is not overdone.

The orange has a little orange oil feel to it but more of an essential oil than a synthetic flavor, which is nice.

Overall I enjoyed this tea especially as it is a caffeine-free blend that still packs a punch with lots of flavor to savor. Much better than a mint or chamomile herbals to me, and I would enjoy it after late dinner or before bed. A caffeine-free fix!

Steeped 5 minutes in one-mug infuser.

It is worth noting that this tin was found in storage and shows a date from 4 years ago. This may be an expiration date so it is possible that the tea is even older than that.

This is the un-smoked version of Lapsang Souchong.
I did find it a delightful blend even if it is technically out of date range.

The bouquet is sweet tea leaves, taste starts with a base of earthiness (perhaps it is old?) but with a sweet cereal consistency like honey wheat.

This sweetness is very subtle and light, but adds to this already golden delicate tea. With this delicate body is no shortage of flavor, and I think the loose leaves would stand up to a second infusion with slightly longer steep time.

I would recommend this tea as a great Chinese classic. Interested to try other variants and possibly from a fresher source but I was surprised with this one.

This review is going to be right on suit with my Lipton black tea review; while that one goes more into semantics of Lipton as a staple I will keep this more brief.

This is a one-dimensional green tea, it gets a little bitter as some reviewers point out, but really there’s only one thing that brings it down.
A tangy aftertaste that has a sense of tannin coating the tongue which is tough to shake. Ironically I still feel as if they would equate this to all the supposed health benefits of drinking Lipton Green Tea, but more likely it’s just the product of a mass-produced offering that does not have the same penchant for small-batch perfection that many others do.

You know that mystery tea that the Japanese or Chinese restaurants somewhere in town serve? It’s probably better, or at least putting up a fight when it comes to flavor.

It’s a plain green tea, and there are many other options that would be superior in flavor and experience.

I would not buy it personally, but I got a box for free and I’ll likely still drink it.
If this was the only option on a tea cart on a train, I would still sip, enjoy, and stare out the window at anything to add to the experience of this tea.

Wow, all right.

Brewed two cups to be sure, this review is on a second infusion with boiling water, long-steeped for 8+ minutes to pull as much essence as I could from the leaves.

Let me preface this by saying this is the first loose leaf tea I have had in a while and also the first blend with Lapsang Souchong (whose aroma I have sought out.) This is also the first loose leaf tea I have purchased for myself.

With that out of the way, this is a fantastic old world tea. The dry fragrance is all woody campfire, it reminds me of a war reenactment with just a hint of gunpowder in the air.

The flavor profile is surprisingly mild. When steeped strongly, as I enjoy, it offers a deep but translucent red color. At first sip you are greeted by the LS smokiness, but that yields to a lovely Irish Breakfast tea. (Assam) Then there’s Keemun to ensure the maltiness of the Assam does not overpower, even when you brew as long as I did.
The finish mixes smoke with malt and just a kiss of sweetness for a smooth and slightly tannic finish that lingers. None of these notes overpower or become bitter, even when steeped for long periods of time. This will come in handy as my original intention with this blend was to share with my lady, who would be turned off by overpowering flavors.It does not need milk or sugar to suit my palate but would probably take well to them if that was your preference, without ruining the already great balance.

Reviews of this tea elsewhere criticize the lack of smokiness that you would usually get with a pure LS tea. The important thing to remember about Russian Caravan is that it was originally supposed to be a dignified black tea with a hint of smokiness, the folk tale is that merchant campfires smoked the original crates of tea bound for St. Petersburg from China. I would personally prefer more smoke in a tea, but that is where Lapsang Souchong in itself shines. I am looking forward to trying it.

I think this tea hits all of the marks, it’s even affordable. For my 8oz bag I only paid $15 which to me is a steal for the quality and consistency offered. I can only dock a few points for the possibility of more depth in the perfect tea.
Planning to keep this blend around as a staple for years to come, especially if I’m camping out or spending time under the moonlight.

Steeped 4min at slightly lower than boiling.

Started feeling tired, so I enjoyed this brew just before bed.

Very mild concoction with mostly spearmint, and some chamomile undertones.
As it cools I am picked up a touch more hibiscus in the background. For this I am interested in steeping it longer to see if more flavors develop.
The tea certainly grew on me as I continued to drink it and it cooled. I would steep it longer when I try again but overall it is a light, pleasant herbal tea which brings back memories of my youth.