Reviews of Teas & Herbal Teas from Upton Tea Imports
Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 of 7 pages with 173 results
Formosa Pouchong from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Pouchong Tea – Region: Taiwan / Formosa83 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Jan. 4th, 2012
I really like pouchong / bao zhong tea, which is an extremely green oolong, sometimes described as a green tea. A while back, I had requested that Upton Tea Imports add a lower-priced Pouchong to their catalogue, and I was pleased to see that they added this tea. Upon trying it, I am really impressed: it is one of th...
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Golden Garden Estate FBOPF Ex. Spl. from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Sri Lanka / Ceylon73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jan. 2nd, 2012
Another very good black tea from Upton Tea Imports, above-average for Upton's Ceylons, which I tend to like less than their Indian black teas. Middle-of-the-road black tea character, but very well-executed.
This tea is broken into small, wiry pieces of already small leaf, which unfurl upon brewing. Brewed as instr...
Woo-jeon Korean Green Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Green Tea – Region: South Korea77 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 2/5
Dec. 26th, 2011
This tea struck me as having a very typical green tea profile, but being very good, and in an intense sort of way. It is intense more than it is strong.
The dry leaf is wiry, very dark green, and consisting of small leaves. Its aroma is strong and suggests a savory quality. The dry leaf smells rather strongly, a ...
Dae-Jak Korean Green Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Green Tea – Region: South Korea73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Dec. 1st, 2011
This is the first Korean-grown tea I've ever sampled, and I liked it a lot. It is a broken-leaf tea with a rather uninteresting-looking dry leaf that becomes pleasantly delicate-looking after it is brewed.
I found this tea hard to describe. It brews a clear greenish cup with small flecks of tea leaf. The aroma is...
Kenilworth Estate OP from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Ceylon Black Tea – Region: Kandy, Sri Lanka73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Nov. 27th, 2011
A classic Ceylon. Aroma of the dry leaf is fruity, but this doesn't come through in the brewed cup.
Brews a dark but surprisingly clear cup. Earthy, with savory qualities. Aroma suggests potato and wintergreen, a hint of malt and cocoa. Astringent finish. Not the smoothest tea, and particularly, with more astri...
Yunnan Silvertip Green Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Green Tea – Region: Yunnan, China24 / 100 Aroma: 3/10 Flavor: 1/5 Value: 1/5
Nov. 1st, 2011
Something tasted very off about this tea. Dry leaf has a very strong aroma of camphor, to the point that it's unpleasant.
My friend Evan and I tried gong fu brewing with this tea and the results were poor. The camphor quality dominated, and, while the tea was certainly somewhat interesting, it wasn't among the mos...
Green Mao Feng Imperial from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Mao Feng Green Tea – Region: China73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Sep. 8th, 2011
The dry leaf has an intense fragrance that is more food-like than tea-like, and suggests a savory dish, but also suggests sweetness.
Upon brewing this tea, however, it is less savory than the aroma suggests: mild, sweet, mellow. Surprisingly dark color, a brownish amber, but very clear. Slightly vegetal. Subdued,...
Ding Gu Da Fang Organic from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Green Tea – Region: China83 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Sep. 8th, 2011
Dry leaf has an interesting aroma, almost like overripe fruit.
Brewed cup is a deep, dark color for a green tea, and has a savory quality and a full body. Very full-flavored, but milder aroma, which is somewhat neutral, with a weak fruity and floral quality.
Almost minty finish. I also detect tones of ginger. ...
Daisajan Estate GBOP(S) from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Assam – Region: Tinsukia, Assam, India43 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 2/5
Aug. 14th, 2011
The dry leaf had an appealing smell, but this tea failed to impress me.
Flavor is rather savory, quite sour, and barely bitter at all. I prefer bitter to sour flavors in my tea. Aroma is muddled: slightly smoky, slightly malty, slightly herbaceous. Slightly peppery like some Yunnan teas and with some vegetal qual...
Organic Green Lu'An Melon Seed from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Lu An Melon Seed – Region: Anhui, China83 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 4/5
Aug. 9th, 2011
Aroma is predominantly grassy, more grassy than any other green tea--drinking it conjures up images of being out in my yard, digging around in the grass. There are some interesting floral tones. Flavor is rather muted; most teas with similar aromas are a bit more sour, astringent, and brisk, but this tea mainly leave...
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TM82: Himalayan TGFOP1 from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Black Tea – Region: Himalayas73 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Aug. 4th, 2011
I ordered this after Upton discontinued one of my favorite teas, the Himalayan BOP (TM20). I was expecting this tea to be similar to that one, but overall, it had less of the qualities that I liked in that tea, and was considerably more expensive (still a good value but not a steal the way that one was), so I am disap...
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Iyerpadi Estate FBOP Green Organic from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Green Tea – Region: Nilgiri, India57 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5
Aug. 2nd, 2011
My first Nilgiri green tea.
This was an interesting tea, but it was weaker in aroma than I would have liked. Tangy flavor, with tones of lemon or lime in the aroma. A hint of grassy tones, and cooked vegetable aromas as well, like asparagus. Almost a hint of vanilla in the aroma. Very much unlike Chinese or Japa...
Sichuan Zao Bei Jian from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Zao Bei Jian – Region: Sichuan, China77 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5
Jul. 30th, 2011
My first tea from Sichuan.
Surprisingly strong aroma like concord grapes, very different from the lighter muscatel aroma of Darjeeling or Bai Hao oolong. Smoky and woody tones in the aroma. Smooth, with a slightly dusty finish, and a hint of some floral nuances.
A very interesting tea and a very smooth tea. Fu...
Choicest Hairpoint Organic from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Green Tea – Region: China63 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 3/5
Jul. 29th, 2011
The aroma of this tea is weak, even when I use more leaf than recommended, or a longer steeping time. I've experimented a bit with brewing and it always comes out weak for me. The tea has a strong savory flavor but is rather thin too.
Aroma is odd. Fairly strongly peppery, but with little complexity. Although th...
Mboma Estate BOP from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Black Tea – Region: Malawi77 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Jul. 13th, 2011
Muted aroma, but upon drinking it becomes more interesting. Both strongly bitter and moderately sweet. Suggestions of anise, cinnamon, rice. Upton's description is accurate: you can brew this quite strongly without it becoming unpleasantly bitter.
Very complex for such a finely-broken tea. Don't be deceived by t...
Koilamari Estate GFBOP from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Assam – Region: Lakhimpur, Assam, India73 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 29th, 2011
The dry leaf has a very strong, sweet, and deep fruity aroma, like candied fruit.
When I brewed the cup, for only 3 minutes, the initial aroma was among the most powerful of any Assam I have tried. This tea is strong, with an edge and a good amount of bitterness, but it is also somewhat light. Tastes more high-gro...
Season's Pick Bulwa Estate PF1 from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Black Tea – Region: Tanzania67 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 24th, 2011
Very fine fannings; dry leaf has little aroma.
Upton recommends 1-3 minutes, I prefer steeping only 30-45 seconds, and using a bit more leaf than recommended, as it brings out the interesting qualities of the aroma while keeping the tea smoother and milder.
Brewing like this produces a very smooth and clean tea. ...
Thurbo Estate TGBOP Cl/Tip First Flush (DJ-25) from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Darjeeling First Flush – Region: Darjeeling, India67 / 100 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 21st, 2011
This was an interesting tea right from the first sip. Although there are some of the typical aromas characteristic of Darjeeling first flush, the overall character is somewhat different from any other teas I have had before.
Greener character, and aroma is more like Indian green teas than black teas: herbaceous ton...
Iddalgashinna Estate OP Green Organic from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Green Tea – Region: Uva, Sri Lanka27 / 100 Aroma: 2/10 Flavor: 1/5 Value: 1/5
Jun. 16th, 2011
I tend to love Ceylon green teas from Upton. This one, however, was strange. There were some dusty tones that I normally only encounter in shu Pu-erh. Highly vegetal, and not in a pleasant way. Almost undrinkable hot. I let it cool to room temperature and some fruity tones, reminiscent of yellow raisins, which I f...
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Sessa 'B' Estate STGFOP1(S) from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Assam – Region: Dibrugarh, Assam, India53 / 100 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 14th, 2011
This is a whole-leaf tea but I was less impressed with it relative to other broken-leaf teas I have tried lately.
Brewed as instructed, this is a strong Assam with a classic flavor profile, malty, tannic, slightly savory. I find Upton's description made me expect a smoother tea than this is.
Some Assams have the...
China Dao Ren Special Organic Green from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Green Tea – Region: China83 / 100 Aroma: 8/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Jun. 13th, 2011
I greatly enjoyed this tea. Brewed as instructed, this tea produces a rich, strongly aromatic cup.
Interesting and quite different from other Chinese green teas I have tried. At first I thought it a bit odd: while this is a very intensely aromatic and flavorful tea, the flavor and aroma are both oddly muted; it's ...
Hubei Province Keemun Ji Hong from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Keemun – Region: Hubei, China70 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 5/5
Jun. 12th, 2011
The second Hubei Keemun I've tried, and it is immediately recognizable as a Hubei Keemun: the same aroma of chicken soup, the earthy and fruity Keemun tones weaker and taking a back burner, and a slight usually edginess not present in Anhui Keemuns.
Flavor is overall very sweet, there are even some tones of honey in...
Wild Forest Holy Basil Organic from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Vana Tulsi – Region: India80 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 5/5 Value: 5/5
Jun. 7th, 2011
Aroma mostly of licorice, but more complex, herbaceous, and spicy. Very summery aroma; this smells much more like familiar sweet basil and less like holy basil, which makes sense, as Vana tulsi is the same species as sweet basil, and a different one from the Rama and Krishna Holy basil, which I have tried (and drink r...
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Kaimosi Estate TGFOP1 from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Black Tea – Region: Kenya70 / 100 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 2nd, 2011
The dry leaf of this tea is straight and thin, giving it a twiggy appearance; it has a light, fruity aroma.
Brewed, this tea is slightly Keemun-like, but with less of the earthy qualities, and a much stronger flavor. It also has some honey-like qualities reminiscent of some greener oolongs, which are hard to notice...
Kenya Milima Estate FBOP1 from Upton Tea Imports
Style: Black Tea – Region: Kericho, Kenya60 / 100 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5
Jun. 1st, 2011
A mild, smooth tea that I prefer steeping for a longer time (around 5 minutes). Aroma is hard to describe, and I am not crazy about it, it has a sort of muted creaminess, but not in a light way. There's a notable absence of most of the tones that characterize black tea, inculding ones from Kenya. The flavor is very ...
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