Upton Tea Imports

Realizing several cups later that this tea is significantly better if, when following the 1 tsp. instructions, you whompingly heap the teaspoon and then maybe add a pinch more. The flavor still doesn’t live up to the aroma (if we were rating teas by smell here, this would score 100. Chocolate and oranges, deeeeeelicious) but at least you can start to see the resemblance.

Had what is becoming my customary cup of earl grey creme for breakfast, and somehow I was still craving earl grey, so I steeped this. I was kind of disappointed in this one the first time I tried it, but now that I don’t have so many expectations for it, I like it pretty well. It has that malty breakfast tea undertone, and today (I think I oversteeped it a bit; people were talking to me and I got distracted) it tastes quite buttery. As far as the chocolate and the bergamot, I don’t think this tea delivers, but if you can accept it as a dark breakfast tea with interesting unidentifiable side notes, it’s pretty good.

Dry, this tea smells delicious, lemony and chocolaty, and the cornflower and sunflower petals make it very pretty. Alas, the tea doesn’t really live up to its promise. I vaguely taste chocolate and (even more faintly) lemon, but more than anything I get that licorice sweetener flavor. Licorice is not listed in the ingredients, so I don’t know if it got smuggled in under ‘natural and artificial flavors’ (this seems unlikely) or if it’s just a strange effect of the combined flavors. I’m not getting bergamot at all, and while I prefer my bergamot to be light, I expect SOME sign of its presence. I mean, that’s what makes it Earl Grey. I can’t figure out what Upton is using for their base tea in these blends, but I wish they’d pick something with more personality.

Despite this rather grumbling review, the tea’s not unpleasant. It’s just not the punchy rich tea I was hoping for.

Another sipdown. This one was my favorite of the teas in the Upton oolong sampler. It has a light pleasant honey flavor. I certainly wouldn’t mind having more, but at the same time, I’ve found other oolongs I like better, such as David’s vanilla orchid. However, if you’re never had a formosa oolong and want to try some, this would be a great tea to start with.

Third tea I’ve tried from the Upton Oolong sampler. It’s quite similar to their Formosa Amber Oolong but with even stronger honey notes and a touch of floral. Not much aroma dry, but once brewed it smells delightfully of raw clover honey. I’m pretty new to oolongs and even I can tell these aren’t high-end teas, but they are very decent and considering the generous size of the sample tins, the price can’t be beat.

Sipdown. This is the last of the sample, and I’m suddenly sorry to see it go. It took me three tries to get used to it. Hmmm. I might have to buy more after all.

Trying this a second time, and it seems more balanced now. I may have oversteeped it before without realizing it. Still not a favorite of it mine, but if you are into plain whites, this one is worth a try, as it does have an interesting flavor profile.

The leaves of this tea are quite lovely. They remind me of the Russian olive trees I had around my house growing up, and I don’t know if it’s some weird sense memory playing tricks on me, but it seems to smell a lot like those trees as well. Can a tea taste olivey? Or maybe it’s seaweedy? Despite this description, it’s actually a pretty pleasant tea in an unusual kind of way. I’m just not getting the melon notes other people described; I wonder if I messed it up in the brewing? Maybe the water was hotter than I thought.

an ok tea. i’m not much for black teas unless it is a kind of lapsang souchon (or however you spell it.) i may buy this again, however i’m not sure.

I’ve really fallen behind on my tealog, but now that I’m looking at so many empty tea tins I realize I better face up to it. So this is the last of the mango tea. I’m sorry it’s gone, but I probably won’t go out of my way to restock it, in part because I didn’t like the base when I first got it. I don’t mind it now, but I wonder if I would have to get accustomed to it all over again after going awhile without drinking it.

I didn’t think much of this tea when I first tried it, but it has steadily grown on me. The base tea seems less problematic, the mango flavor is more present. Knocking up my rating of it a bit.

An ok tea. This is the last of the teas that I got in the Upton flavored sampler, which overall was drinkable but unimpressive. I think they used the same tea base for this one and their vanilla tea, and it tastes a bit flat in both cases, though the vanilla compensates for it better; this one does have a weakly fruity taste, but it’s not particularly mango.

a good tea. i taste the peach, but im not sure what the other fruit taste is.

wont be buying any higher amount than sample packs, just sample packs now and then

Haven’t had this in a while. It’s very earthy and mushroomy and kind of weird, but I like it from time to time.

Very pleased with this one. It’s earthy, with a kind of mushroomy sweetness. I’m having a hard time picking out individual notes, but the overall flavor is robust and comes across as natural and wholesome. So far I’ve steeped it twice and it’s still going strong. As per the instructions, I used a whomping tablespoon, but as the leaves are very large and loose, this wasn’t so much tea after all. This is the third Upton oolong I’ve tried, and my favorite so far.

an ok tea, probably wont buy this again

Initially leery of this tea because it smells like the perfume counter at Macy’s – overly floral, overly sweet, overly everything. Fortunately, the flavor isn’t nearly as overpowering, though there is something a bit artificial about it. I think David’s is still my favorite of the jasmine greens I’ve tried.

This is the last of it! It’s extremely similar to Upton’s Jade Formosa Oolong, but there’s something rough about how the flavors come together, especially when you compare it to the jade, which is extremely smooth and mellow.

Trying this hot on the heels of the last oolong (China se chung) to see how they compare. (They’re both from the Upton oolong sampler . ) The flavors have a lot in common – they are both darker and seem more oxidized than the oolongs I’ve had before – but this one smells and tastes a bit sweeter. It has a bit of a honey tang, and overall tastes a little more complex than the se chung (wish I knew a better way to describe it). Overall, a robust but non-astringent oolong.

I have the worst track record steeping this tea. For some reason I always forget about it and leave it stewing for like 15 minutes before it comes to me that I made Se Chung and left it somewhere. So today I made a big effort to steep it correctly, but to my surprise it didn’t really make much difference. It is slightly mellower, but that’s about it. The mystifying licorice flavor is still there.

Steeped this too long and now it tastes like licorice? There is not the least bit of licorice in this tea, it’s just oolong leaf.

This tea tastes exactly like the house tea I’ve had in several Chinese restaurants (I don’t go to many, but those I have eaten at all seem to serve a similar tea). While it’s not extraordinary, I am very happy to have some because now I don’t have to go to the restaurant to drink it (not a huge Chinese food fan; my favorite part has always been the tea and the almond cookies).

2/20/14 Another Steepster Select tea. Brewed as per the packet instructions,
1 packet/12oz/212F/3.5min. A nice black tea. Very dark in the cup, with an aroma of brown sugar and wine/grape. Pleasantly astringent without being bitter. I’ll probably add milk to future cups, as suggested.

its an ok tea. has a hint of green tea taste. i’m not much for any earl grey anymore