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Alex Zorach

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Member since Sep. 1st, 2009. Reviewed 1448 teas.

Reviews of Teas & Herbal Teas from Upton Tea Imports

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Picture of Formosa Special White Tea

Formosa Special White Tea from Upton Tea Imports

Style: White Tea – Region: Taiwan / Formosa

47 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 2/5
Jan. 27th, 2010

I found this tea disappointing, especially for its price, which makes it interesting for me to see that it has been dropped from Upton's carryings.

The aroma of this tea reminds me of a green tea. The cup has a clean and crisp quality, like a good Japanese sencha, but without much bitterness or sharpness. There ar...

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Picture of Japanese Supersencha Kamakura

Japanese Supersencha Kamakura from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Sencha – Region: Kanagawa, Japan

83 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Jan. 26th, 2010

This one surprised me; Upton threw it in as a free sample. I probably would have not bought it on my own because of the price, but now that I've tried it I think it offers pretty good value, although it is still expensive.

When brewed, this tea is opaque, less so than matcha but more so than most other sencha that ...

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Picture of Lapacho (Pao d'archo) Bold Leaf

Lapacho (Pao d'archo) Bold Leaf from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Lapacho / Taheebo (Pao d'Arco) – Region: Brazil

57 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Jan. 21st, 2010

Mild, woody aroma, with a hint of wintergreen. The smell reminds me of the inside of some people's homes...it's a homey, comfortable, familiar sort of smell, but slightly medicinal. This tea is slightly sweet, and very mellow.

After drinking two cups (the sample only really makes three) I'm still not sure how I fe...

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Picture of Holy Basil Green Leaf

Holy Basil Green Leaf from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Tulsi / Holy Basil – Region: India

70 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jan. 13th, 2010

Very different from the purple-leaf variety, which I like better.

This has a very strong metallic character in the taste, and the aroma suggests a metallic character too. The aroma is more similar to the purple variety, perhaps less of a cinnamon character and more clove.

I've also tried the green-leafed Tulsi f...

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Picture of Java Green Gunpowder

Java Green Gunpowder from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Gunpowder Green Tea – Region: Indonesia

60 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Jan. 11th, 2010

My first Indonesian tea sampled, and I was a bit disappointed, even though I like this style of tea.

This tea is considerably less smoky than most Chinese gunpowder teas I've had...only a moderate amount of smoke. It has a cool quality to the aroma, and a tangy flavor with some bitterness. More similar in all resp...

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Picture of Castleton Estate TGBOP Ch. First Flush (DJ-25)

Castleton Estate TGBOP Ch. First Flush (DJ-25) from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Darjeeling First Flush – Region: Darjeeling, India

77 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Jan. 8th, 2010

Very green character, even more than typical for a first-flush, both in the appearance of the leaves and the aroma. The cup is a deep amber color. The aroma is light and mostly floral, almost reminiscent of queen Anne's lace blossoms. On my second brewing I did detect a faint suggestion of spearmint in the aroma, an...

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Picture of Dimbula BOP

Dimbula BOP from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Matale, Sri Lanka (Dimbula)

37 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 1/5
Jan. 7th, 2010

In contrast to Upton's broken-leaf teas from Darjeeling and other Himalayan regions, I am continuously disappointed by Upton's broken-leaf Ceylons, and this one continues the pattern.

Brewed as recommended, this tea is undrinkably strong. I recommend using less leaf and a much shorter steeping time. Even then, it'...

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Picture of Steinthal Estate TGBOP First Flush (DJ-25) Organic

Steinthal Estate TGBOP First Flush (DJ-25) Organic from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Darjeeling First Flush – Region: Darjeeling, India

63 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 3/5
Jan. 5th, 2010

Disappointing for a first flush and even among broken-leaf Darjeelings. There's a heaviness to the flavor, even though it is smooth. I'm detecting neither the "fresh floral note" nor the "hint of citrus".

I'm not sure what to recommend with the brewing; if you go longer this tea becomes heavy, although not too bit...

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Picture of Vietnam Green Sencha

Vietnam Green Sencha from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Sencha – Region: Vietnam

80 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Jan. 2nd, 2010

I would not recognize this tea as sencha from either the appearance of the leaves or the aroma of the dried leaf or brewed cup. There's only a faint suggestion of the characteristic sencha aroma, barely emerging and then vanishing.

The aroma is vegetal, but less seaweedy than sencha, and more savory. Tastes more s...

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Picture of Holy Basil Purple Leaf

Holy Basil Purple Leaf from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Tulsi / Holy Basil – Region: India

97 / 100 Aroma: 9/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Dec. 27th, 2009

I had not tried tulsi (except possibly unknowingly as a seasoning) when I sampled this, and I fell in love after the first sip. The aroma is hard to describe, but very complex...I especially notice the anise and cinnamon, but I am usually not the biggest fan of these aromas, and I loved this tea. This is a very rich,...

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Picture of Malaika Estate OP

Malaika Estate OP from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Black Tea – Region: Kenya

83 / 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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Picture of Fen Huan Dan Cong

Fen Huan Dan Cong from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Dancong Oolong – Region: China

73 / 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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Picture of Barnesbeg Estate FTGFOP1 First Flush (DJ-6)

Barnesbeg Estate FTGFOP1 First Flush (DJ-6) from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Darjeeling First Flush – Region: Darjeeling, India

80 / 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...

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Picture of Thailand Bold Leaf Green Tea

Thailand Bold Leaf Green Tea from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Green Tea – Region: Thailand

80 / 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...

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Picture of Organic China Lapsang Souchong

Organic China Lapsang Souchong from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Lapsang Souchong – Region: China

50 / 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...

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Picture of Lemon Verbena

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...

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Picture of Young Hyson

Young Hyson from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Young Hyson – Region: Sri Lanka / Ceylon

67 / 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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Picture of Temi Estate TGBOP (SK-10)

Temi Estate TGBOP (SK-10) from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Black Tea – Region: Sikkim, India

60 / 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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Picture of Orthodox BOP Darjeeling

Orthodox BOP Darjeeling from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Darjeeling Black Tea – Region: Darjeeling, India

67 / 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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Picture of Kandy BOP

Kandy BOP from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Kandy, Sri Lanka

33 / 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...

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Picture of Green Yerba Maté

Green Yerba Maté from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Yerba Maté – Region: Brazil

70 / 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...

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Picture of Lemon Grass, Coarse Cut

Lemon Grass, Coarse Cut from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Lemongrass – Region: Thailand

67 / 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...

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Picture of Uva Highlands Estate BOP

Uva Highlands Estate BOP from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Uva, Sri Lanka

53 / 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...

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Picture of Korakundah Estate Organic Fair Trade

Korakundah Estate Organic Fair Trade from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Green Tea – Region: Nilgiri, India

60 / 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 ...

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Picture of Makaibari Estate Long Leaf Green (DJ-456)

Makaibari Estate Long Leaf Green (DJ-456) from Upton Tea Imports

Style: Darjeeling Green Tea – Region: Darjeeling, India

97 / 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...

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