Upton Tea Imports

I was craving this after reading Dan’s tasting note. I arrived home cold, rain soaked and mud splashed (once again!) so this was a perfect antidote :) Strong and brisk, no nonsense, takes milk and sugar beautifully. I’m upping the rating a little – it really is the perfect tea for when you need to get warmed up but quick!! I also want to try it cold brewed for iced tea. I think that method would be great because it will cut down on any astringency.The price of this is so good, you don’t mind using it for cold brewed iced tea which needs a good deal of leaves.

After having to put on my wet coat and go to class this afternoon, I was so DAMP! The damp went right to my bones. There is one tea that always works to get that bone chilling feeling away – River Shannon. After coming home and making a large cup of this no nonsense, strong black tea I finally felt warm again (changing into dry clothes helped too!). I always drink this tea when I’m extremely cold or extremely tired. It is so reviving.

Today was SUCH a comedy of errors. We set out to buy some art supplies, and accidently put the wrong address to the store in the google phone GPS thingum – and wound up at the wrong shopping center (we only realized this after wandering around puzzled for a half an hour). Where is the right one? Another half hour away! Sigh – our whole day was eaten up just getting a few mat boards and canvases. FINALLY home, River Shannon to the rescue, double portion! Takes lots of comforting milk and sugar, and stays really flavorful. A good basic strong black tea to give you a little lift!

You know those days when you are behind before you even started? I came in to work an hour late because of my dental appointment and EVERYTHING needed immediate attention! I was drowning, and my usual response would have been to grab a cup of coffee. I chose this instead. It sure did wake me up, but I don’t feel jittery like I would have after (the third cup of!) coffee. I feel alert, focused, and ready to tackle all of this work! It tasted wonderful too :) Very bold but balanced – cream and sugar lovely. This is now my go-to-instead-of-coffee tea!

Another day spent out in the freezing cold taking photographs!

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/jackiemania/sets/72157622999565681/)

I needed this bold tea to warm my bones!! I steeped it one minute less than last time (as per package recommendation) and it was smoother…I think I’ll add 30 seconds because I liked it a little rougher and brisker. That’s the whole point of an Irish Blend if you ask me :)

Delicious! Hearty and flavorful. Perfect after a long day hiking in the cold – not just for breakfast ;)

This fine Chinese black tea is from Fujian provence, the same region that gives us ti guan yin oolongs and lapsang souchongs.

It’s a pretty good tea, and, true to Upton’s description, it has a chocolate taste, kinda like unsweetened dark chocolate, balanced by a very slight smoky aspect. I’m not sure why panyangs aren’t spoken of with the same reverence as Keemuns and Yunnans, but this tea is quite a decent congou. While I’m generally not a big fan of smoky teas (I loathe lapsang souchong), this tea’s smokiness is subtle enough to let the leaves speak — and they have some nice things to say.

Upton’s description also talks about a sweet berry note. Um, I’m not getting that, but the chocolate thing is definitely there. Panyangs are similar in some ways to Keemuns, but I haven’t been particularly happy with the Keemuns I’ve had lately, which have been too tarry/smoky, so this is a better brew than most of the Keemuns I’ve had, with the possible exception of Keemun Mao Feng.

This tea didn’t do quite as well on the second steep. The chocolate taste wasn’t as pronounced the second go-round, while the smokiness was just as strong, so the balance that was present in the first cup, wasn’t there on the second.

Upton’s Panyang Congou Select is organic, so you’re not getting a mouthful of pesticide residue and are, hopefully, supporting more sustainable farming practices, too.

Nice tea. And after sampling a bad bunch of teas lately — really weak Ceylons and tarry Keemuns — this was a pleasant surprise.

Order from:

http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/item.asp?from=catalog.asp&itemID=ZP20&begin=0&parent=Teas%3EBlack%3EChina&category=Other+Congou&sortMethod=0&categoryID=13

A nicely robust tea paired with creamy sweet vanilla. The vanilla is of a good quality, and I was delighted to see bits of the pod amongst the tea leaves. Extra cake like with milk and sugar :) A gorgeous treat on a chilly, rainy afternoon.

From the annals of “what the hell was I thinking when I made this tea.” This tastes no different than the broken-leaf version of this tea that I tried last week. Not sure why I thought the whole-leaf version would taste any different, which is to say it tastes like nothing. Nada. Zilch. Bupkes.

It’s a beautiful-looking tea, but it has no personality whatsoever. The only difference is that, because this is a whole-leaf tea, it has a longer steeping time than its broken-leaf version — five minutes versus three.

But, overall, it tastes like Ashoken Reservoir water, which is what comes out of the taps Upper East Side Manhattan residents’ apartment, and which is what I made this tea with. This tea has a nuance of air and the rich aftertaste of a deep-space vacuum.

Can’t see writing much more about this. I wasted my time drinking this tea. I won’t waste your time making you read more about it.

I had wanted to taste a Russian Caravan for a long time and I finally have with Upton’s variety. It smells and tastes to me like how one might describe the classic Darjeeling taste profile, except maybe with less sweetness, freshness, and more of that “autumn leaves” Oolonginess, (which I love). The taste is probably a consequence of it being a BLEND, and has most likely has Oolongs, Dars, and other black teas from SE Asia rolled into it.

I like this tea though, even despite it really not having a unique character of its own… it has blue blood.

I love everything about this tea. It has a pretty funky look due to the ginseng coating, but the coating makes it like two teas in one…the 1st infusion and the 2nd are totally different experiences. Both great. This is one of the few teas that I buy in large qty to make sure I will always have some to drink, I would hate for it to become unavailable ;-) I recently found a small bag that was purchased well over a year ago and the tea was still great, I think the ginseng coating might help it stay preserved….maybe.

I was in the mood for something full bodied and a little smoky, and this fit the bill. I’m getting less wine this time, but it’s still there and very nice. I wonder if preparing it with filtered water is making the difference? I have one serving left – this will certainly be reordered!

So satisfying! A little smoky, very flavorful. Almost reminds me of wine! Certainly picks you up.

Love that Dragon’s Well. Delicious and beautiful looking in a glass.

Great value, color, flavor, aroma. My favorite tea from Upton and in general. I always make sure to keep this stocked and it’s the first Oolong I give those who have never tried it before.

The dry leaves are very aromatic: being floral, malty, and slightly vegetal. I could just fall asleep forever with my nose in the tin. As far as the taste, it’s thick and delicious. Highly recommended to try if you get the chance.

Deeeeeelicious with milk and sugar. Bold but so smooth. In fact, I can’t wait to have another cup!

I really enjoy this tea, lots of flavor. I rarely bother to brew another green tea when I have some of this available.

Again with the Se Chung ;-)

This is my current ‘standard’ tea that I am drinking. For the money its tough to beat, but I would be happy with it at twice the price. It seems to have a pretty good caffeine content as it can really get me going…

I’m new to tea. After buying a few cans of Rishi, a friend pointed me to Upton Tea Importers. From Upton I ordered a few tea samplers to get a taste of many different teas. This tea, China Keemun (Upton #TP12) is from their “Introduction to Fine Tea” sampler (Upton #SM30).

The liquor is a reddish copper color, and the aroma is of nuts (I’m new at this). The tea itself tastes quite mild, at least to me, for a black tea. It is quite pleasant, with a nice finish.

I will certainly add Keemun to my list of teas types for further investigation.