Upton Tea Imports

I am working on sipping this down and only have a few more cups to go, so I guess now is a good time for a tasting note!
This smells very roasty, a bit like a hojicha, and brews up nice and dark. There aren’t a whole lot of different notes to this tea, no complexity that comes out with additional steeping. I’m not sure I could distinguish this as an oolong, its certainly more hay and straw and lingering smoky notes than any floral or even big red robe tastes. It is rolled rather tightly and unfurls while steeping. Its easy to brew this one strong, but its too toasty to become bitter. I have enjoyed sipping down this bag, but won’t be purchasing any more.

Flavorful, has maybe Bergamont, Vanilla and Anise. Though milder than some Earl Grey’s I’ve had, which in some versions has been overpowering.

Reminds me of a slightly lighter Keemun Snail. Fairly long leave segments, almost full-leaf?
Very smooth, I like it.

I bought a full tin of this based on a sample, and it’s not quite as good as the sample was. Still more mellow and smooth than non-pu-erh black teas in general, but the other pu-erh I rated I thought was a bit smoother. All the pu-erhs I’ve sampled seem more rich than regular black teas.

Very smooth, very flavorful. capable of a long steep without getting bitter.

A nice, smooth, general-purpose tea. Nothing stands out too much one way or another.
It’s a pretty fine-chopped tea, will steep pretty quickly.

I don’t use sugor or milk, so I don’t steep a long time, but this is still a very nice Tea.

When you wake up in the morning what drink do you reach for? Many reach for coffee but coffee will give you a big slump when it wears off. Tea doesn’t do that. This morning I’m starting out with an unassuming Ceylon BOP (Broken Orange Pekoe).
It has the qualities of a good Ceylon tea but to be honest it doesn’t beat what I tasted at teakruthi. Still. It is nice to drink something that can be tasted over eggs and toast. Without fear of missing the finer notes.

Sipdown for National Compliment Day!

It’s National Compliment Day, and I’m giving this beautiful tea a huge shout out. It embodies so many of the things that I adore from the teas from Nepal. There is a muscatal note along with sweet hay. It’s light and clean with the slightest hint of mineral at the end of the sip. I’m a big fan of muscadine notes in tea. I know Darjeeling teas are best known for that flavor, but I feel like so many teas from Nepal showcase it beautifully. This tea is no exception. In fact, it does it to near perfection. The muscatal note is present without having an artificial grape flavor or a wine-y taste. This is a total win in my book.

I would love to pick up more of this at some point. Unfortunately Upton only sells this in 100g or larger quantities, and while I truly love this tea I’m just not in the market for 100+ grams of any tea. * sigh *

Fine-chopped yet relatively mild black tea.

Samurai TTB #36

This was a strong, malty breakfast blend with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Not very enjoyable straight, but it smoothed out nicely with a splash of milk.

Sipdown.

I enjoyed this one. There are notes of apricot at the beginning of the sip, and a sweet hay note that lingers at the back of the throat. There’s also the muscatal note that is present throughout the cup. Easily one of my current favorites. I’ll pick up more in the near future, so this isn’t so much “goodbye” as “see you soon”.

Work tea #2

This is from yesterday. I picked up a sample when I placed a small Upton order a few months ago. On a whim I took it to work with me, and I regretted my decision. This is so good. I wanted to sit and enjoy it, but we had a full day of patients waiting to be seen. What I can say about this tea is that it has a silky mouth feel. There are muscatal and apricot notes followed by a mineral finish. It reminded me of why I love so many teas from Nepal.

I think I’ll go to work tomorrow and get the rest of the sample so that I can enjoy it over the holiday weekend. Or maybe I’ll sleep in and stay in my pj’s all day. Who knows?

I brewed this nice and strong this morning, it’s an almost sipdown, I think I have about a tsp left. This does make a bold cup of Assam, coppery, astringent, and just a hint of a bitter aftertaste. It’s not very complex or malty, but it is a fair example of an Assam. Don’t think I need any more of this, but it was ok while sipping down.

Took two teaspoons for my 300 ml cup. Steeped for 5 minutes.

Baked bread notes were first notes I have noted. Then malty, dried fruits. Woody in the end. All together quite works well, enjoyable. Mild, even the steep was quite long.

I liked it, as it was quite strong and brisk. Woody aftertaste wasn’t a troublesome, instead it was like somehow expected flavour. Again, I haven’t noticed any soy sauce in this.

I still have something left, I think it will be around 1 tsp, which I may try gong-fu (where is my new gaiwan!?) I think it is bit behind the What-cha offer, but still pretty great, especially for the age.

Thank you derk and White Antlers.

Another tea I received from derk, but it is from White Antlers. Thank you both!

I was confused about the aroma of this tea. I have exppected some pu-erh chocolatey notes, but it is indeed rather on tobacco side as derk said. It is even bit cinnamony and raisins, which is indeed weird while it contains only black tea and cocoa.

While brewed, I had it actually pretty much same as previous rater. Yep, aiming for 4 minutes, but actually 6.

The tate was pretty much medicore bold black tea while sipping quite hot, but as it cools down, the flavours started to be interesting.

At first, I wasn’t sure if it is cocoa as it was quite raisin and maybe cherries. But as I said, it was cooling donw and when it was lukewarm I get the cocoa notes! I have expected some stronger notes and mostly I imagined it will be bit more like hot chocolate, but it isn’t that sweet and cloying hot chocolate. Maybe you think I think it is dismal for me, but actually it isn’t. I am glad it is not like that, as bar of chocolate isn’t always dominantly chocolate but good chocolate is having different flavours too. Even that cherry seems good for me.

Seems bit pricey though!

Nice mild black tea.

Good “traditional” tea, mildly tart, pretty good.

The dry tea smells so berry-vanilla(?) syrupy sweet and medicinal that it frightened me. Delay no more, I brewed it up last night and again this morning. The steam smells the same with a metallic iron addition from the hibiscus. The taste is very tart with hibiscus, some iron. Berry tastes swirl around in the magenta brew, notably the concentrated syrupy taste of elderberries with some blueberry and also strawberry, which is not in the tea but maybe as a flavoring? I do not taste grapes, which are in the blend and noted by Martin. The berry notes linger after the swallow. I feel like it’s a bit cooling with a throat-opening quality beyond the hibiscus bite. Good for one steep, maybe 2 if you shorten the initial steep time but the second brew comes out very pale and much weaker tasting in comparison.

This is definitely not for those with a distaste for hibiscus. I find it enjoyable, though, and am happy that it passed from White Antlers’ cupboard to mine. It’s one of the better berry-hibiscus brews I’ve had.

Uh oh, this is tart. In aroma of loose pieces. I notice mostly hibiscus, and never noticed it that much as in this one. Mastress Alita, something for you maybe? Let’s see.

It brews, after 8 minutes steep, dark red colour. It brings memories of cheap and fruit teas from my childhood, on summer camps, at my grandma’s flat, even at home back (now) and then.

Back to the tea. Aroma is as well tart. Much less luckily and I note grapes. Surpringly sips aren’t tart, it is rather quite juicy and enjoyable. It’s quite simple drink, I believe making it iced would be great.

Good one… for evenings. Bit too tart for my taste.

Managed to write few more pages on the thesis. Mostly I managed to make one page with images with subcaptions! Happy with the progress today.
Tasting note 800? How?

A nice, slightly earthy tea. Smooth, and fairly strong, quick to brew (I use no milk or sugar, go for quick brews that are not too tannic).