Upton Tea Imports

Very clean shiny brew. The opacity is excellent and uniform. Very minimal tea settled at bottom. Color is a dark caramel. Minimal tanins and acidity. More on the tail end. Nothing bad to say about it but it’s not incredibly memorable either. Take that as you will.

A pretty blend—flat green tea leaves, large slivered almond pieces, cinnamon bark, tiny ivory flowers—which smells like almond cookies! A delicious nutty blend with a bit of spice at the end. 2nd infusion develops a surprising creaminess. A lovely cup!

Since I wrote my first, fairly cautious tasting note on Upton’s LS Black Dragon, I have returned to it again and again. It has become my everyday first thing in the morning tea. I have at least two cups and I slurp and slobber and am very unladylike. I have not found a Lapsang Souchoung I dislike, but I like this more than others. It’s got a touch of natural sweetness and it’s also not quite as tarry as some LS teas.

I like the balance of smoke and sweet. I like this tea black, but I also like it with milk and sugar when I’m in the mood (often).

This tea became what I had hoped that Jackee Muntz might be—but Jackee is in limited supply. I am no longer “dating” Black Dragon tea. We are married. We’ve said the vows. We’ve plighted our troth. We are in this together for better or worse, till death do us part. I may take some afternoon lovers; I may have many French liaisons and I may have other trysts, but I’ll always wake up with you!

I like Black Dragon. It is lighter than other Lapsang Souchongs I’ve tried, but that’s not bad. This tea might be a good beginning brew for anyone who is trying to develop an affinity for the Lapsang Souchong. It could be a staple for those who like their Lapsangs to taste a little bit less like the dregs of a Webber Grille. I can certainly see this tea as a cupboard staple.

SECOND STEEP: In the second steep the natural sweetness really emerged full-throttle (if sweet can throttle this did it!). I still like the tea a lot. My affinity for smoked/sweet flavors is all the more satisfied by the second steep. It feels a bit as if somebody put a very sweet Bar-B-Q sauce in my tea.

I, too, got this tea as a free sample from Upton Tea Imports. Right now I don’t know if I can write an objective review. I brewed the tea, a mix of longer and shorter leaves, happily. The dry tea did indeed smell fragrant and I wonder if the elusive aroma is the muscatel aroma that I’ve heard described. It tasted as if there were a bit of jasmine involved.

Then I got into a dispute with my grey cat, Bongo, about the dispensation of some horseradish flavoured sharp cheddar cheese. He wanted the cheese; I didnt’ want him to have it. I proffered a small bite; he wanted to snag a large piece. In this war with the feline cheese mendicant I forgot my tea. At least 8 to 10 minutes had passed. I knew the tea was ruined. Nevertheless, I poured some milk into the dark brownish-red brew and sipped. How forgiving is this tea! It was not at all bitter. It didn’t taste overcooked or oversteeped: it did taste strong and pungent but pleasantly so.

I can become a convert to Darjeelings quickly when I consider how this sweet tea bounced back from the abuse I had hurled at it and was very tasty indeed. As I drink more and more tea, I do become much more interested in unblended teas and in teas without the frou-frou that I typically love.

Next time, I will be more attentive, but I’m thrilled with the tea. It was like the heady sense of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. I will continue with my sample packet, but this is going on the short-list of must-purchase teas.

This tea smelled amazing. I could detect the bergamot loud and clear. Upton Teas says that “artificial flavoring” is included. I don’t know what it is. Perhaps more citrus and maybe some smoky grapefruit? The tea itself is just “aight” as Randy Jackson might say. There’s nothing wrong with it at all, but that spectacular aroma set me up with greater expectations than Pip ever had.

Saint Isaac’s Blend turns out to be a very serviceable Earl Grey. Not a bad one by anymeans, but the dry aroma just does not translate into the steeped tea. It’s a nicey, but not a greaty.

I had a big cup of this tonight as I’m trying to once again cut back on the caffeine before bed. It was okay, but not as good as I remembered. The flavor is quite one-note so I think I have to really be in the mood for this tea. Slight ratings decrease because it just didn’t meet my expectations this time around.

This tea tastes just like you would think: apples. It is almost a baked apple type of flavor but without the typical extra sweetness of a baked apple. It is a really nice before bed tea.

Quite the dark brew color, as to be expected with a Darjeeling. Viscosity is on the lighter side of medium. Taste is classic Darjeeling. The aroma … I am getting a nuttiness but I can’t put my finger on it. This is a take-notice tea so great for mornings (it’s 10:30AM right now).

It’s not yet afternoon, but I decided to try this. I love my man, Jackee Muntz, and know that I have a limited number of dates with him. Will the famous lodgings of Baker Street bring me any joy?

And the answer is a resounding yes. This is a good smoky tea. I can see it joining the permanent cast of characters in my life. And it does conjure up a feel of the Holmsian sitting room. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson have been down in the country for a while tracking down the hound of the Baskervilles and the sitting room retains that masculine flavor of smoke; the Persian slipper containing the pipe-tobacco still hangs, but nobody has lit up for several days so the air is redolent but not noxious.

Upton Teas has an excellent blend here and it makes me eager to pursue my love of smoky teas.

My green tea for the day, drunk just in case I have decided to stop hating this since the last time I tried it. That’d be a no! Earl Grey green tea is really weird. BUT! I think I kind of liked the base tea. So that’s interesting.

Upton Tea Sample Buying Spree Tea #15 (Last One! sob)
So this is the first time I’ve tried a Green Tea Earl Grey. At some point, I read a review on here where the writer (think it was Jim) mentioned that they didn’t really get the point of green Earl Grey, and I think I’m going to have to agree. At least in this incarnation of the tea, the flavoring completely overpowers the green tea and makes it taste over-perfumed. As I get towards the end of the cup, the green tea starts to assert itself a bit more, though that might be because I’ve gotten used to the taste.
Oh, I feel so bad pushing the rating bar towards the “meh” face! But that is exactly the feeling this tea inspires in me!

Very lightly colored brew. Excellent unfurling of the pearls and color change of the leaves from a flour white to a brown green. Very little to no residue/sediment on bottom of the cup. Very clean jasmine scent but not at all perfum-y or overpowering. Like a sweet note in the background. Viscosity is thin and slick; coats your tongue.

The leaves of this tea have a powdery residue. If you have the habit of shaking your tin like I do, you’ll get a nice tea cloud when you open the top. I suggest you do not do this! This tea brews up slightly darker than a golden amber/caramel. On first taste, you get a hit of acidity though the intensity is not strong. Maybe very light meyer lemon. The main taste is tanin or bitterness but not any stronger than other black teas and perfectly delicious. I have always been against milk or sugar in my teas but this would go well with a scone or some lightly sweetened dessert or pastry.

I am not used to drinking green tea from India but this is a nice departure. The brew is a very light almost champagne color and reminds me of a light oolong. The tanins are very light and the tea tastes slightly sweet which I like. The acidity is very light as well. I am having this as an afternoon tea and it fits the bill perfectly.

Light amber color. Medium viscosity. Very smooth going down. Good mouthfeel. Not too much acidity or tanins. Excellent afternoon tea. Think you’d want to go with something darker for a wake-me-up morning drink.

Brews up nice and dark, almost like fresh motor oil. Note: I may have let it steep up to a minute too long (6 mins vs 5). Good amount of tanins. Not overwhelming but definitely a caffeinated tea. This is great for morning and anytime you need a pick me up. The flavor lingers for a good 3 seconds after sipping.

This brews up a nice yellowish color. It is an excellent green tea with a great aftertaste. It reminds me of some Japanese greens. I am a sucker for different tea leaf shapes and this is a very unique one. They look like, well gunpowder. It even shimmers.

I have taken to sampling green teas and I like this. I don’t think that green tea will ever be a favorite of mine, but I like to have it occasionally. I ordered some samplers from Upton Tea Imports—-they have earned my eternal gratitude by providing 15 g. samples for just a little bit of money. The tea is bright, vegetal, flavorful. It is not an exuberant green that tastes like rolling around in a spinach field or in a huge vat of freshly mown grass. It’s restraint is a virtue, however.

Curious, I looked up the meaning of Yamoto and the ever-reliable (:-)) Wikipedia informs me that: “The term was semantically extended to mean “Japan” or “Japanese” in general, and carries many of the same connotations as Americana does for the United States.”

While I think I like this tea better than the other reviewers, I also doubt that I will select it as a “go-to” green tea. I’m still seeking that one green tea that I will cherish above all others and want to keep in stock.

SECOND STEEP: The second steep was very well-behaved; was neither too weak nor too strong. It seemed to have blossomed a bit more towards a slight floral note. Very aromatic.

/Accept Quest: Unimaginably Stinky Travel Mug

/Receive: (item)unimaginably_stinky_mug

/Travel: Campus Grocery Store

/Defeat Cash Register Mob (weak against: cash, credit cards, checks)

/Loot: (item)bleach, (item)banking_soda, (item)vinegar.

/Use (item)bleach On (item)unimaginably_stinky_mug For (time)8_hours

/Receive: (item)slightly_less_stinky_mug

/Use (item)baking_soda On (item)slightly_less_stinky_mug For (time)overnight

/Receive: (item)non_stinky_mug

/Complete Quest: Unimaginably Stinky Travel Mug

/Receive Quest Reward: 10 XP, (item)non_stinky_mug_full_of_delicious_breakfast_blend

/Rejoice!

(This was the last of my Bond Street blend, which means I am out of breakfast tea! Noooooooooooooes! My main feelings upon drinking it were: “this is nice, I miss Scottish Breakfast, though.” So…guess I’ll order more of that!)

Morning tea time! I think I’m once again leaning back toward the Scottish Breakfast now, this one’s just too “nice.” (I need a rude tea in the morning)

$&^%$&%$^ Mondays.

I was honestly in such a haze this morning that I have no idea if I actually grabbed this or if it was some other tea. I think it was this. Clearly the tea itself didn’t make an impression on me, I just downed it and hoped that it would keep me conscious through class. Unfortunately, it did too good of a job and I was unable to indulge in a post class nap ;_;

Second steep: note to self: do not assume I have rinsed out my tea mug. Especially if the last thing in it was chai.
That is all.

Addendum: Combining Bond Street English Breakfast Blend and Thai Chai = Fruit Compote! Makes no goddamn sense, but there you have it.