Upton Tea Imports

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Recent Tasting Notes

75

A complex and tasty tea with different layers of fruityness, briskness, and metallic taste depending on steep time and tea temperature. I got mostly coppery notes on a first sip, with fruity and complex notes arriving as the cup cools. An interesting tea to experiment with or blend (Yunnan comes to mind). I might add it to an order, but its not something to seek out.

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72

This is my second session with these same leaves. Steeped once in my favorite mug, which sadly didn’t reveal nearly as much flavor as I was hoping and so me thinks it’s time to give the mug a good scrub. This second round is being done gong fu style. The flavors are much more pronounced. The first sip revealed honeyed flavors and earthy wet wood notes. As the session progresses each becomes increasingly tainted with astringency and damp forest. Decomposing wood.

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52

Started drinking this while eating my bacon-wrapped potato wedge and I realized I couldn’t really taste the tea. So I steeped it longer. This is a good tea for this type of breakfast. The bacon escalates some of the woody notes and tones down the tobacco. The banana doesn’t help. Its sweet flavor almost makes me want to stop drinking the tea. But maybe… Nope. It’s not the banana. I oversteeped it a bit. But what is this flavor? It is tannic. It is tanned leather. It is not something I enjoy in my mouth. Burnt… something.

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65

This was included as a sample in my christmas gift order for my dad so I thought we might open it and drink a day early. Its very malty up front, smells amazing, but the aftertaste that lingers post-sip is astringent and bitter. This would stand up to milk and sugar, but since I drink my tea plain, I won’t be seeking this one out again.

Flavors: Bitter, Dark Chocolate, Malt, Yeasty

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78

This is one is highly rated by my dad, and while its not solely a souchon, it does have a slight smoky taste. It reminds me of a candy version of a smoked tea, as it has a sweet aftertaste. Probably why he likes it, he has a sweet tooth. The tea has a burnt creme brulee vibe, but for some reason, I never remember I like this tea until I brew another cup. I like it better than the Old South Meeting house blend that is an Upton ‘Boston tea party’ theme tea.

Flavors: Caramel, Smoke, Sweet

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You know how, when you near the end of a tea tin or packet, there’s more than you really need for one cup, but not enough for two? Not wanting to be a wastrel, I put all of the last of my leaves in a DIY filter bag and grabbed my biggest work mug. Turned out very nicely. My first review highlighted the rye toast aspect, but this morning, maybe due to the added strength, it reminds me a little of a good keemun with apple peel as well.

Next time I can see my way clear to invest in an Upton order, this one needs to be on it.

tea-sipper

“see my way clear” relating to tea brings up fun imagery of wading through a giant tea stash :D

gmathis

You don’t know how accurate you are!

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Numerical ratings don’t work for me—one must be consistent to play the rating game and I am far too wishy-washy and moody. One of the few teas I ever bothered to rate, and 100 at that, was Fujian Congou by Nature’s Tea Leaf, now long gone. I wrote rambling rhapsodies about its toast-and-cocoa goodness.

However, after tasting my first cup of Old South Meeting House, I was deeply tempted to start messing with the “Drag Me” bar. The Congou part of this blend is strong enough to take me back to that old favorite, and I have had my nose in the mug all morning like a horse with a feedbag. It smells like Ry-Krisp crackers and tastes like toast made from homemade wheat bread.

Thanks to Michelle for the special treat!

AJRimmer

I know what you mean with ratings! The only reason I rate mine is so that when I go to a tea’s page, I can easily see what I thought of that tea since the rating sits at the top. If Steepster made it easier to find your own reviews, I’d probably do the same!

Michelle

I like the history with this one too. Boston Tea Party anniversary is this week :)

gmathis

Oliver Pluff Tea Co. does some really nice Boston Tea party teas, also. Some years back, one of my Sunday girls brought me a little packet from her family’s trip to New England.

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69

Aren’t these leaves just the cutest?! Remind me of those sweet African curls on a baby’s head. The leaf color is dark when dry but is a mix of dark chocolate and milk chocolate when wet. The flavor is full of earthy notes. Woodsy, mahogany and a freshly sealed pine chest. Traces of cocoa but very few. Wet aroma is musty. Pick up wet leaves and stuff them in your nose.

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60

It’s possible I brewed this with too much leaf, and it is mellowing a bit while it cools. I’m not getting any chocolate notes from the Keemun and it has a rather harsh aftertaste. I’ll see what the second steep brings, but on the whole, I’m not enjoying this cup.

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80

Another of the teas I received back in 2018 from Meowster’s cupboard destash… thank you, Meowster! I think this tea is from 2016, so it’s quite old at this point, and I’m expecting flavor degradation as a result.

2.5g steeped in 350ml 195F water for 3 minutes. I am getting a very pleasant aroma from the steeped cup; a rosy floral, citrus, and a sort of honey graham biscuity note. On the mouth, I’m tasting a strong wet autumn leaf flavor first, with a hint of cucumber/melon, and subtle rose and lemon note, and a somewhat biscuity aftertaste. The flavors do feel a bit muted, but this is holding up much better than the Malabar Estate Java OP Clonal I sipped down recently. I’m actually surprised this many notes are still presenting in this tea after so much time.

This is quite nice, I can only imagine how great it is fresh!

Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Citrus, Cucumber, Floral, Graham, Honey, Lemon, Melon, Rose

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 g 12 OZ / 350 ML

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83

Got this a as a sample, wish I had more. A very nice dark chocolate Keemun that didn’t get astringent or bitter even though it was brewed up nice and strong. Not very complex, but it is a very pleasant cup and I’ll see of the second brew is any good.

Flavors: Dark Chocolate

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84

Bought a sample pack (20g for $18.50). Good but not worth that price.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 12 OZ / 354 ML

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67

I still have several super old tea packets from Meowster’s cupboard de-stash that I need to drink through! Thank you, Meowster!

So I steeped up this Indonesian tea to take to work with me this morning. The aroma of the tea is quite fruity… I’m getting the typical black-tea-malt-smell, but also a scent like stewed/warm cherries.

I can tell sipping this that the tea has gone a bit flat/is way past its prime (I received it in 2018 but have no idea how old it may have already been at that point). It’s hard to describe that flatness on the taste, but it’s there. If I look past it, I taste a pretty sharp malty black tea with a bit of astringency after the sip, edging a bit more bitter than I prefer for a black tea. There is an underlying fruitiness that I think would be more apparent with fresher leaves; as is, it is coming out a bit muted, but I do taste sort of a muscatel/raisin note and, more faintly, cherry and a non-descript florality.

Mostly, though, it’s just strong-and-dark black tea now.

I may play around with steeping parameters to see if I can smooth some of the edges out or revive some of the flavors. I think my next thermos will have a dollop of honey to see if that tames the bitterness and makes the fruit and floral pop more.

Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Cherry, Floral, Fruity, Malt, Muscatel, Raisins

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 g 17 OZ / 500 ML
Bluegreen

Drinking what can easily be a 5-6 year old “regular” tea and trying to make it shine is pure dedication

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70

Not a sipdown since this was a sample, but definitely a black tea for chess day.

Wow I think I’ve met my CTC match for a strong morning brew. This makes an intense cuppa, and I am usually all for that in the morning, but this is just too much. I’m not sure how a brew this strong manages to be not bitter or astringent, in fact its quite nice tasting with malty, peppery, and metallic notes. I suppose I could add a bit of Yunnan or lemongrass to sip this blend, but this is just a sample and I’m not inclined to purchase a whole bag. There are much better ways to make a strong tasty morning brew (the ctc assam from S&V comes to mind).

Flavors: Malt, Metallic, Tannic

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67

Happy National Chess Day! Today the prompt is to drink a black tea or a white tea!

This is my black tea, provided from a long ago cupboard de-stash by Meowster. Thanks Meowster! I received the tea in 2018 but am sure it is far older than that. Steeped the 4g sample in 500ml 195F water for 3 minutes.

For its age, I’m rather shocked how aromatic this tea is. There is a strong syrupy fruity muscatel/raisin aroma mixed with a florality that is veering on perfumy. I also smell malt, baked bread, and honey… I could be happy just sticking this teacup under my nose all day.

The flavor is a lot more brisk than I was expecting from the sweet aroma. The malt and baked bread characteristics are the strongest notes, with the muscatel/floral notes rather mellow and subdued. There is quite a bitter bite of astrigency after the sip which may be stopping me from tasting the more nuanced characteristics of the aftertaste.

Based on the aroma, I bet this tea was standout while fresh. The flavor now is more bitter than I prefer for blacks and doesn’t hold up to the wonderful aroma, but it is a fine breakfast tea.

Flavors: Astringent, Biting, Bitter, Bread, Floral, Fruity, Malt, Muscatel, Raisins

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec 4 g 17 OZ / 500 ML

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72

This is a Nahorhabi Estate 2020 FBOP sample I got in an order, but this seemed the closest tea for a tasting note. The first steep was malty and coppery and astringent with caramel notes in the finish. The second steep was disappointingly weak. A nice, one steep version of an Assam, but I don’t think I’d be tempted to add it to an order.

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65

I got this tea because I liked the Colombian breakfast by Upton, and this seemed interesting. I tried to like this tea but it’s just meh. I’ve tried more leaf, longer steeping times to coax some flavor out of the steeps but its just a nondescript tea flavor that’s not bitter. Wish it was better, not purchasing again.

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65

I got this one from a previous TTB. It’s not chocolatey enough for me. It’s mostly just black tea. With milk, it’s a decent black tea, but I do find myself craving more chocolate.

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70

I’ve brewed this with too much leaf a few times before actually measuring about 8 g for 16 oz. There’s a fine balance between too much leaf or not enough to get the vanilla bourbon to shine through. I do like a strong cup of tea, and even a bit of harshness to an Assam (awesome), but too much leaf here tips the balance and becomes too heavy and metallic.
So with the right amount of leaf this is an adequate cup, the second steep barely drinkable it is so much weaker than the first. While this is certainly an interesting combination, I like Upton’s Almond delight better for a flavored tea. This one is a bit to fussy to brew correctly to get a good cup.

Flavors: Bitter, Caramel, Metallic, Vanilla

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90

A strong, black tea—a blend of Assam and Yunnan. There is an earthy, malty, and spicy flavor to it, most likely malt from the Assam and earthy and spicy from the Yunnan leaves. But the two varieties of tea blend well together and each add their own flavors to the mix. It’s interesting that I can taste both the Assam and the Yunnan as separate flavors within the tea as I concentrate of its flavor. Overall a very enjoyable, strong tea that I am glad I purchased!

Flavors: Earth, Malt, Spicy

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 30 sec 6 g 16 OZ / 473 ML
gmathis

Been quite a wile, but I remember liking this one!

teepland

gmathis: Just read your tasting note on this tea — glad you found it appealing as well!

gmathis

Good grief…I just looked back, too. Ten years? (Confound it, I’m getting old!)

teepland

Ha! I just appreciate all the years of advice and recommendations you’ve posted on here, gmathis! :)

Sierge Krьstъ

I only once mixed gotu kola with mengsong black. Looking forward to guangdong black from oolong variety by curioustea selection. A drop of vinegar can make all the difference to the visvosity

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95

A sample I received with a recent order from Upton. I’ve never had Colombian tea before, so I was interested in trying it.

I can’t remember having a tea blend that is as smooth and creamy as this one! I can taste hints of cocoa and honey in the liquor, but they are just slight enough to be there. Otherwise, it is a truly remarkable, smooth black tea with almost no astringency. I’ll definitely purchase more of this in a future order!

Flavors: Cocoa, Creamy, Honey, Smooth

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 30 sec 6 g 16 OZ / 473 ML
gmathis

Definitely making a note!

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65

This Nepali tea sample is courtesy of Meowster’s 2018 cupboard destash. Thanks Meowster!

Steeped 3.5g in 500ml 205F water for 3 minutes. The brewed tea smells of cinnamon raisin bread, warm cherry compote, and a hint of lemon citrus. The smell is more impressive than the taste, but I suspect age hasn’t done this tea any favors. It’s coming off a bit abrasive, with a bit of a malty/bready base with a hint of cinnamon spice and a very strong citrus taste. Near the end of the sip I can just slightly taste a cherry note and a hint of florality, but it fades quickly under the bitter/astringent edge. A bitterness is left on my tongue in the aftertaste.

Probably my least favorite of the Nepali teas I’ve tried this month. I may try playing around with water temperature for my next two cups and see if that doesn’t tame it a little more. But perhaps age has just let the beast out with this one.

Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Bread, Cherry, Cinnamon, Citrus, Floral, Lemon, Malt

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 g 17 OZ / 500 ML
gmathis

In theory, it sounds wonderful—I don’t remember seeing it the last time I perused an Upton catalog.

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70

I finished all my Nepal Tea samplers, but my “trip” to Nepal this month isn’t quite over yet, as I found a few other samples of Nepali tea in my stash. This one came from Meowster’s cupboard destash many a summer ago. Thanks Meowster!

Steeped 2.5g in 195F water for 3 minutes. The brewed aroma is very floral, with a strong sweet spices scent (like cinnamon) thrown in. Perhaps a hint of toasted bread slathered in marmalade, as well. The flavor hasn’t held up as well in this very old tea as the aroma, as I’m not really tasting any of those things. It mostly tastes of dry autumn leaves, with a hint of cinnamon spice and graham biscuit. There is a subtle apricot note, as well. I can’t help but feel there was probably a lot more notes in this fresh.

But it is servicable morning black tea, despite the age.

Flavors: Apricot, Autumn Leaf Pile, Bread, Cinnamon, Floral, Graham Cracker, Spices, Stonefruit

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 g 12 OZ / 350 ML

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