Compare two teas
Side by side across seven dimensions. There is no verdict and no winner — the purpose is to understand the difference, not to be told which to buy.
Russian Caravan
Black tea
Why these two get confused
Both smoky blends, and Russian Caravan usually contains Lapsang. The caravan-campfire story is repeated everywhere and documented nowhere; the smoke now comes from deliberate blending.
Point by point
| Dimension | Russian Caravan | Smoked Lapsang Souchong |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Black tea · fully oxidised | Black tea · fully oxidised |
| Production | In order: Withering → Rolling and shaping → Oxidation → Drying. light roast. | In order: Withering → Rolling and shaping → Oxidation → Drying → Charcoal roasting. medium roast and spring harvest. |
| Origin | Not recorded for this tea. Blends have components rather than a place. | China — Wuyi Mountains |
| Flavour | smoky, chocolate and fruity. medium and smooth in the mouth. Aroma: light pine smoke, cocoa, dried fruit. Moderate in character. Moderate in intensity. | smoky, woody and fruity. full bodied, smooth and rich in the mouth. Aroma: pine smoke, tar, dried longan, resin. Moderate in character. Moderate in intensity. |
| Brewing | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 180s. | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 180s. Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 4–5 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 10s of 5 authored. |
| Cultural context | Used in Samovar tea culture. No standard composition. Most versions combine Keemun or another Chinese black with a proportion of Lapsang Souchong; some add oolong. The campfire origin story should be read as folklore rather than as production history. | Most heavily smoked 'Lapsang' is made outside the protected Tongmu area from cheaper leaf. Genuine Tongmu production is now mostly unsmoked, which surprises people who know only the export style. |
| Who may prefer it | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew. | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and has drunk enough tea to notice what changes between infusions. It rewards attention to leaf weight and timing. |
Nothing above is a recommendation. The last row describes the drinker each tea suits, using each tea’s own authored fields and the same sentence structure for both, so neither can be framed as the safe choice.