Upton Tea Imports

This was a great tea from Upton that disappeared quickly. Pronounced chocolate and tobacco notes, with a red-wine body reminiscent of good Keemuns. Upton has a habit of finding these unique China blacks that can really add a great diversion to our standard daily brews.

I’ve enjoyed many cups of this tea and almost always replenish when it’s gone. Why? It’s not trying to be something it’s not, like some Assams I know. It tastes the way a proper black tea should, with enough interesting flavor notes of dried fruit to keep me coming back again and again. If you like this, Upton has an organic Greenfield Estate Ceylon that is quite nice.

I’m surprised that this doesn’t have a higher rating. It is one of Upton’s finest China black teas. Many-layered and well-balanced between sweet and piquant notes. It sells out quickly when it hits Upton’s site.

I’m actually commenting on zy83, purchased in the fall of 2015, but no matter—I find Upton’s Yunnan rare grade to be a reliably tasty brew that hits all the right notes for this style of tea: malty, caramel sweet, with a subtle peppery note. A great choice for those fans of Yunnan Sourcing’s Imperial Mojiang.

I’ve tried two different lots of this tea and loved them both (though the first lot from last fall was a little richer). Typically smooth and sweet, and earthy after a 4-5 minute steeping, I drink this tea any time during the day. Frankly, other than fine darjeelings, or lapsang suchongs I find myself drinking gold bud Yunnan teas almost every time I drink black tea.

Oh, honey! I love the sweet profile and luscious mouthfeel of this tea! Such an enjoyable cup. I am always surprised when I get to the end of my cup, because it goes down sooooooo easy. It’s like liquid heaven gold :)

Many thanks to Lady Londonderry for this amazing treat!

Many thanks to Lady Londonderry for this tea!

I was really excited to try this one since “Golden” teas are some of my favorites. This one is SO GOOD! I’m not getting cocoa notes, but more of a rich honey Golden Monkey profile. I am tasting this one to be more like the Golden Monkey I’m used to than Upton’s Imperial Golden Monkey! Deeeeee-licious! It has that heavy mouthfeel that I associate with these kinds of teas, and which I absolutely crave!

I was very much saddened to see that this is discontinued at Upton (I zipped right over there because I wanted to order it I liked it so much!). Alas, this will have to be one of my little special hoarder teas that I have every now and again so I can savor it for as long as possible!

Thank you once again, Lady Londonderry! This is making my Monday morning!

Only enough left for a coupla cups, so I was hoarding for a special occasion. Does Wednesday count?

This one is just so good, it makes me smile after every sip. There was a big honkin’ rose petal in the spoonful this morning, so it’s plenty floral, but not chemically or artificially so.

Thinking this would be a good welcome-to-the-world-of-floral tea for newbies.

Tried a Mason jar of sun tea with this … maybe just a little rosier than I prefer due to the extended steep time. But sweet and cold and good. Not perfume-y floral.

On the advisement of some of my favorite experts, I did a half-and-half this morning with Queen Catherine - it’s a match made in a fairy tale. Her Majesty dilutes the rose even a little further so there’s just a breath of it, which is plenty for my personal taste….and I’ll sip happily ever after… (or until it’s gone, whichever comes first).

I don’t generally pick floral teas on my own, but I am glad that this one came to me as a gift, because - wow! I’m a black tea lover at heart and the flower-to-tea ratio is perfect. Doesn’t taste like I’m sipping perfume. The rose softens instead of interferes. Thanks, JenW!

Wow. Today I decided that when this bag of tea runs out I must order more. This tea was sent to me by Doulton, and oh my goodness, each time I drink it I am surprised by how great it is. The light smokiness is like a tight hug from a good friend, I don’t know what else to call it. I am comforted from the first sip. This is great tea.

This was the first tea served at tea party today, and was it ever well-received! I was unsure how my guest would like it, because she hasn’t cared for smokey teas in the past. She loved it! My youngest daughter is a big fan of this one, so this is another Upton tea that Doulton sent to us that will have to be kept in the cupboard. Smooth, light, golden, nice body, and lightly smokey, this goes wonderfully with afternoon snacks.

Oh, Doulton! Thank you, thank you for all the lovely tea to try!

The dry leaves have a very powerful aroma. Strong Golden Monkey? But wait! No, more similar to Zhen Quo Super China Black! But these are long twisted leaves instead of fluffy puffs! Now it is time to taste.

Big surprise, but it shouldn’t be since this came from Doulton who loves smoke, this tea that smells so very very sweet is also lightly smokey! Not too smokey, mind you! Just a bit! And it is delightful! It is lighter in body than Golden Monkey, maybe even than Hen Quo.

Youngest has decided to start tasting all new teas plain before adding the milk and sugar that she loves. I already knew about the smoke…she didn’t. I watched her taste it, and she pronounced it, “Not bad!” That is high praise for tea that doesn’t have milk and sugar in it yet! And now she says it is growing on her and she wants more. High praise, indeed!

Instead of measuring the leaves, I weighed them. These are so long, large, and twisted and I wanted to get it right! I think next time I may add more leaves. I am going to resteep this one and will post how it does.

Served for second breakfast with Baby Swiss, Dubliner, and bacon.

I wasn’t going to drink any tea this morning, but my daughter called to me that she had made a pot of this as she went out the door. I was just going to SNIFF it, that’s all, but it made me go all weak in the knees when that smokey rich aroma got in my head.

It has been quite a week, such a mixture of great things and hard things all happening at once. Thank heaven for tea.

It’s been a long, long time but Baker Street is finally back on the shelf! Woot! Woot!

My Upton Tea order arrived today and when my youngest daughter chose our tea for tonight, this is what she wanted. Smokey, sweet, and mild, it was a perfect companion for a plate of toast as we listen to the thunder booming outside and the rain drumming on the roof. I am reading some Victorian era murder mysteries that have me craving toast and tea every night.

How cozy that this tea is supposed to make us think of Holmes’ and Watson’s pipes (the Lapsang component) as they contemplated their cases and smoked. The Darjeeling evokes the sophistication of Victorian London’s upper classes, and the Keemun puts a solid base under it all.

Even though I am supposed to think of Sherlock Holmes when I drink this, I can’t help but think of Gerry Rafferty’s song, Baker Street. It was while drinking this tea that I introduced youngest to that song and cemented her love of the saxophone. Of course, we also had to listen to lots of other songs from that era, like Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner…

Two of my daughters had tea with me today. Youngest and I had this one – it is a favorite of hers – with Hungarian Embassy cake which is basically pound cake with a streak of cinnamon and brown sugar and chopped pecans.

This is an easy introduction to smoky tea. The blend is very nice and has a lot of body and character, with a little Darjeeling personality thrown in with the smoke. It is a real pleasure to drink.

When I got home from Raleigh this evening, youngest had made me a pot of Baker Street to revive me. This is smoky but sweet at the same time and has a nice, medium body. It goes so well with food and is also good by itself. I like it both with and without additions, usually taking it without.

Youngest was excited to show me that in my absence today, the girls taught Sam both shake and high five!
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My girls wanted to have tea today and since I am working with a neighbor’s dog, trying to train her while he is all laid up with a broken foot that wouldn’t heal, I told them to prepare everything and I would join them when I got back. Youngest made a pot of this, as it is one of her favorites. Middle daughter fixed a plate of chocolate covered cream puffs to cool me since I had been outside trying to stop a sixty pound dog made of solid muscle from pulling on her leash! Very thoughtful…so I ate several! The tea is smoky but sweet, and has a lot of body. It is smooth and almost creamy or chewy. I haven’t ordered from Upton yet, but I will, and when I do this will be on the order.

What a great tea! This is a favorite of my youngest daughter. It is smoky like the most wonderful pipe tobacco you can imagine, full of flavor but smooth and naturally sweet, bold without being brash. A masterpiece of tea blending IMO.

A favorite of youngest, this was the third tea served at tea party today. My guest was not enamored of it, youngest drank nothing else. I guess I know what to put in her stocking!

Sweet and smokey, I can smell Mr. Holmes’ cherry pipe tobacco filling the room with its lovely scent. This is a wonderfully smooth Lapsang, not harsh at all, and very drinkable both with (youngest) and without (me) additions!

Rat lunch today with youngest. She chose the tea, and this is one of her favorites. Thank you, DOULTON! When this is gone, she will definitely have me on the phone ordering more.

Youngest picked this one for today. Tea courtesy of DOULTON and accompanying Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty thanks to teawing. I threw in Right Down the line for good measure!

Served with Rich Tea Biscuits and Nutella, and Cadbury Crunchie bars which are yummy! Just discovered them Friday at A Southern Season.

I wish I could say that I enjoyed a big pot of this today, but when my five ounce cup was empty and I reached for the pot to refill, youngest had already polished off the whole thing! LOL! DOULTON sent me a huge amount of this, and I am glad because it looks like I will be keeping it on the shelf for the “little one”, who is several inches taller than I am already by the way but that wasn’t hard to do.

Sweet and smokey, like grandda’s cherry pipe tobacco! Guess I will have to brew up another pot.