Upton Tea Imports

I brewed this according to package directions, and it is delicious! It’s a less oxidized oolong, but still has good body to the flavor. It has a bit of a buttery texture, and a lovely light green color. I’ve gotten three steeps out of these leaves with no diminished taste, though I did increase the steeping time to 2:30 for the third steep. Since I got this in a sampler, I will definitely be buying more once my sample is gone.

Backlog:

A really nice Magnolia oolong. Delicately soft, sweet, and pleasantly floral.

The sweetness reminds me of nectar. The floral notes develop as I sip, and there are notes of fruit in there too, something between apple and melon. Nice.

Subsequent infusions became more flavorful, the floral tones became sharper and more focused. Notes of grapefruit are tasted … the sweeter notes of grapefruit, not so much the tart or bitter of grapefruit.

Overall, a really pleasant Oolong.

I have been binging on Terraria the last day and a half, after multiple tries I finally beat the Wall of Flesh (for those not in the know, yes it is as creepy as it sounds) and unlocked Hardmode. I have then, of course, spent the intervening time dying nigh constantly. The frustrations of a gamer’s life are endless as the hoards of monsters trying to eat me. Since it is bitterly cold in the Midwest at the moment, I am pulling a very springtime tea out of the annals of my notebook to review today.

Pre-Chingming Top Pai Mu Tan by Upton Tea Imports is a special tea, Pre-Chingming means it was harvested before the festival of Chingming (usually celebrated the first week of April) one of a few holidays in the Chinese calender for honoring one’s ancestors. It is famous in tea culture for producing more subtle aromas and flavors than teas picked later in the year. I should mention that the designation of Pre-Chingming was originally applied to green teas, specifically Lung Ching and Bi Luo Chun. This tea has a mild and vaguely spicy aroma, like pepper and sage. There is also the aroma of dried oak leaves and a hint of paper. The aroma is very mild and fresh.

Once the leaves have been steeped they become sweet and fresh, like new growth and not at all like dried leaves. There is still a hint of pepper, but now it is more like the aroma of a peppery lettuce instead of the spice. The liquid sans leaves however has very little aroma, there is a faint sweetness and that is all.

The taste surprised me a bit, it is fruity, starting off tart and fading to honeydew melon. I was not necessarily happy about the melon notes, I do not like melon at all. The midtaste is sweet vegetal like a delicate note of artichoke and fresh leaves, the tea finished with a peppery note and leaves a gentle, sweet, aftertaste. This tea is very subtle and mild, I probably would have loved it if not for the melon taste. This is another of those teas that I can say ’it’s not you it’s me’ to it and recommend it but with the caveat that I was not a fan.

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/01/upton-tea-imports-pre-chingming-top-pai.html

Wow. This is my first Upton tea that I’m really, really enjoying… and I almost sent it off to someone without trying it!

Strongly scented of bergamot, as most EGs are, just out of the bag. Steeped it smells more chocolatey than anything. The taste is quite luxurious… creamy, chocolate with a hint of bergamot in there only slightly, and even after some Truvia was added. Added to shopping list!

The aroma is reminiscent of Luden’s cherry cough drops. The cherry doesn’t carryover too strongly to the taste. Light and refreshing.

I brewed this with boiling water for 3 minutes and then cooled it in the refrigerator. This is a very softly spiced black tea with no astringency or bitterness. It is really smooth. I taste cardamom. I’m not sure I would have picked out the cinnamon if I didn’t know it was there. The chocolate makes the whole tea meld together and taste super smooth without actually tasting very much like chocolate. It’s more of a suggestion of chocolate, a lingering in the aftertaste. The taste reminds of baked goods. It is quite yummy!

A little too strong for me plain, but tasty with a splash of milk.

First off, let me state that I’ve never brewed this tea western-style. But simmered in milk it is pretty good. I’m still playing with the proportions, but I’ve had some good cups so far. I’m trying to get to that intense tea-spice-milk balance they achieve in my local Indian restaurant but I’m not quite there yet.

I started with 8 ounces of 2% milk in a pan on the stove, brought it to just under a simmer and held it there, then added the tea and some Splenda and stirred it continuously. I tried 4 grams of tea and 5 minutes and although it was fairly rich and tasty it was just a little weak. I then tried 6 grams and 8 minutes and it was much better but not quite what I was shooting for yet. The tea flavor was there this time but I wanted the spices to be a bit more prominent.

I’m going to try the Upton Chai Spice Tea next. It has more cloves and may be closer to what I want. Upton was very generous with the Chai samples over the holidays this year. I received seven 15 gram samples of various blends in just 3 orders!

Tried a cup of this before sending off the rest to an Earl Grey -loving Steepster. I’ve sent this out to someone else already as well, I’m just blanking out as to who.

Plain, I found it a bit harsh, smoky and dry. Sweetened with a bit of Truvia, it perks up considerably. The bergamot presents more fully, the smokiness is still there, and the dryness is still present. While I’m far from an earl grey aficionado, I’d say this is a pretty solid blend.

I drink this LS, and I’ve been drinking LS for many years. I would appreciate it if someone who considers this a “starter” Lapsang with mild smokiness, would suggest a different Lapsong Souchong to try. I find this one quite smoky, and I have tried many others. Thus I am very interested in suggestions since I like ‘smoky’ Lapsongs. By the way I know quite a few Londoners who drink LS with milk. I’ve tried it and it is quite good.

VERY nice hearty cup of tea, pleasant finish, no bitter aftertaste, very good with milk / creamer / sugar. Well-rounded Assam, smooth tones.

Backlog:

A really good Shou Mei. Calming and relaxing with soft, sweet, vegetative notes. Warm and nutty, yes I get the walnut notes from this. Very little astringency. A whisper of sweetness remains on the palate in the aftertaste.

The flavor of this tea is dominated by the Keemun. It’s basically Keemun with a little extra tannin for good measure. I’m not in a hurry to order this again, as much as I do like Keemun.

I enjoyed this one a while back. It is just about the maltiest tea I have ever had. Other Assams might be stronger in various ways, but for pure malt flavor, this is the one. Good black as a coffee replacement or the traditional Friesian way with cream and rock sugar.

Meh. Had this again, thinking I had yet to drink it. Shared a lot with various folks for the holidays as well as in swaps, and kinda wish I hadn’t. I really thought I’d checked this one first, and made sure it had a high rating from fellow Steepsterites… nope. Why did I order a huge bag of it, then?

Anyway. I’m just getting dark, bitter cocoa here. I’m sure it’s okay if sweetened, however I just had time to brew it before diving into gift wrapping.

A dominant clove flavor, with cinnamon and cardamon not far behind. I was worried this was going to be more chai-like with the cardamon in there, but instead it’s a very mild, slightly calming blend.

There’s definitely the smoothness and very subtle flavor of vanilla here, as well as a pretty classic orange rind flavor. It isn’t a fake flavor, though, and adds a mulled spice feel to the cup. I’m not really tasting much in the way of almond, but the rose sneaks through just slightly in the aftertaste. Both add a lovely presentation effect though.

The black base is brisk and punchy and in balance with the spices and other flavors. There’s just a mild amount of astringency in the base, but no bitterness. I don’t think this is a cup I’d seek out, but it’s perfect for the season, and a good cup in its own right.

Thanks TastyBrew.

The light smoky fragrance reminded us a little of Lapsang Souchong. The Darjeeling in it was just right, brightening up the flavor. Really enjoyed this. Great afternoon blend, good for morning too.

A tea to be savored, this delicate Keemun does not feature the smokey tobacco flavor of some, but the alluring blend of spice (cinnamon and allspice) and red wine is delicious. This is not an in-your-face tea, but often restraint is the essence of beauty.

Things are looking up (& sorry for being a whiner earlier).
I filled a hot steamy bath & added a generous amount of lavender essential oil.
I can smell it, at least a little!
This is the first of 3 cups of tea that I brought to the tub. The only thing I can taste (right now), is an earthy feeling, some wood in the back of my throat, & a sensation I’ll call ‘robust’.
I also have a strong nettles infusion, a potent elderberry brew with a pinch of stevia (Cheryl’s herbs has the best tasting & most potent stevia extract powder I’ve ever had), & a nice cold cup of lemon water. This will be a long soak!

Another tea shared with students this afternoon. Sorry my reviews are lame today, I’ve been busy, & although I enjoyed drinking the tea, I just don’t really have much to say about it.

The other tea I served to my student. This is a nice one.

One of my Harp students came over for tea & scones (amy, the recipe is over in the discussions group), and gave me a bag of this tea & a russian tea drinking glass!! There is a photo on my FB, if anyone would like to see the glass: https://www.facebook.com/terri.langerak

Of course, I immediately made some of the tea, & it’s decent, although I was expecting more smoke, LOL.

NOPE! a ‘little’ clove my…. backside! i get no orange, no vanilla- not even any tea…. all i get is clove!!!.

a lovely thought MissB, maybe my sample was just out of balance. that said i am not finishing this cup. )=0(