Upton Tea Imports

VERY nice hearty cup of tea, pleasant finish, no bitter aftertaste, very good with milk / creamer / sugar. Well-rounded Assam, smooth tones.

Backlog:

A really good Shou Mei. Calming and relaxing with soft, sweet, vegetative notes. Warm and nutty, yes I get the walnut notes from this. Very little astringency. A whisper of sweetness remains on the palate in the aftertaste.

The flavor of this tea is dominated by the Keemun. It’s basically Keemun with a little extra tannin for good measure. I’m not in a hurry to order this again, as much as I do like Keemun.

I enjoyed this one a while back. It is just about the maltiest tea I have ever had. Other Assams might be stronger in various ways, but for pure malt flavor, this is the one. Good black as a coffee replacement or the traditional Friesian way with cream and rock sugar.

Meh. Had this again, thinking I had yet to drink it. Shared a lot with various folks for the holidays as well as in swaps, and kinda wish I hadn’t. I really thought I’d checked this one first, and made sure it had a high rating from fellow Steepsterites… nope. Why did I order a huge bag of it, then?

Anyway. I’m just getting dark, bitter cocoa here. I’m sure it’s okay if sweetened, however I just had time to brew it before diving into gift wrapping.

A dominant clove flavor, with cinnamon and cardamon not far behind. I was worried this was going to be more chai-like with the cardamon in there, but instead it’s a very mild, slightly calming blend.

There’s definitely the smoothness and very subtle flavor of vanilla here, as well as a pretty classic orange rind flavor. It isn’t a fake flavor, though, and adds a mulled spice feel to the cup. I’m not really tasting much in the way of almond, but the rose sneaks through just slightly in the aftertaste. Both add a lovely presentation effect though.

The black base is brisk and punchy and in balance with the spices and other flavors. There’s just a mild amount of astringency in the base, but no bitterness. I don’t think this is a cup I’d seek out, but it’s perfect for the season, and a good cup in its own right.

Thanks TastyBrew.

The light smoky fragrance reminded us a little of Lapsang Souchong. The Darjeeling in it was just right, brightening up the flavor. Really enjoyed this. Great afternoon blend, good for morning too.

A tea to be savored, this delicate Keemun does not feature the smokey tobacco flavor of some, but the alluring blend of spice (cinnamon and allspice) and red wine is delicious. This is not an in-your-face tea, but often restraint is the essence of beauty.

Things are looking up (& sorry for being a whiner earlier).
I filled a hot steamy bath & added a generous amount of lavender essential oil.
I can smell it, at least a little!
This is the first of 3 cups of tea that I brought to the tub. The only thing I can taste (right now), is an earthy feeling, some wood in the back of my throat, & a sensation I’ll call ‘robust’.
I also have a strong nettles infusion, a potent elderberry brew with a pinch of stevia (Cheryl’s herbs has the best tasting & most potent stevia extract powder I’ve ever had), & a nice cold cup of lemon water. This will be a long soak!

Another tea shared with students this afternoon. Sorry my reviews are lame today, I’ve been busy, & although I enjoyed drinking the tea, I just don’t really have much to say about it.

The other tea I served to my student. This is a nice one.

One of my Harp students came over for tea & scones (amy, the recipe is over in the discussions group), and gave me a bag of this tea & a russian tea drinking glass!! There is a photo on my FB, if anyone would like to see the glass: https://www.facebook.com/terri.langerak

Of course, I immediately made some of the tea, & it’s decent, although I was expecting more smoke, LOL.

NOPE! a ‘little’ clove my…. backside! i get no orange, no vanilla- not even any tea…. all i get is clove!!!.

a lovely thought MissB, maybe my sample was just out of balance. that said i am not finishing this cup. )=0(

Today has been an overwhelming day! I got some amazing gifts in the mail from my wonderful family which made the fact that I feel like utter and complete garbage a lot more tolerable. Even though my body is a wreck my spirit is practically vibrating with happiness, ’tis the season after all. Today though we have a tea that is evocative of Summer, for those living in warmer climates.

Maracuja Flavored Tea from Upton Tea Imports is a China Black Tea flavored with Maracuja (Passion Fruit) Essence, Sunflower blossoms, and Sugared Peach bits. The aroma is very sweet and tropical fruity, not tropical like coconuts and palm trees but more like exotic tropical fruits. There is a tart citrus tone to it and mild notes of floral that make me think of dragonfruit or soursop.

Steeping the tea gives the leaves a maltier flare with bright citrus notes and a tropical flare. I can definitely tell that this tea has the essence of passion fruit and peach since both are noticeable. The liquid is malty and bright with sweet, fruity notes. It smells very dessert like and exotic.

The taste is mildly malty with a bit of tartness and citric tones. For all the tea’s sweet aroma the flavor is not very sweet so adding a bit of sugar does not cause it to become saccharine. After I added a bit of sugar I noticed the taste of passion fruit and a tiny hint of peach. This tea is not bad, not spectacular but certainly enjoyable. I found that drinking this tea iced was also enjoyable, making it a good choice for summer sipping.

For blog and photo: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2013/12/upton-tea-imports-maracuja-flavored-tea.html

Really liking this blend; it has a brisk and sweet taste. Almost no astringency or bitterness. Definitely can feel the caffeine from this one, a good morning to afternoon cup in my opinion, it may have kept me awake at night when having a cup with dinner. I would buy this again, only received a small sample from upton with my most recent order. Very tasty.

I must have sent a sample of this to someone, because it’s opened in my sample box. I forget who, but will look to see if anyone has reviewed this, after I review it myself. ;)

I’m in a good mood today. Lots of sleep (even though I’m still fighting a cold), and my kids are signing me a song from The Sound of Music. My almost 6-year-old just belted out, “… when I’m feeling bad, I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don’t feel, so… bad….” And now he’s changing the words. “When the dog bites, when the pillow falls, when I’m feeling poopy…” Yep, it’s that kind of day at my house.

Onto the tea. This is a straightforward black that delivers what it sells. It’s got spice (clove is what I smell and taste), and then some orange, with a touch of creaminess. It’s better with Truvia. Simple, straightforward, yummy.

Everyone, brace yourselves, I am about to use the the phrase ‘is whack’ in a sentence unironically. My sleep schedule is whack because instead of sleeping last night before my friend’s graduation I decided to stay up all night. It was all good though, the graduation was a ceremony, I got to be a photographer, and the University Dean thought I was a Grad Student because I am so knowledgeable. I think my nerd score just went up a level on that one. Today we are looking at another of of my backlogged journal entries from earlier times!

Young Hyson from Upton Tea Imports is a Chinese Green Tea of the Chun Mee family (meaning it is a small, twisted leaf) and is known as Yu Chin Ch’a in China. There is a bit of contention about the name Hyson though, it is not clear if it is named for the English tea merchant Phillip Hyson or if it is a descriptive name (flourishing spring) for its time of harvest. The aroma of this tea is vegetal and sweet mixing notes of artichoke, white grapes, and a hint of citrus. It is mild and refreshing, the aroma is very much so something I would want refreshing me on a warm day.

Once the leaves are introduced to their watery bath the aroma become much sweeter and citrusy. I notice that it is no longer a vegetal aroma but a vegetation aroma that wafts out of the steeped leaves. It is very much the aroma of things growing in springtime. The liquid is surprisingly mild, there is very little aroma except for a delicate hint of vegetal, specifically spinach.

The taste is mild, mixing fresh spring green with a touch of bitterness that is similar to arugala. The comparison to bitter greens is actually not far off with this tea, it is a touch bitter, a touch savory, and a touch vegetal. There is also a gentle smokey aftertaste that fades fairly quickly. This tea is not a bad tea but it is also not one to write home about, I found it unspectacular and would choose other greens over this tea. I did find that as it cools it takes on a sweet and floral note which makes me curious as to how it would taste as an iced tea. Perhaps I will have to give this tea another visit when Summer comes around again!

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2013/12/upton-tea-import-young-hyson-tea-review.html

MissB sent this my way and in the bag it smelled so sweet and so tasty. It almost smelled of fruit punch. When I took my first sip, there was something I immediately did not like. I checked out the ingredients and pinpointed it right away – hibiscus. I don’t understand why tea companies insist on throwing hibiscus into almost all of their herbals. The teas always smell sweet and then the hibiscus always adds a tartness that makes me just a little bit sad. Nonetheless, once I realized what was making me unhappy, I was able to try looking past it to try the other flavors. I am liking the plum in this however I think the cinnamon is adding a woody-ness that is also not for me. All in all, I am glad I got to try this, and I think I will get through the cup, but this is just not for me. Sorry MissB but this was a miss however thank you for letting me try it out.

Only had a few cups before passing off the rest of my batch to my father who is a black tea fan. No complaints, very malty with a round flavor. Enjoyed it but not really my go-to cup. Getting a couple more black teas in the mail soon from Upton, going to review soon.

First time with this type of tea. It was different, highly vegetal but with a lingering sweetness which was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s been about a year since my last batch tried from Upton. Could go for it again to treat myself.

Unfortunately now out of stock, I enjoyed this tea. It’s been too long since I had the last cup of the batch but I recall sweet notes, maybe with an earthy undertone. Very pleasant.

Backlog:

A really pleasant Ceylon. A smaller cut than what I’d expect from a BOP, but really, that’s my only complaint about this tea. It’s a good, satisfying Ceylon. Earthy, sweet with honey-esque tones, a hint of malt, with a slight citrus finish.

Backlog:

This is a very interesting tea. I like the combination of Darjeeling and Yunnan, because they are quite different in taste and body but they work well together.

Notes of fermented grape, honey, caramel and flower. A complex cuppa with a very enjoyable texture.