Reviews of Teas & Herbal Teas from Upton Tea Imports
Page 1 2 3 ... 14 15 16 17 of 17 pages with 413 results
Malaika Estate OP from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Black Tea – Region: Kenya83 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 26th, 2009
Dark but surprisingly smooth cup...not much bitterness and astringency, and clean aftertaste. The aroma is complex and interesting but very hard to put into words...slightly more vegetal than typical for a black tea. It's hard for me to know exactly what to compare it to...it tastes more like a Yunnan black tea than ...
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Fen Huan Dan Cong from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Dancong Oolong – Region: China73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Dec. 25th, 2009
Very complex. This one is much less fruity and floral than the other feng huang dancong I've tried (from Adagio), but it still has a faint suggestion of fruit...the aroma is cooler, and more skunky, woody, and perhaps earthy. Yet there is a similar light, peppery quality in the aroma. This tea also becomes astringen...
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Barnesbeg Estate FTGFOP1 First Flush (DJ-6) from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Darjeeling First Flush – Region: Darjeeling, India80 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 23rd, 2009
This tea has a much greener character, to the point it's barely recognizable as a "black tea", except for some lingering tones in the aftertaste. The cup is a gold color like a darker green tea or lighter oolong. Clean, fresh, a bit mild...I can see what Upton says about the notes of citrus and mint.
Extremely rea...
Thailand Bold Leaf Green Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Green Tea – Region: Thailand80 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 22nd, 2009
Very different from any other green tea I've tried. Spicy aroma, complex...some fruity qualities, but aroma is mostly of spice. Very full-bodied, rich in flavor...tangy and yet without being heavy or too sour. Not very bitter and only a little astringent. I'm not tasting the "maltiness" in the description.
Among...
Organic China Lapsang Souchong from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Lapsang Souchong – Region: China50 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5
Dec. 20th, 2009
It's hard for me to evaluate this tea because I am not much of a fan of Lapsang Souchong...but this is among the smoothest of the ones I've tried so far. Perhaps I'd develop a taste for it if I drank it more often.
Very strong smoky aroma, more like a sausage or fireplace than a tea. Flavor is extremely smooth and...
Lemon Verbena from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Lemon Verbena – Region: ?????70 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Dec. 18th, 2009
Less similar to lemongrass or lemon balm than you would expect from the smell of the dry leaf, which smells almost identical to lemongrass. The brewed tea is mellower, and yet richer, warmer...less fresh tasting, and has an almost bread-like quality in the aroma, sort of yeasty. Sweet and a tiny bit tangy.
The ove...
Young Hyson from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Young Hyson – Region: Sri Lanka / Ceylon67 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 17th, 2009
Lemony, tangy, almost like you added lemongrass or lemon flavoring. This was an interesting departure on one of my favorite types of green tea...it's recognizable as the style, but not in the way I expected. No smokiness, but still fresh tasting, although slightly less crisp. Much less bitter and astringent, and doe...
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Temi Estate TGBOP (SK-10) from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Black Tea – Region: Sikkim, India60 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Dec. 16th, 2009
Mellow, muted, greener in character for a black tea, but bland. Similar to TD06, Upton's broken-leaf Darjeeling blend, but I don't like it as much; it's less floral and the aroma is weaker overall. I recommend steeping 3 minutes or more, otherwise it's too weak. This tea can acquire some astringency, but not as much...
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Orthodox BOP Darjeeling from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Darjeeling Black Tea – Region: Darjeeling, India67 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Dec. 15th, 2009
This is a very mellow tea...aromatic and gentle, somewhat muted. Only a faint suggestion of the fresh herbaceous tones that some Darjeelings have. The aroma is floral and fairly complex, and the cup is light in color and quality, much more like an oolong than a typical black tea. Almost no bitterness, but some astri...
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Kandy BOP from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Kandy, Sri Lanka33 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 1/5 Value: 1/5
Dec. 13th, 2009
This is an insanely strong tea. I find the brewing instructions to be way off...following them it's undrinkable. I tried using about half as much leaf and brewing for 1 minute and it was about right. Steep it any longer and it becomes painfully astringent and also quite bitter.
When brewed briefly and with little...
Green Yerba Maté from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Yerba Maté – Region: Brazil70 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 13th, 2009
Very smooth flavor, yet tobacco-like in aroma, almost to the point of being harsh. The aroma is also reminiscent of wood, earth, and stone. A strange and rather strong sweetness is present, especially in the aftertaste.
I find Upton's recommendations to be off. I prefer to steep only a few minutes, and use less l...
Lemon Grass, Coarse Cut from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Lemongrass – Region: Thailand67 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Dec. 12th, 2009
Tastes...like lemongrass. There's a fair amount of astringency, which I could do without, but the aroma is wonderful and very strong. I've never had straight lemongrass tea before, although I've enjoyed it when it has been an ingredient in other teas, so it's hard to know what to compare this to...but I like it!
T...
Uva Highlands Estate BOP from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Uva, Sri Lanka53 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 1/5 Value: 3/5
Dec. 12th, 2009
Aroma strongly of wintergreen...almost unbelievable that this is just tea...it tastes almost as if wintergreen oil has been added! Outside of the surprising wintergreen aroma, this tea is dark, robust, and very full. Fairly bitter, astringent, and tannic. The rest of the aroma is typical of a Ceylon.
Like the Cey...
Korakundah Estate Organic Fair Trade from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Green Tea – Region: Nilgiri, India60 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Dec. 3rd, 2009
Fascinating, unique. Brews clear green. The aroma is dark and warm, and un-tea-like...it is almost like a good soup, with subtle spices and cooked vegetables.
Following Upton's brewing instructions, the flavor is mellow, smooth, and warm in character, with almost no bitterness...but lacking the crispness I like in ...
Makaibari Estate Long Leaf Green (DJ-456) from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Darjeeling Green Tea – Region: Darjeeling, India97 / 100 Aroma: 10/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Nov. 21st, 2009
I was sad to see this tea removed from Upton's listings, as I enjoyed sampling it. [Update: it seems Upton has added a new lot, and I'm eager to try that one!]
Extremely flavorful and complex, with many different aspects of the aroma: dark, vegetal tones, rich grassy tones similar to a good dragonwell tea, and a hi...
South African Honeybush Superior Organic from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Honeybush – Region: South Africa60 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Nov. 1st, 2009
The dry leaves have a fruitier aroma than the brewed tea, which is almost totally devoid of fruitiness, and is more earthy and slightly spicy. Tones of black pepper in the aroma.
Very full-bodied. Aftertaste is a bit flat. Not terribly complex in the aroma, but still enjoyable. I prefer Adagio's honeybush, which...
China Pu-Erh Leaf from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Pu-erh Tea – Region: Yunnan, China53 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Oct. 20th, 2009
This is not my favorite loose-leaf ripened pu-erh. It's palatable and noticeably better than random ones I've sampled. The aroma is dusty, not terribly rich or complex. Pretty smooth flavor. Enjoyable. I prefer ZH26.
And of course, I really strongly prefer Sheng Pu-erh. I do not think Pu-erh is Upton's strong ...
Pu-erh Loose Jia Ji from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Pu-erh Tea – Region: China47 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 2/5
Oct. 20th, 2009
Perhaps I'm not a "discerning pu-erh enthusiast" but I failed to appreciate this one any more than Upton's basic loose pu-erh, and it's about twice the price. The aroma is somehow lighter and less rich and earthy. It does have a clean aftertaste as described, but it's less intensely aromatic. I prefer ZH26 and altho...
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Organic Pu-Erh from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Pu-erh Tea – Region: China57 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Oct. 20th, 2009
I find this pu-erh to have a richer and warmer earthy aroma as compared to both ZH20 and ZH65. Very smooth but with some nice complexity. While you can make multiple infusions with this tea, later infusions lose some of the complexity...I usually make only one very long infusion.
In the end though? I don't really...
Japanese Ho-ji Cha from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Hojicha – Region: Japan73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Oct. 14th, 2009
A rich roasted aroma, fairly mellow flavor, with only a little bitterness. Exactly what I would expect of this style. Some hints of the freshness of green tea remain. Moderate level of roast. A few mildly objectionable tones in the aroma...hard to describe...like a slight stale quality (even though overall the tea ...
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Special Grade Shou Mei White Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Shou Mei White Tea – Region: China77 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 3/5
Oct. 14th, 2009
Deep reddish brown color, and very clear. More delicate than typical for a Shou Mei, but still fairly rich and full. Very smooth flavor; no bitterness, and a clean, cool aftertaste.
Unlike Upton's other Shou Mei's for which I found the brewing instructions to be right on, this one I like to brew differently. I br...
First Grade Shou Mei White Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Shou Mei White Tea – Region: Fujian, China60 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 4/5
Oct. 14th, 2009
Brownish leaves with some silvery and green mixed in. Light aroma of fall leaves and honey with some vegetal tones. Some astringency and a noticeably unpleasant sourness, although no bitterness.
Of Upton's 3 Shou Mei teas of similar price (see ZW62, ZW23), this is the one I like least. This one is much more simil...
Shou Mei Classic from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Shou Mei White Tea – Region: Fujian, China80 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 5/5
Oct. 14th, 2009
Of Upton three Shou Mei's of similar price, this is my favorite. Leaves greener as Shou Mei goes. Aroma is fresh, clean and vegetal, perhaps even a bit grassy. Very rich aroma; this is the most aromatic of any Shou Mei that I've sampled. Less sweet than most white teas. My only complaint is a fair amount of astrin...
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Season's Pick Shou Mei from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Shou Mei White Tea – Region: Fujian, China73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Oct. 13th, 2009
This is one of the naturally sweetest teas I have ever tried, with an aroma of cinnamon, honey, caramel, and autumn leaves. Rich, warm, and very gentle. Absolutely no bitterness whatsoever...just a hint of astringency in the aftertaste.
This is one of 3 of Upton's Shou Mei teas of very similar price and I want to ...
South African Green Rooibos (Red Bush) Superior from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Green Rooibos – Region: South Africa93 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Oct. 13th, 2009
Green rooibos is one of my all-time favorite herbal teas. Upton's offering is very similar to other sources of this herb, but I find theirs has a slightly greener character, and is among the most reasonably priced, and for both of these reasons, it is my green rooibos of choice. I drink this particular offering from ...
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