Tea: Formosa Special White Tea
A White Tea from Upton Tea Imports
This tea has been retired/discontinued.
| Brand: | Upton Tea Imports |
| Style: | White Tea |
| Region: | Taiwan / Formosa |
| Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
| Loose? | Loose |
| # Ratings: | 1 View All |
Reviewer: Alex Zorach
✓ 1453 teas reviewed
✓ 60 of White Tea
✓ 954 of Pure Tea (Camellia sinensis)
✓ 173 of Upton Tea Imports
✓ 75 from Taiwan / Formosa
Review of Formosa Special White Tea
January 27th, 2010
| Aroma | Flavor | Value | Total |
| 4 of 10 | 3 of 5 | 2 of 5 | 47 of 100 |
| Mediocre | Fair | Overpriced |
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 are a few grassy tones in the aroma, but they quickly vanish into a light sweetness. Like Taiwanese Pouchongs, this tea has a honey-like quality, but also a bit of a fishy aroma as well.
I would say this tea is subtle and mellow, but complex. But it's light, bordering on weak, and there are enough unpleasant aspects to the aroma to keep me from enjoying it.
I experimented a good deal with the brewing of this one. I prefer steeping much longer than recommended, and using more leaf. Steeping too long, however, brings out the fishy quality. The way I finally settled on brewing this tea came out to a cost of $1 per cup. At such a high price, this tea would be competing with some of the best of the best teas. I can't say I was surprised or disappointed when I saw Upton had discontinued it.
