Upton Tea Imports

Thank you mrawlins2 for sharing this awesome tea with me. Smooth earl grey, throw in a little chocolate (couldn’t hurt) and tada the perfect EG for me:) Wonderful choice to close out this busy day:)

Mrawlins2 gave me a sampling of this tea and I am soooo glad she did. The chocolate mellows out the tea and creates a soothing cup of earl grey. I have been looking for a cream earl grey, this may be just the thing I was looking for! Chocolate, who knew?Astringency is low and that is how I prefer my teas. It also seemed to have a spiciness to it that made me want to go back for another infusion:)

This was my first African tea, so I had no idea what to expect. It came out a beautiful red color. The scent is invigorating and definitely unique – hints of woodiness with apple and cherry notes. It is incredibly astringent, so by the time I’m done drinking this my tongue will be bone dry. It’s hard then, to pick up more subtle flavors when the astringency really kicks in. At first I actually did notice the reference to apple. The malty flavor still stands up to the bite of astringency. This tea is definitely different, perhaps a cross between a Ceylon and an Assam.

Very good, and the Upton description is very accurate – "strong, bracing and malty….smooth for such a stout cup. Really enjoyed this one.

This package of tea has been hiding from me. I came across it the other day, and to my surprise I ordered it a year ago. It was still sealed, and its amazing flavor is still intact. Sadly, though, it appears that this tea is no longer available.

A lovely yellow tea. Sweet apple-y notes. Crisp yet mellow. Ahh… my precious yellow tea. How I love thee.

I can’t think of a better way to cool down after drinking so much black tea today. Peppermint is nearly my favorite thing to drink (the only other beverage that rivals it is water!). That said, the best peppermint is the freshest peppermint you can find (much of the flavor and health benefits are found in the highly aromatic volatile oils). This is my first cup from the peppermint I just got today. I’ve finally finished off peppermint I had ordered from Adagio in September and the freshness is just the world of difference. I love how it just cools my throat and literally opens up my nasal passages so I can further smother myself in the intoxicating scent.

Enthusiasm and worship of peppermint aside, Upton’s peppermint is clean tasting, sharp, and with no hints of muddiness or earthiness sometimes found in peppermint. Seriously, why did I just brew 6 oz. of this? I need to brew an entire pot. Drinking peppermint is possibly one of the most enjoyable and pleasurable experiences alive. The smiley face rating doesn’t go up high enough. Yeah, I’m so weird :)

My first impressions: a bright orange color with a fruity and oddly nostalgic scent. I couldn’t stop sticking my nose in the bag. The smell was just that good. Well, fortunately it looked and smelled just as great as it tasted. Slightly bitter, full bodied, and with a fruity, honey-like sweetness. I feel like I’m not appreciating this tea enough by almost chugging it! Mmmmm!! Next time I’m going to cut back on the steeping time to see if I can slash some of that bitterness, though.

The tea smells slightly peppery with hints of cocoa. I can’t say I taste or smell the fruity nuances as other reviewers and Upton Tea’s description implies. Call me crazy, however, because I do pick up a faint taste of caramel. It is very smooth and has a light touch of astringency. It is rather light bodied, though, and really fails to blow me away. It’s enjoyable, but I most likely won’t be ordering this one again.

The first tea I’m trying from the 47 samples I just ordered from Upton Tea… yeah, I know I went a bit crazy ordering!

The tea brews a beautiful amber color with a sweet, yet subtle earthy scent. It is incredibly smooth with a full bodied taste. It possesses an ending dry note that lingers in your mouth until it slowly turns into an airy sweetness.

The first tea I’ve had from my plethora of samples… this is definitely setting a high standard for the others!

Tea of the morning! I am up way earlier than usual for a Sunday morning due to sinus issues so I figured caffeine was in order. This is pretty good today, as usual, but I really think I was craving some more green tea with honey as that seems to make me feel better. Oh well, there is always time for more tea!

Yum! Perfectly strong, malty and smooth – made with a tiny bit of honey and milk. Love this in the morning!

I’m desperately hoping for an extreme caffeine kick from this tea. I have homework and tons of laundry to do – not to mention basic housework – and all I want to do is crawl back in bed for several hours. I think this tea is a good example of an East Frisian blend – bold and smooth with little to no astringency. Of course, this blend is made for milk and sugar so that may help with any bitterness. This is a good one though – very comforting.

Starting my day with this rich, malty tea! It is pretty pleasant, but I’m craving something a bit fruity right now so it isn’t really satisfying. I am liking the caffeine kick though.

I had almost forgot that this caffeine-filled beauty was still in my cupboard. This doesn’t disappoint! Very malty with a hint of caramel – I think I prefer it with a hint of honey and a splash of milk rather than plain. I’m desperately hoping this tea gives me the kick I need to not only get my house in order but to get some homework done before my long weekend comes to an end.

I woke up earlier than my alarm this morning which is a rare occurrence for me! In an attempt to just go ahead and wake up, I decided a bit of caffeine via the East Frisian Blend was in order. Each time I have this tea, I am reminded why I like it in the first place. This tea has a rich, malty, and smooth base with notes of burnt caramel. It is robust, but not bitter. Slightly astringent but not overly so. Yes, this tea was a great choice for this early morning.

Somehow this tea manages to be strong and malty while not venturing into bitter. I absolutely adore this tea with milk and sugar (particularly vanilla almond milk!) I really may have to break out an Earl Grey next – it doesn’t feel quite right to NOT drink an Earl Grey while watching this Star Trek marathon!

This is a great morning tea today with just a bit of milk and no sugar. It is earthy, a bit malty, and delicious! I wasn’t sure that omitting the sugar would work out but it did beautifully.

Strong and tasty this morning…or rather afternoon… Either way, a great way to start a Monday!

This is an awesomely bold and malty tea! The perfect thing to help me get going today – but perhaps I’ll have just one more cup first…

This is a nice, strong and malty breakfast tea. Another goodie from Upton! I’m quite enjoying this while watching a bit of TV this morning.

Dry leaves have a strong flavor but somehow it does not translate into the steeped tea in any meaningful way. Rather bland for my tastebuds – and this is coming from a Ceylon fan.

No other tea would do while watching a marathon of Star Trek Enterprise!

A big, steaming mug of Chocolate Earl Grey really starts my day off right! It was delish with my breakfast of peanut butter and banana toast, but I’m also really digging it by itself now that breakfast is over. I love that this variation on Earl Grey still retains the identity of being an Earl.

I left this to steep way too long and it is a very forgiving tea! I’m getting a little bit more of a lemon flavor today backed by smooth chocolate. This is really a great and unique tea!