Gaiwan Tea House

I think this is my favorite of the samples I tried. The description says mango and passionfruit flavors, and the tea does have a tropical vibe, but I feel like there’s strawberry somewhere in there as well? Trying to pick out individual fruit notes is actually pretty hard here — it’s more like a blend that I would label ‘upbeat fruit’ or something, but it’s good. Base tea could be a twinge better, but it’s still enjoyable.

I think I did taste some lychee in this, but it mostly served to round out the peach. It didn’t exactly come across as its own flavor note. Still a great combination, though, and very tasty. The base tea is not extraordinary, but it is decent and does the job.

I was really happy to finally be able to visit the Gaiwan Tea House in Coeur d’Alene. It’s a beautiful cozy place, and I got a delicious curry and an iced coconut tea latte there. I picked up some of their loose leaf samples to try at home, and this was one of them.

I’d never tried Russian Caravan before, but I heard it was like a light lapsang souchong. This actually tastes just as strong as lapsang souchong, but the flavor of the smoke seems different. It’s quite barbeque-smelling. It reminds me of mesquite smoke, though I know that’s not the wood traditionally used for this. The flavor is quite smooth. Quite a nice cup, overall, and not badly priced either: http://www.gaiwanteahouse.com/product/russian-caravan/