Upton Tea Imports

This is another perfect tea in my book. Just deep and dark enough for the morning, but good anytime really. When I opened the bag and sniffed, it was a delightful sensory confusion. Fruitcake? I finally settled on apricot or maybe even ripe persimmon, although it has been so long since I had a persimmon that I can’t be sure of that. There is more, but it is elusive to me. Brewed, it looses the fruitiness and again is hard to describe, I guess cookie is a good description of the flavor. Maybe an old fashioned sugar cookie? I would love to hear other thoughts on this one, the reviews on Upton are as confused as mine. I got 160 grams/5.6 ounces and I was not willing to review this until I ordered it again. So within a week I placed a second order for 320 grams. It is that good.

This was an exceptional cup. Light, fruity, fresh, with some floral overtones. Light yellow liqour. Really pleasant. I may have to buy a tin of this.

Definitely smokey, earthy and yet still light. I’ll have to see if the lightness holds with a second cup and bait more leaves, but I like it very much. Complex but not in a heavy way. Definitely some fresh tobacco notes, mild astringency. Overall, a sound, very pleasant cup of tea. I’d drink this again quite happily.

I definitely felt like having some lapsang tonight.

I initially picked up the Adagio sample I have sitting on my counter, but the leaves smelt of the bag it was in and not all that smoky. Needless to say, it scared me off for the time being. I didn’t feel like testing out something I wasn’t certain about, so I went for this Upton sample instead.

There’s not a lot that I didn’t already say in my (first ever lapsang!) encounter with the Imperial blend. It’s smoky and beautiful and soothing and subtle in ways that keep surprising me. The “BUT” here comes from the Black Dragon blend. We’ll get to that.

This was the second time I used my new glass teapot, so I’m still surprising myself on colours. My mug of choice is the perfect size, but it’s also black. This means I’d been missing out on actually watching the tea steep. And wow, is lapsang ever beautiful to look at. It’s a beautiful rust hue that I found incredibly inviting. Maybe it’s because I was expecting the taste from the way it looked, but I love it anyway.

I’d have to brew the Black Dragon and the Imperial side by side to note differences in smell, but I definitely got the characteristic twang of campfire before and after brewing. Delicious! It’s apparently a smell well-appreciated by my pet rats as well, they couldn’t stop themselves trying to get a taste of my tea. Usually they’re not fussed by what’s in my teapot. I like to think they share my taste in tea.

So, here comes the “BUT”…

Apparently, I like it smokier. The taste is lovely. I can easily find the sweet note that other people have pointed out. I understand why some may call this starter lapsang. BUT. Smoke. I need more.

Still, this certainly hit the spot and it went with my dinner pancakes – mango and banana cooked in obscene amounts of butter – beautifully. I’m rating it a bit lower than Imperial, but still high enough to reflect it’s one of my preferred types of tea.

Oh, notate bene… when the tea has completely cooled, the finish seems a bit sooty. Drink it warm! It’ll taste better!

Wonderful. A pale green liquor. Subtle, fruity, fresh, slightly grassy without any astringency. Soothing, warming, and refreshing. I could drink this all day.

Vry nice iced with a touch of sugar. Honey notes come out nicely.

Very rich, deep cup. Several layers of taste, somewhat sweet, a bit malty, nice ripe fruit undertones (peach? apricot?) I really like this tea.

Iced tea #2 tonight. Very different then the Assam I just had. Very much like the hot version of this tea, only iced. Genius, I know. But the Assam was more different iced than hot. This one keeps its character more stable. I’m upping the rating as well…definitely not as low as I originally rated it.

Lovely tea. The first I’m trying from Upton.

Light burnt umber liquor. Lightly floral, slightly earthy. Very smooth and gently on the palate. A nice, light, balanced black.

Tea of noon…..

I have not had this one by itself for quite some time. I generally blend it in with my Franken-Breakfast Blend. It has such a prominent chocolate note with just a touch of maltiness and smoke. It is not quite to the level of a Keemun in smokiness, but it is close. It is not quite as complex as the more expensive Tan Yangs, but it is well worth the price at under $5 for 125 grams.

Usual mug method.

Feeling a little under the weather. I decided a good basic tea was in order and this is the one I chose. I almost think this is the base tea in the Rose Congou, so it is nice to have that tea without the frill of the rose once in a while. Also, the price on this one is a steal at around $5 for 125 g. I think it resteeps well, too.

Usual parameters.

It really does taste somewhere between a congou and a keemun. Brew is almost reminiscient of the color of coffee. And it makes me happy. Who doesn’t appreciate happiness under $5?

I decided this one needed to be in my cupboard. This is one of those teas that just tastes right, and the price only makes it easier to purchase! Thank you, Upton!

I am revisiting a few of my China black samples to make notes on which to possibly purchase in the future. Refer to other tasting notes as this one is mostly for me…..

I really like this one. It fits the profile of what I would think for a black of this region with cocoa notes, smooth taste, and is enjoyable. Price is about $1 an ounce. Great for brewing once as far as cost goes (I usually try to plan when I drink my more expensive teas, that I will have time for rebrewings.)

Day 3 of SimplyJenW’s China black palate training course, of sorts:
I have about 11 samples, and I am sure it will take longer than 11 days to get through them. I decided to try one of the value teas today.

This one is a steal at under $5 for 125g. I like it so much better than the last two I tried, which I consider to be in the mid to high range for price. Is it possible that there is one area of my life where I am easy to please? Smooth, sweet, cocoa notes, no bitterness, and inexpensive. This one tastes like Upton’s Rose Congou without the rose. It is a little sweeter than Harney’s Panyang Congou, and more in line with the taste of Fujian Baroque from Adagio. The leaves are longer and thinner than the Harney’s and they are longer, thinner, and drier looking than the Adagio. I could definitely see myself purchasing this one once the collection of blacks diminishes a little….Or maybe just the next time I order from Upton!

Third cup of the day…..

I did pick up a sample of this one for comparison. I have not had it in my cupboard for over a year and wanted to have a more accurate view of this than just my memory. The memory is starting to go, you know. Also, sometimes experiencing tea has everything to do with your mood and surroundings at the time. If I were going from memory, the taste was just a little different than I am experiencing today. I won’t add those memories in, just because it would confuse the issue. This time around it is good, but just that. Cocoa notes are lighter than the others, and it is slightly smokier than all that I have recently tried. It is less sweet than the ZK67. In comparison to the Harney, it does have a similar light earthiness, but definitely less complex and rich, and the mouthfeel is thinner. I do get a similar astringency to the ZK91. Leaves are comparable to the ZK91 and ZK67, but they seem a little shorter. Overall, it is a smooth and wonderful tea, but I am spoiled by others. I am sure if I had not tasted the others, I would have been happy with this. Sometimes, too many choices is a bad thing. I am not sorry that I tried it again as it is the best value in a Keemun Mao Feng that I have tried.

Usual Mug method.

Tea on the go this afternoon…..

I think I might have used more tea than normal this time as I switched my infuser all ready to go from my teapot to my travel mug…. What resulted was a very rich cup! Yum. For later notes to self…..If your Keemun Mao Feng seems light, add a little more leaf!

Afternoon pick me up. Check my other notes on this one if you are interested. I was glad I did a price comparison…because I now see this one has gone up in price just a little.

YUM! 5 minute steep. So rich tasting!

Tea of the afernoon….. I missed Keemun Mao Feng when I was on vacation! I am still undecided if I need two of these in larger than sample amounts in my cupboard. I love this one for value, but the other is my favorite. I think I will be going with the favorite after this one is gone. And I am sure to sample a few more just for fun.

I think I did oversteep this one (alas, the distractions of life!), but surprisingly, all that happened was a smokier, fuller flavor.

My tea of the morning.

I am now down to half a mug of coffee in the morning. My Hubby likes to gradually work on eliminating coffee in the summertime. A hot drink loses its appeal for him in hot weather. I have not really noticed that for me this year…I still prefer my tea hot. We are even contemplating giving up the coffee altogether as my beverage of choice is now consumed by tea. (His beverage of choice is beer, but I have a feeling that would not be good for morning consumption!) I guess we will have to see what happens in the Fall. A single cup coffee maker is starting to sound like a good idea!

Anyway, this is not the best Keemun Mao Feng in my cupboard, but it is good. It falls under a mid range for price, which makes it a good budget choice for me. It has all of the attributesof a good Keemun…slightly smokey, cocoa notes, roasty, and is a very good tea. 24 oz pot, 3 level perfect teaspoons (or 4 1/2 actual tsp.), freshly boiled water, 5 minute first steep. Second steep coming up for 7 minutes.

I am getting a variable electric kettle for my birthday (and an early tin of Harney’s Wild Wuyi) next month! So excited!

My morning tea… I have tons to do this morning, and I needed something to put me in the mood for getting things done. It is definitely working, but I think I need at least another cup to be sure….. ;)

My morning tea. Yes, I am a big fan of Keemun Mao Feng. This one is perhaps not my favorite, but it is still quite good, and well worth the price! If there ever was a bargain KMF, this is it!

My morning tea of yesterday. Very good. Now that I am not drinking it in a side by side, I do think I could probably live with just this one! Resteap at 6 minutes is as good as the first. I must love this, because once my cup is empty, I stare at the bottom and always wish there was more…..

A Tale of Two Keemuns…..of the Mao Feng Variety

So this is kind of my last stop for now on my tour of China black teas. Cup #12. This one was an add on, since I absolutely loved Harney’s Keemun Mao Feng, I added a 100 gram size of this onto my Upton order for Imperial Golden Monkey. One day, I will have to pick up a few Yunans and a few more Keemuns to round it all out. This is a Keemun Mao Feng comparison between Upton and Harney….

I decided to do a side by side prep of these two, just to see the differences. The dry leaf looks very similar, and the Upton smells a little sweeter dry. However, things change slightly when steeped. Both were steeped for 4 minutes with freshly boiled water from the same kettle. Both are very, very good. I would say the taste is similar except that the Upton is ever so slightly smokier. The mouth feel of the Harney is slightly thicker. If I had not tasted them side by side, I am not sure I would have noticed the subtle differences.

For taste, I do think I slightly prefer the Harney, but for value, Upton wins. The Harney & Son’s Keemun Mao Feng is $24 for 4 oz., and the Upton comes in at a great bargain of $8.20 for 100 grams (3.5 oz.) Even if I added in shipping from Upton, the cost is just a little over half of the other. Here is another case where I am not so sure the extra cost is totally worth it for the one I slightly prefer of the two. However, I am so glad I have them both in my cupboard. I do love Keemun Mao Feng!

Cup #11…..

This one is really very good. It is in line with the usual profile of a Fujian black…..cocoa notes, smooth, and I do get a little of the berry note they suggested was in this. I did sweeten, and maybe that helped. I think this one could easily replace a slightly more expensive Fujian black in my cupboard that is $7 for 3 oz. ($2.33/oz). This one is a little cheaper at $7.40 for 4.4 oz. (125g total and $1.68/oz) and is what I consider to be in the low range. A great value tea in my book. Also, a bonus that it is organic.