3 Tasting Notes
I have a high regard for Upton Tea, the way they personalize your order with nametags is a little much, but I do appreciate how seriously they take their business.
That said, I am not a big fan of Pu-Erh in general. Earthy teas I like, but this tasted more like decomposition. Since it is the style of tea itself that I like, mayb have gotten a bad batch or may have brewed it incorrectly, I am giving the review some benefit of the doubt, but this was distinctly unpalatable for me.
Preparation
I agree and like what posters have already said. Kenya has these fine nuggets that feel like what I imagine the minerally, dry and delicate African soil it grows in.
It is a minerally, potent brew, cost effective and I keep it for when I am getting repetitive with other black-tea varieties. It is also on the cheaper side, so cost-benefit score is quite high. In my next life I want to be a broker at the Kenyan tea exchange.
Preparation
When I look for a breakfast tea, I look for a distinct malty body (in this case, Assam), but with a suitable variety of estate and small and large leaf to provide a few different layers of flavor across the palate and a clean finish. MTW Irish Breakfast is perfect. The tea is strong, but consistently so, and it does not overpower. I brew it hot and steep it for a long time.
75% of my mornings are started with a visit to the tea cabinet and a reach for the MTW IB. (The rest is usually the MTW Scottish breakfast, which I save for when I want something a bit more malty and less ascorbic.)
Excellent way to start the day.
